International Journal of Research Studies in Education 2021 Volume 10 Number 7, 35-42 © The Author(s) / Attribution CC BY Emphasizing the role of parents in values education to children in their formative years during the COVID-19 pandemic Gozum, Ivan Efreaim A. Angeles University Foundation, Philippines (gozum.ivanefreaim@auf.edu.ph) Sarmiento, Philip Joseph D. Holy Angel University, Philippines (pjsarmiento@hau.edu.ph) Received: 30 March 2021 Revised: 11 May 2021 Accepted: 30 May 2021 Available Online: 8 June 2021 DOI: 10.5861/ijrse.2021.618 ISSN: 2243-7703 Online ISSN: 2243-7711 OPEN ACCESS Abstract This paper analyzes the shift in the modality of learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on values education to children in their formative years. With this, the researchers present the way education is being done through distant learning, which is the modality of teaching done during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, this study emphasizes the role of parents in guiding the students in a distant learning setup and in teaching them the essential values in life since they will be the ones who will help them in their values education classes. To conclude, this research paper highlights the role of parents in values education in this setup so that the children will be formed well. In the end, the parents are said to be the first educators to children. Keywords: parents; values education; COVID-19 pandemic; distant learning; children; formative years