Improving Parental Involvement in Early Childhood Education Through the Use of Technology

A thesis submitted

by

Marilyn McNair

to

Full Sail University

in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE in Education Technology and Media Design

December 23, 2008

Abstract

This research paper was designed to give insight into the importance of parental involvement in early childhood education, and why there is a need to increase parental involvement. It examines the elements of parental involvement, and its effects on achievement and social development in children. It reviews traditional methods of parental involvement, and considers the need for change. It also highlights how technology can be implemented to increase parental participation, and student achievement and social development.

Table of Contents

Abstract 2

Improving Parental Involvement in Early Childhood Education 4

Educational Significance 10

Definition of Terms 11

Literature Review 12

Current/Past Solutions to the Problem in Practice 15

Proposed Solutions to the Problem 16

Integration of Proposed Solutions with Current/Past Solutions 17

Conclusion 18

Suggestions for Further Research 19

References 20

Improving Parental Involvement in Early Childhood Education

Through the Use of Technology
A growing number of studies confirm positive associations between parental involvement in schools and academic achievement, and social and emotional development (Baker & Soden, 1997). In 18 school districts across six states (including Florida), major legislation found the need for improving parental involvement at all levels of education. Parental involvement is a concern in education today. This is a concern of educators at all grade levels from elementary to high school. Parental involvement has become a concern because of social changes such as behavior problems and self-perception issues. In society today, most parents are busy trying to provide for their family. Parents have less and less time to devote to their children or be involved in helping with their homework because of their own work load. Parents have long work hours, a lack of understanding of students' assignments, and limited access to technology. This suggests a need for more parental involvement. Parental involvement enhances the parent-teacher relationship, and is essential for improving students’ academic achievement and social development. Research by Feinstein and Symon (2003) shows that children of parents with a high level of interest in their education can improve between 15-17% more in math and reading between the ages of 11 and 16 than children whose parents showed no interest in their studies. Therefore, parental involvement is an important component in the success of students both academically and socially. There have been attempts to improve parental involvement to increase students’ academic success and learning outcomes (O’Bryan, 2006). In many school districts, such as Duval County, Florida, there is a need for more parental involvement and collaboration in school. For example, in a study looking at the involvement of parents in their children’s education, 61% of parents did not attend school events ("Family Involvement," 2006). However, 86% of students reported that their parents helped them with their homework (Chavkin, 1993). There are reasons that parental involvement is limited, such as lack of time, confidence, and how the parents respond to their role in education (Jeynes, 2005). An expanded definition of parent involvement has been proposed to include more strategies for parent involvement. Sometimes it is not easy to be involved when you have limited resources. During the past two centuries, the issue of parental involvement in their children’s academic success has been a continuous one. The importance of parental involvement is noted by Carvalho (2001), who states that there is a great deal of research showing the value of parental involvement. This is important because educators want students to become the best person they can be in society. Unfortunately, parental involvement has decreased tremendously in early childhood from years past. Statistics by The National Center for Education support reports of the decrease of overall parental involvement from 1996-1999 (Cordry, 2004). There are many factors that have caused this decrease. However, two factors in particular are parents working long hours and parents feeling intimidated by their children’s homework. For example, parents who are confronted with specific demands of helping their children with work sometimes perceive their skills adequate have a positive attitude about participating. However, if the parent perceive that their skills are inadequate the tend to ask others to help or get help elsewhere (Hoover-Dempsey, 2005). Improving parental involvement would be helpful in the overall growth of children social and emotional development. Traditional methods such as the PTA, parent volunteering in the classroom, parent-teacher conferences, and newsletters, to name a few, are good methods of parent participation. Although the use of traditional methods are good and have worked in the past, computer technology will give parents fresher and more current methods to get them involved. To improve the problem of non-participation, the use of technology would eliminate the excuses of “I got off work late” or “I do not understand their assignment”. The use of technology can help increase parent participation, and give parents the support they need to assist in their children’s education. When a school has a policy that gives the parents the liberty to visit the school at any time and be kept aware of their child’s progress, the parents feels that they have a partnership with the school. According to one study, it is best to hire teachers from like cultures where the non-mainstream culture predominates. Socioeconomic elements also play a serious role in student achievement. Family plays an important role in the education of children of all ages. Parents who talk to their children about what their children are learning in school, volunteer to help with school activities, and encourage their children to achieve good grades, help produce less absenteeism and more enthusiastic learners. There are reasons why families feel estranged from schools: they feel unwelcome and intimidated, and parents are often working long hours to improve their financial situation. School staff may need assistance in understanding parents. One technique could be to get feedback from families, and find out what they want to bring into the school. Teachers and school staff should respond in a