I chose to do research on this subject because I was curious to know what impact parent involvement has on a child’s ability to learn to read. I do not remember ever being read to as a child; I have one memory of reading to my mother at the kitchen table from a ‘Janet and John’ school reading book and my father told us bedtime stories about himself as a child,(our favorite). Regardless of this minimal parental input, I learned how to read without any difficulty, and growing up I never knew of anyone who was unable to read or who struggled with reading. However, my parents were avid readers themselves, there were books all over the house, mostly nonfiction, and reading for them was a daily activity. I wonder if the unsaid expectation and example they set was not a major influence in my becoming a proficient reader.
Of course, my early introduction to literacy was half a century ago, a different culture and a different time. Much has changed over the years and children who struggle acquiring reading proficiency is now a common occurrence. What has changed and how can we as educators intervene to ensure all children who have the potential become proficient readers? There has been much focus on parental influence, and the literature I reviewed indicated that parental involvement was a powerful indicator of student reading achievement.
According to Henderson and Berla, (1994) a review of 56 research studies, showed that student achievement increased as a direct result of sustained, intense, parental involvement. Although outside the required parameters of this literature review, many of the studies I read cited this paper and I felt it warranted my attention. Many of the studies reviewed in this paper indicate that parental...
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...ading Teacher, 59, (8)774-784 doi:10.1598/RT.59.8.5
Weiss, H.B., Lopez, M.E., & Stark, D.R. (2011). Breaking new ground: Data systems transform
family engagement in education. Alexandria, VA & Cambridge, MA: National PTA and
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assessment and family engagement: New opportunities to engage families in children’s
learning and development. Retrieved from http://hfrp.org/family- involvement/ projects
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Deplanty, Jennifer, Duchane, A Kim, Kern-Coulter Russell (2007). Perceptions of Parent Involvement in Academic Achievement. The Journal of Educational Research. Vol 100, No. 6, 361
Support from parents has proven to be of extreme importance in the literacy success of a child. This often begins with the simple ritual of “bedtime stories” in the home. Studies show that children who are read to as infants perform better in literacy later in life. From a young age, children begin to understand the workings of the written word if they are exposed to it frequently. Babies who are nowhere near having the mental capacity to read and comprehend a book are still able to “follow along” when their parents or caregivers read to them. These children understand that each segment of writing represents a word and they are even able to recognize when a text is upside-down because they are accustomed to the appearance of writing. This puts the child significantly ahead when the time comes to learn to read.
Upon doing research, I have also read a few great pieces of literature that share some insight on successful literacy development and parental involvement aiding in that success. Lisa Delpit is an extraordinary author and educationalist who offers so much insight into the school systems and shares what works and does not work. I have had the pleasure of reading a few of her texts, but the one that fit this thesis best in her book called "Multiplication is for White People: Raising Expectations for Other People's Children". In chapter 3 of this book, Delpit discusses how learning does not just take place at school, but also does at home. At home learning is just as important as it is when it is being used in classrooms. Delpit (2013) states, "I have never presented myself as a reading researcher, only as a teacher who has "taught" reading. Yet, the more I explore research on reading, the more I realize that I understand our limited knowledge of what actually transpires during the learning-to-read process" (p. 60). Delpit is stating that many teachers and even parents only go by the book on
With such high numbers of adolescents falling below basic in reading, illiteracy is a battle that must be fought head on. The largest dilemma with the struggle is the number of variations that cause adolescents to become reluctant, unmotivated or struggling readers. Fortunately, a large number of strategies exist to encourage and strengthen readers of all ages, proving that adolescence is not a time to give up on faltering students. Rather, it is a time to evaluate and intervene in an effort to turn a reluctant reader into an avid one (or near enough). Ultimately, educators must learn to properly assess a student’s strengths and weaknesses (Curtis, 2009) and pair them with the proper intervention techniques. If one method does not work, countless others exist to take its place.
“The importance of reading to children is their ability to grasp abstract concepts, apply logic in various scenarios recognize cause and effect, and utilize judgement.” (Stan, n.d.) Reading helps with concentration and discipline. Which not only helps them in school but allows them to make better choices in everyday situations. Pie Corbett did his own research and discovered that “children were at risk of being left behind at school and failing to develop the creative talents needed to lead happy and productive lives.” If parents were told this, they might make better parental
Parent school involvement in children’s education is associated with positive outcomes, educational and otherwise. Within the last two decades parent involvement has increased in American schools. While initially parents were
Through the review of literature, research indicated multiple benefits of parent involvement on academic achievement, especially among active parents in impoverished families and schools. According to Silapante and Aram (2003), practitioner-scholars should identify specific knowledge that may influence an interest while focusing on areas of need specific
Cairney, T., & Munsie, L. (1995). Parent participation in literacy learning. The Reading Teacher. 392-403.
Many parents have multiple children, while working a nine to five job, attending family activities and meetings, and staying on top of bills and home duties. Family life can get hectic and parents may not take the time to realize their importance in their child’s academics. Some parents may be too busy, and others may simply not care, but their involvement in their children’s life is essential. Whether parents or children realize it, involvement of parents in children’s lives positively affects their children’s academic success at all grade levels, including elementary, high school, and even college.
Fan, X., & Chen, M. (1999). Parental Involvement and Students' Academic Achievement: A. Arlington: National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA.; National Center.
... importance of parental involvement in education can be found in the following statement. “Children whose parents are involved in their formal education have many advantages. They have better grades, test scores, long-term academic achievement, attitudes, and behavior than those with disinterested mothers and fathers.” (Henderson, 1988 p.1).
There is no one answer for having a reading problem in one’s life. These problems could be associated with culture, environment, health, self esteem, teaching styles, etc. There is also no one reason for acquiring a reading difficulty and thusly no one method of intervention will work for all students Reading allows students to do as well as other students in content area classes. Without having, good reading skill students fall behind and see themselves as poor readers. A poor reader will try to avoid reading, will not want to put much effort into reading, and will not be likely to have a high level of comprehension in reading.
Hickman, C. W., Greenwood, G. E., & Miller, M. D. (1995). High school parent involvement: Relationships with achievement, grade level, SES, and gender. Journal of Research and Development in Education, 28, 125-134.
Parent involvement affects all aspects of a child’s education. Parents must be involved as teachers, learners, supporters, and advocates of their child’s learning (Hopkings). Studies show that kids who know that their parents are involved and interested tend to take more responsibility for their own learning and behavior. Schoolwork and grades improve. Work habits improve. Less work is handed in late. Fewer referrals for behavior problems are made. Attendance increases, and fewer kids show up late for class (Hopkings). With all this information documented it shows the true importance of parent involvement in education. The more involved the parents are, the better off each child will be. So when you become a parent, get involved in your child’s education!
To conclude, my research shows a clear link between parental involvement and children performing better in school. Children who's parents are involved in their education are showing better performance and are achieving higher grades. They also show better behaviour, more enthusiasm, ambition and higher levels of engagement. compared with children who's parent are not involved in their education. My research also shows that parental involvement has great benefits for both children and parents in many ways, so much so that the most effective schools are those who encouraged parents to be involved.