Young Children and Elementary School

• Volunteer to help supervise recess or attend a fun field trip with your child's class.BananaStock/BananaStock/Getty Images
  
  There are usually many opportunities for fathers of elementary students to get involved in school activities. Kindergarten and first-grade teachers often need help with circle time, a designated time that students move through monitored stations within the classroom. Or come in once a month to read to your child's class. The time commitment is small but the benefits of demonstrating your commitment to your child's education are large. Participating in class field trips is another way of getting involved; when you volunteer to help out on a field trip, you get to see your child engaged in a fun activity and watch how she behaves in new settings and who she socializes with.
  
  

Middle School

• Support your child by attending a school concert or show.Jupiterimages/BananaStock/Getty Images
  
  Middle-schools have fewer opportunities for fathers to come into the classroom, but attending school-sponsored events, such as a band concert, talent show, fall festival, family picnic or holiday festival, gives dad the chance to chat with teachers face-to-face. Fathers can also join a dad's club or participate in golf tournaments and other fundraisers. This kind of participation keeps you involved in the school's current events and contributes to its growth. Students this age are less dependent on their parents for initiating play dates, so it can be difficult to get to know their friends' parents. School-sponsored social activities provide a good chance for fathers to meet and connect with other dads.
  
  

High School

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  High school students are typically quite happy to be increasingly independent. Still, it's important for a high school student's dad to show up to cheer for her at a swim meet or softball game. Students are usually involved in clubs and team activities at this age and their coaches teach them to support one another as a team, but this shouldn't scare Dad away. It's important for a father to be present, cheering his child on.
  
  

Advocacy

• Advocate for your child by getting involved in school board and PTO meetings.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Being involved in school activities isn't all fun and games. It's important to remember why children are in school in the first place -- to learn. Take a few minutes each evening to talk with your child about his day and ask him to show you his homework, tests and school projects. Some school activities, such as conferences, school board and PTO meetings, are often serious in nature and require thoughtful participation. Attend conferences so that you can hear the teacher's thoughts and share any concerns and compliments that you might have. Some school board and PTO meetings are open to parents; go to one to hear the most current school-district information and to share your opinions.