timely manner to parents’ concerns, and find ways to develop school and family links that will involve parental participation. Demographics do not have to define the direction for failure. An environment where it is an enjoyable experience encourages students to learn. Educators at Cardinal Hayes in Tampa, Florida school assume that all students have the eagerness to succeed at high levels (Comer, 2005). Education must be a family affair, empowering parents to improve their living environments so their children can be successful. The National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS) shows that families in poverty are unstable: they move a lot, and they experience stress over money, and this takes the focus away from their children’s education. Further, there are problems that urban teachers face daily that suburban communities do not face. Student behavioral problems, absenteeism, teen pregnancy, classroom discipline, and firearm possession are factors that affect a student’s success. It is important for parents to get involved early in the education of their children to promote positive educational outcomes. Ample research supports family involvement, and a growing body of intervention evaluations demonstrates that family involvement can strengthen with positive results for young children and their school readiness (“Family Involvement,” 2006). When children and parents are engaged in learning activities together, it brings enjoyment to both according to the Yale Child Study Center. However, the distant relationship between parents and their children’s school is a problem. The School Development Program has shown that parental involvement can mean higher-test scores, less absenteeism, motivated learners, and increased self-esteem. This, in turn, helps to decrease the use of alcohol or drugs, as well as violent behavior, and this results in fewer school suspensions (Comer, 2005; Bronfenbrenner, 2006). Parents’ expectations are good predictors of their children’s academic success. There are many ways a parent can become involved with their children’s education. Some examples include, setting up a daily routine for their children, monitoring TV watching time, playing games, talking about what their children learned that day, relaying to them realistic expectations, showing interest in homework, staying involved with teachers and school staff, and discussing homework assignments with them. Further, when parents attend their children’s school, it displays a connection between home and school. Therefore, teachers must recognize that parents often enter their classrooms with histories of parenting experience and memories of prior relationships with child care providers and early childhood educators (“Family Involvement”, 2006). This is the time that teachers must reach out and invite parents to share both their child’s and their own experiences in a previous setting, as well as how they would like to be involved in the present. However, parents require specific information on how to assist their children to succeed academically. They also need activities to help them create a learning environment at home. Too often there is a decline in educational activities at home as the grade level rises, and it drastically drops in the middle school years (Bronfenbrenner, 2006). There are six different ways a parent can become involved with their children’s education (Epstein, 1986). Parenting is the first way a parent can become involved. In other words, a parent can establish a home environment to support their children as students. Another way to become involved is to follow school-to-home communications about school programs and children’s progress. Parent-teacher conferences, notices, memos, newsletters, phone calls, and translators are all helpful to keep up communication between home and school. The third way to become involved is by volunteering in the school and classroom, which can assist parents with educating their children at home by keeping aware of what is happening at school. This leads into the fourth way a parent can become involved, and that is to help children with their homework and other curriculum-related activities. The school often has information and ideas to suggest to families about how to help with homework. Decision making is the fifth way of becoming involved. What this means is that parents can become involved in school decisions, which develops parent leaders and representatives. The final way to become involved is by collaborating with communities, and identify and integrate resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs, and student learning and development (Epstein, 2001). Further, health programs, nutrition programs, and home visits all encourage families to be a part of their children’s education. Community integration, doctors, health centers, social groups, and other community activities are also used to strengthen families and schools. Parents often express a desire to be a part of the process, but may not follow up and actually make themselves available to educators or their children. Parental involvement is considered an important component in student academic success, and teachers seek ways to increase parental involvement for this reason. It is believed by the NELS that the lack of parental involvement can be a contributing factor of lower grades, academic performance, and social and emotional development. The Michigan Department of Education has shown that when parents are involved with their children, students have higher grades, better self-esteem, and increased performance. There are many different strategies and methods to encourage involvement. A basic parent phone messaging system can be helpful. With this system, parents are contacted via an electronic phone system and updated about their children’s progress. This technology can accommodate parents’ schedules, reach across cultural barriers to create open communication, and give up-to-date information about grades, assignments, and other classroom activities. Technology can provide tools that are needed for parental involvement. Students and teachers have to find ways to communicate by developing school, family, and community partnerships that bridge gaps in participation. Technology opens the door whereby parents and teachers can communicate on a daily basis and not just during conferences. It can keep the parents current on all assignments, grades, activities, and absenteeism. Technology gives parents control over when, where, and how they participate, and eliminate excuses of not having the time to be aware of their children’s activities.
Educational Significance

