Identifying and Navigating the Barriers of Parental Involvement in Early Childhood Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14507/cie.vol25iss1.2146Keywords:
Parental involvement in school, family engagement in education, school partnershipsAbstract
Parental involvement in early childhood education significantly impacts children's academic, socio-emotional, and behavioral outcomes. Extensive research indicates that parental involvement plays a more influential role in a child's academic success compared to socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, or educational background. However, a noticeable gap exists between the desired and actual levels of parental involvement, often attributed to identifiable barriers. This study aims to delineate these obstacles and proposes cost-effective, actionable steps to overcome them. We introduce specific strategies that enhance the home-school partnership and recommend that schools actively teach and promote these activities. These practices highlight the dual importance of parental support for school-based learning and school support for home-based activities.
References
Anthony, K.V. & Wildmon, M. E. (2021). Life after homeschool. In Lee Teufel-Prida (Ed.)
Home Schooling and Mental Health (Chapter 6). Cognella Academic Publishing.
Arnold, D. H., Zeljo, A., Doctoroff, G. L., & Ortiz, C. (2008). Parent involvement in preschool:
Predictors and the relation of involvement to Preliteracy development. School Psychology Review, 37(1), 74–90. https://doi.org/10.1080/02796015.2008.12087910
Barger, M. M., Kim, E. M., Kuncel, N. R., & Pomerantz, E. M. (2019). The relation between
parents' involvement in children's schooling and children's adjustment: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 145(9), 855-890. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000201
Bierman, K. L., Morris, P. A., Abenavoli, R. M. (2017). Parent engagement practices improve
outcomes for preschool children. Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, Pennsylvania State University.
Bronson, M. B. (2000). Self-regulation in early childhood. Guilford.
Castro, M., Expósito-Casas, E., López-Martín, E., Lizasoain, L., Navarro-Asencio, E., &
Gaviria, J. L. (2015, February). Parental involvement on student academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Educational Research Review, 14, 33–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2015.01.002
Chicago Longitudinal Study. (2005). User's guide. (ver. 7). Minneapolis: University of
Minnesota.
Downer, J. T., & Mendez, J. L. (2005). African American father involvement and preschool
children's school readiness. Early Education & Development, 16(3), 317–340. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15566935eed1603_2
Duncan, G. J., Dowsett, C. J., Claessens, A., Magnuson, K., Huston, A. C., Klebanov, P., Pagani,
L. S., Feinstein, L., Engel, M., Brooks-Gunn, J., Sexton, H., Duckworth, K., & Japel, C. (2007). School readiness and later achievement. Developmental Psychology, 43(6), 1428-1446. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.43.6.1428
Dunst, C. J., Bruder, M. B., Trivette, C. M., Hamby, D., Raab, M., & McLean, M. (2001).
Characteristics and consequences of everyday natural learning opportunities. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 21(2), 68–92. https://doi.org/10.1177/027112140102100202
Duvall, S., (November 17, 2021). New Research Shows Homeschool Growth across All Race,
Income Categories. HSLDA. https://hslda.org/post/new-research-shows-homeschool-growth-across-all-race-income-categories
Duvall, S., (June 14, 2022). Homeschooling demographics continue to change rapidly. HSLDA.
https://hslda.org/post/homeschooling-demographics-continue-to-change-rapidly#_edn2
Epstein, J.L. (2011). School, family, and community partnerships: Preparing educators and
improving schools (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429494673
Fantuzzo, J., McWayne, C., Perry, M. A., & Childs, S. (2004). Multiple dimensions of family
involvement and their relations to behavioral and learning competencies for urban, low-income children. School Psychology Review, 33(4), 467–480. https://doi.org/10.1080/02796015.2004.12086262
Grolnick, W. S., & Slowiaczek, M. L. (1994). Parents' involvement in children's schooling: A
multidimensional conceptualization and motivational model. Child Development, 65(1), 237-252. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1994.tb00747.x
Halgunseth, L., Peterson, A., Stark, D. R., & Moodie, S. (2009). Family engagement,
diverse families, and early childhood education programs: An integrated review of the
literature. NAEYC and Pre-K Now. www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/ecprofessional/EDF_Literature%20Review.pdf
Hartas, D. (2011). Families' social backgrounds matter: socio-economic factors, home learning
and young children's language, literacy and social outcomes. British Educational Research Journal, 37(6), 893–914. https://doi.org/10.1080/01411926.2010.506945
Hayakawa, M., Englund, M. M., Warner-Richter, M. N., & Reynolds, A. J. (2013). The
longitudinal process of early parent involvement on student achievement: A path analysis. NHSA Dialog, 16(1), 103–126.
Henrich, C. C., & Blackmond-Jones, R. (2006). Parental involvement in preschool. In E. Zigler,
W. S. Gilliam, & S. M. Jones (Eds.), A vision for universal preschool education. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139167284
Hornby, G., & Lafaele, R. (2011). Barriers to parental involvement in education: An explanatory
model. Educational Review, 63(1), 37-52. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2010.488049
Jeynes, W. H. (2005). A meta-analysis of the relation of parental involvement to urban
elementary school student academic achievement. Urban Education, 40(3), 237–269. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085905274540
Leibham, M. E., Alexander, J. M., Johnson, K. E., Neitzel, C. L., & Reis-Henrie, F. P. (2005).
