NATCHEZ — Parents got a chance to sit in the hot seat Thursday night, while their children’s teachers drilled them for answers.

More than 200 parents sat behind desks in 20 classrooms at Natchez High School, to learn tips for helping their children with schoolwork at a Parent University sponsored by Natchez-Adams School District.

In Room 33, McLaurin Elementary teachers taught parents how to incorporate important vocabulary in their child’s language in a session called, “Connecting the curriculum with 12 powerful words.”

Parents observed a picture drawn on the whiteboard of a boy looking at an empty mailbox, and teachers asked parents to “infer” what the boy was doing and “describe” it to the class.

The session emphasized to parents the importance critical thinking, which is a vital skill for taking the Mississippi Curriculum Second Edition Test.

Fourth-grade teacher Amanda Mercer said the 12 words, which also include “compare,” “contrast,” “support” and “analyze,” are often used on the MCT2, but children have trouble understanding what the words are asking of them.

Teachers encouraged parents to use the words at home to better prepare their child to think critically and perform well on standard tests.

West Primary School student Halie Collins had fun participating in Ball Volley with her grandfather, Kermit Boykin.

Boykin said he attended the university for the opportunity to meet his granddaughter’s teachers and experience firsthand the kinds of activities she participates in at school.

West Primary teacher Charm Powell showed the students and parents at her session how the children have fun, get exercise, and learn healthy information in physical education class.

The beach ball they volleyed around the classroom was decorated with pictures of fruits and vegetables with nutrition questions on them. Before popping up the ball into the air for another round, Powell read a question off of it and asked a multiple choice question about how the brain gets energy.

When someone correctly answered “carbohydrates,” the volley started up again.

In Room 49, PTA president Deloris Irving and Morgantown Assistant Principal LaTonya W. Robinson addressed parents on the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

Irving explained that the new standards narrow curriculum standards and raise expectations in order to even the playing field across the country.

The new standards better align what Mississippi students learn with the rest of the county and are helpful for students who move out-of-state to remain on par with what is being taught outside of Mississippi.

In addition, Irving said the common standards should better prepare students for college and the job market.

Dina Jones said she attended the event because her son at West Primary loves to learn, and she wanted to pick up tips to extend his education after school lets out.

Now Jones knows using beans to teach her son how to add and subtract is a good method when they work on math at home.

“They had some really good ideas,” Jones said.

Superintendent Anthony Morris attended the event, and he said he was pleased with the turnout.

“I hope parents continue to stay involved and active throughout the year to keep students focused,” Morris said.