Technology can be used in the classroom to provide an inviting, warm, and positive atmosphere that is welcoming to the parents. Inviting parents to be an intricate part of their children’s achievement is significant in encouraging at school and at home parental involvement. Technology can be applied on local and state levels, and provide communication options to parents through multimedia such as email, social networking, CD-ROMs, and DVDs. Technology can help not only individuals, but also groups. It does not matter what ethnic background or community affiliation parents and children may have. Different learning styles, such as visual and aural learning styles, would need to be accommodated. It is important to identify the reasons why parents become involved in their children's education. This paper examines why parents choose certain ways of being involved, and discusses how their involvement influences their children's educational outcomes.

Definition of Terms

Achievement the process of completing something successfully
Catalyst somebody or something that makes a change happen or brings about an event
Early Childhood a stage in human development, specifically ages 3-6
Multimedia adding the use of film, video, and music to more traditional teaching materials and methods
Parental Involvement participation of parents in regular, two-way, meaningful communication involving students’ academic learning and other school activities
Parent-Teacher
Association (PTA) a school body run by teachers and parents to organize fundraising and social events, and to encourage cooperation and understanding
Participation joining in, taking part, involving oneself, or the act of taking part in an activity
Primary Grades grades k-5
Social Development a commitment to individual well-being and volunteerism, and the opportunity for citizens to determine their own needs and to influence decisions which affect them. Social development incorporates public concerns in developing social policy and economic initiatives.
Socioeconomics involving social and economic factors
Technology the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes
Traditions customs, beliefs, practices and objects passed down from one generation to the next
Literature Review

The literature review examines the relevance of parental involvement in education, reasons to promote parental involvement in education, and barriers to parental involvement in education. The purpose of this paper is to explain the importance of parents being involved in their children's education in early childhood. It shows that if parents actively participate in their children's education the children will perform better academically. It also shows that it does not matter how much education the parents have, their status level, or the ethnicity. This paper also discusses what pre-schoolers are like, and how parents can get involved in their children’s school. This paper is significant because it covers early reading experiences that help prepare children for formal literacy instruction. It demonstrates that how children develop their language, as well as whether they develop a love for literacy, influences future success in all academic areas. The paper concludes that parental involvement is the greatest predictor of the academic success of children up to age sixteen. Beyond academic success, children who have parental involvement have a more developed social and emotional perspective, cohesive relationships with family and peers, and less delinquent behaviors. This paper notes the inequality of American education, and the significant academic gap between African-Americans, Latinos, and white Americans. It identifies that parental involvement is necessary to raise the success of disadvantaged and minority youth. It demonstrates that with parental involvement black females will often attend college, while parental involvement with black males delivers inconsistent results. This paper goes on to suggest that the academic achievement of American youth declines because of economic status. Those who have an economic disadvantage experience lower test scores, are more often labeled for special education, and have increased drop out rates. In general, this study reviews the problems of disadvantaged families that can constrain parental school involvement. Questionnaires were collected regarding racial socialization and social support, and reports regarding activities and children's educational success were completed by African-American children. The question on which this paper is written is “Which low-income families are willing to be a part of their children’s school experiences, but have no way to get involved at school or at home?” It considers how to get parents involved and bridge the gap between teachers and parents. The data comes from the National Education Longitudinal Study, which has investigated African-American participation in extracurricular activities, as well as parent education. This research has shown that parental involvement promotes positive attitudes toward school, promotes better homework habits, decreases absenteeism, decreases drop-out rates and improves academic achievement. It suggests that extra-curricular activities connect students, parents, and schools, and it concludes that an increase in student achievement is because of parent involvement. Communication between parents and teachers is important to help maintain a positive school-home partnership. The reports are based on a survey with 17 demographic questions which discuss the attitudes of teachers and parents, and the value they place on education. It describes 28 parent involvement programs in large American cities, and identifies elements which are responsible for their success. There are positive results when parents are involved in their children's schooling. These results include improved academic achievement, reduced absenteeism, improved behavior, and restored confidence among parents in their children's schooling. This report investigates the effects of parent involvement on the achievement of second and third graders in 250 California elementary schools. It shows how the involvement of parents can have an impact on how their children learn. Children of involved parents showed significantly higher achievement than other students. The report looks at the Child Study Center work in schools, and how parental involvement was not mandated. It looks at the role of the Child Study Center, and how it affects parent participation. The team provided mental health and social services to the families. It discusses how the parents felt they had been welcomed and given something of value. It also describes some road blocks. For example, some parents may have had bad experiences in school, felt intimated because of their lack of education, and have concerns that history would be repeated. To get parents involved, development must be at the center of parents and teachers’ thinking on school improvement. This review concludes with enough knowledge base to understand how important parental involvement works in promoting achievement.
Current/Past Solutions to the Problem in Practice

