by Masimba Mukichi

Created on: November 08, 2009   Last Updated: November 09, 2009

You can't teach swimming when you can't swim. You can't teach singing when you can't sing. You can't teach reading when you can't read. Literacy level of parents is of paramount importance when it comes to the learning of their children. Inorder for parents to help their children effectively they should themselves be conversant with the subject matter intended to be imparted to the child. If a child brings homework from school he/she is expected to be helped by the literate parents. If the parents are illiterate the child won't do the homework because none of the parents understands what needs to be done.

Parents should at least have some basic literacy skills such as reading, writing and mathematical skills. If a child is given a comprehension passage to answer ,it is only a parent who is able to comprehend the passage who can successfully help the child to answer the comprehension questions. The literacy level of parents can motivate the children to work hard in school and aspire for better professions than their parents. I became a teacher because I was emulating my mother who was a teacher. My brother became a mechanic because he emulated my father. He started as a "spanner boy" and later enrolled for an apprenticeship in motor mechanic.

The examples I have highlighted are crystal clear that the parent's level of literacy has a bearing on a child's learning. If parents are literate it is common knowledge that they will cooperate with their child's school. If the school request that parents buy supplementary readers, it only takes the literate parents to understand the value of buying library books for children to read at home. If the school calls for an educational trip with children, it only calls for the literate parents to pay the required amount for the trip timeously. Literate parents are not argumentative with the school when the school politely request them to do something which involves money for their children.

The truth of the matter is that literate parents know the value of education for their children because themselves are educated. Literate parents always have good rapport with the school. They are willing to contribute positively to the academic life of the school. They can even volunteer their expertise to the school. They participate in parents and teachers evening meetings. literate parents are willing to provide for their children 's educational needs as compared to the illiterate drug addicted parents who instead of paying the school fees for their children use the fees to buy drugs and feed their habit of addiction at the expense of educating their children.

Literate parents have been to school and most likely they would have earned respected professions through education. Hence they wish the same for their offsprings and they are willing to help them do their home work. To be literate doesn't mean to be degreed. I am only talking of that basic survival reading,writing and numeracy skills which can make one tick in this modern age. In all literate parents know that a child should be developed in total so they won't back off when the school says it wants parents to buy sports kit and ingredients for a Home Economics lesson. In earnest knowledge is power. Literacy is king when it comes to matters of helping our children with school work and communicating with our children's teachers.

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