Schools are introducing more convenient ways for parents to stay in touch. For example, some schools in Michigan, Florida, and Georgia are creating family-school partnerships that promote a network of support and learning to everyone’s benefit. Parents are allowed to access a range of online information about their children’s performance. Email and web sites are other methods of keeping parents involved (National School Boards Association, 2000). This kind of communication is crucial in helping children reach their full potential. Parents are able to know their children’s progress, and keep an eye on their attendance, behavior, and assignments without leaving home. However, not all families have access to the Internet, and computers and the Internet can be challenging and intimidating to families. It is also difficult to maintain (Bouffard, 2008). Technology may reduce barriers in communication, but also poses a challenge to traditional forms of communication.
Proposed Solutions to the Problem

Parental involvement in early childhood education is important for academic success and social development. Technology, communication, and interpersonal and critical thinking skills are necessary skills required for this project. One objective is to create a web-based platform, which fosters an environment that increases parental involvement and parent-teacher partnerships. In order to reinforce the drive to perform better as parents, positive feedback should be provided. The demands of life have decreased the opportunity of parents to get involved; therefore, instruction is important to increase parental involvement. The learning domains that fit into this project are the Bloom’s Taxonomy framework, which includes level of design, development, and implementation. Bloom’s Taxonomy identifies three domains of educational categories--knowledge, skills, and attitude--that are useful in my training process (Clark, 2009). It is important to present information in different ways, so parents with limited education can have access to it. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence covers a variety of learning styles for my media project. In addition, this learning style will be applied to my project in the Pageflakes application using video, music, and text. The Pageflakes application will provide information, and explain facts, procedural patterns, and concepts to serve in assisting participation. Parents will be able to social network and exchange ideas through media that is represented in Pageflakes. Gardner’s Theory enriches the home environment with multiple methods of learning. Pageflakes is an application that supports a Multiple Intelligences approach to learning (Gardner, 1991).

Integration of Proposed Solutions with Current/Past Solutions

It is designed for parents with children in kindergarten to fifth grade, who needs to perform better academically. Therefore, the goals for this project are to create a consortium for improving the parent role in participation and enhance parent teacher relationship for increasing the success of their child academically and socially. Technology can have a positive effect on improving parental involvement and Pageflakes is an intricate part of this proposed solution. With the assistance of “Pageflakes”, a rich Internet application, it is an opportunity to create the best possible experience for the parents to get involved in their child’s education. This site will allow me to organize and implement an activity-based program that will engage the learner and keep them actively involved in their child’s learning. Pageflakes is an application that contains organized tabs, each tab-containing user selected modules called flakes. These flakes contain information such as: RSS Feeds, calendar, notes, Web search, bookmarks, flickr photos, and user-created.

Conclusion

In conclusion, numerous researches have been conducted to support the issue that parents who are involved in their children’s education are building the foundation for a better educated child. This means that the home will have a variety learning materials it needs which is conducive to learning. All parents want their children to succeed in school regardless of social status or race. The family is the foundation for building a solid education. This allows students to be vigilant in receiving an education. There are many benefits to parental involvement. A release by Connecticut’s Parenting Resource 1999 confirms that “active parental involvement improves student morale, attitudes, and academic achievement; thus, by taking on an active role, parents reduce their child’s risk of failure academically and reduce the chances of dropping out before graduation” (Cordry, 2004, p. 57). It also increases an understanding and love for learning. Today’s parents are faced with ever-changing demands and challenges that lead to a decrease in parental involvement. For effective educational processes to occur in classrooms, parental help in partnership with educators in needed. Various types of parental involvement can be encouraged, including volunteering, home involvement, attending parent classes, school political involvement, talking to staff, and talking to teachers. Parental involvement has been shown to be an important variable in children’s education, and more schools are trying to encourage increased involvement. It therefore becomes essential to understand what types of parental involvement have the most impact on children’s performance. “Stronger networking and cooperation between the school and family could better support an environment of enriched learning and character development for the child” (Cordry, 2004, p. 56).

Suggestions for Further Research

In consideration of the information above, parental involvement is important, and is needed more than ever to make a difference in the lives of children. It is important that researchers continue to examine how parental involvement in early childhood relates to outcomes in both the early years and over time. It is also important for researchers to conduct surveys of low-income families to examine their access to the Internet.

References

Baker, A. J. L., & Soden, L. M. (1997). Parent involvement in children’s education: A critical assessment of the knowledge base. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
Bouffard, S. (2008). Tapping into technology: The role of the internet in family-school communication. Harvard Family Research Project, 1-6.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (2006). Family involvement in early childhood education. Family Involvement Makes a Difference, 1, 1-8.
Carvalho, M. (2001). Rethinking family-school relations: A critique of parental involvement in schooling. Sociocultural, political, and historical studies in education series. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Chavkin, N. F. (1993). Families and schools in a pluralistic society. Albany, NY: Suny.
Children suffer when parents work long hours: Australian Council of Trade Unions family statement. (2005). Retrieved December 24, 2008, from http://www.actu.asn.au/work_rights/news/1133219386_5313.html
Clark, D. R. (2009). Learning Domains or Bloom's Taxomony. Retrieved January 20, 2009, from http:/ / www.nwlink.com/ ~donclark/ hrd/ bloom.html
Comer, J. (2005). The rewards of parent participation. Educational Leadership, 62(6), 38-41.
Cooper, C. (2007). The engagement in schooling of economically disadvantaged parents and children. Youth & Society, 38(3), 372-391.
Cordry, S. (2004). Parents as first teacher. Education, 125(1), 55-62.
Epstein, J. L. (2001). School, family, and community partnership: Preparing educators and improving schooling. Boulder, CO: Westview.
Family involvement in early childhood education. (2006). Family Involvement Makes a Difference, 1, 1-8.
Hawes, C. (2005). Parental involvement and its influence on reading achievement. Proquest Education, 42(1), 47-57.
Hoover-Dempsey, K. (2005). Why do parents become involved? Research findings and implications. The Elementary School, 106(2), 105-125.
Jeynes, W. H.(2005). The effects of parental involvement on the academic achievement of African American youth. Negro Education, 74, 260-274.
National School Boards Association. (2002). Washington, DC: Author.
O'Bryan, S. (2006). Bringing parents back in: African American parental involvement, extracurricular participation, and educational policy. Negro Education, 75(3), 401-414.
Parental involvement in children's education [Fast Fact]. (2003). PICE Newsletter, 1, 1-2.
Slaughter-Defoe, D. T. (1999). Parent involvement in early intervention for disadvantaged children: Does it matter? School Psychology, 37(4), 465-470.