Parenting behaviors associated with the maintenance of preschoolers' interests: A prospective longitudinal study. Applied Developmental Psychology, 26(4), 397–414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2005.05.001
Levine, A., & Philips, L. (2022). How to build independence in preschoolers. Childmind.org.
Retrieved from https://childmind.org/article/how-to-build-independence-in-preschoolers/
Ma, X., Shen, J., Krenn, H. Y., Hu, S., & Yuan, J. (2016). A meta-analysis of the relationship
between learning outcomes and parental involvement during early childhood education and early elementary education. Educational Psychology Review, 28(4), 771–801. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44955364
Mantzicopoulos, P. (2003). Flunking kindergarten after Head Start: An inquiry into the
contribution of contextual and individual variables. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(2), 268–278. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.95.2.268
Marcon, R. A. (1999). Positive relationships between parent school involvement and public
school inner-city preschoolers' development and academic performance. School Psychology Review, 28(3), 395-412. https://doi.org/10.1080/02796015.1999.12085973
McDowell, K., Jack, A., & Compton, M. (2018). Parent involvement in pre-kindergarten and the
effects on student achievement. The Advocate, 23(6). https://doi.org/10.4148/2637-4552.1004
McWayne, C., Hampton, V., Fantuzzo, J., Cohen, H. L., & Sekino, Y. (2004). A multivariate
examination of parent involvement and the social and academic competencies of urban kindergarten children. Psychology in the Schools, 41(3), 363–377. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.10163
Meltzoff, A. N. (1988). Imitation of televised models by infants. Child Development, 59(5),
–1229. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1988.tb01491.x
National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2020). Connecting the brain to the rest of
the body: Early childhood development and lifelong health are deeply intertwined. Working paper No. 15. Retrieved from www.developingchild.abrriersadf.edu
Niklas, F., & Schneider, W. (2013). Home literacy environment and the beginning of reading and
spelling. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 38(1), 40–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2012.10.001
Olmstead, C. (2013). Using technology to increase parent involvement in schools. Springer US.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-013-0699-0
Powell, D. R., Son, S. H., File, N., & San Juan, R. R. (2010). Parent-school relationships and
children's academic and social outcomes in public school pre-kindergarten. Journal of school psychology, 48(4), 269–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2010.03.002
Powell, D. R., Son, S. H., File, N., & Froiland, J. M. (2012). Changes in parent involvement
across the transitions from public school pre-kindergarten to first grade and children's academic outcomes. The Elementary School Journal, 113, 276–300. https://doi.org/10.1086/667726
Price-Mitchell, M. (2016). Curiosity: How parents foster lifelong learning in children.
https://www.rootsofaction.com/curiosity-lifelong-learning/
Ray, B. (2022, March 26). Research Facts on Homeschooling. National Home Education
Research Institute. https://www.nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/
Reynolds, A. J., Lee, S., Eales, L., Varshney, N., & Smerillo, N. E. (2022). Parental involvement
and engagement in early education contribute to children’s success and Well-Being. In Research on Family-School Partnerships (pp. 91–111). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74617-9_6
Rimm-Kaufman, S. E., & Pianta, R. C. (2001). An ecological perspective on the transition to
kindergarten. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 21(5), 491–511.
Roy, A., Breaux, R., Sciberras, E., Patel, P., Ferrara, E., Shroff, D., Cash, A., Dvorsky, M.,
Langberg, J., Quach, J., Melvin, G., Jackson, A., & Becker, S. (2021). A preliminary examination of key strategies, challenges, and benefits of remote learning expressed by parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/5ca4v
Sheridan, S. M., Knoche, L. L., Edwards, C. P., Bovaird, J. A., & Kupzyk, K. A. (2010). Parent
engagement and school readiness: Effects of the getting ready intervention on preschool children's social-emotional competencies. Early Education and Development, 21(1), 125–156. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409280902783517
Shrier, C. (2014). Young children learn by copying you! Retrieved from
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/young_children_learn_by_copying_you
Smith, A. & Campbell, J. (May 31, 2023). Homeschooling is on the rise, even as the pandemic
recedes. Reason Foundation. https://reason.org/commentary/homeschooling-is-on-the-rise-even-as-the-pandemic-recedes/
Stiglic, N., & Viner, R. M. (2019). Effects of screentime on the health and well-being of children
and adolescents: a systematic review of reviews. BMJ Open, 9(1), e023191. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023191
Thomas, J. B. (2017). Learning outside the classroom and its benefits. Powerful Schools.
http://www.powerfulschools.org/learning-outside-the-classroom-and-benefits/
Wilder, S. (2014). Effects of parental involvement on academic achievement: a meta-synthesis.
Educational Review, 66(3), 377–397. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2013.780009
Yulianti, K., Denessen, E., Droop, M., & Veerman, G. (2020). School efforts to promote parental
involvement: The contributions of school leaders and teachers. Educational Studies, 48(1), 98-113, https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2020.1740978
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Mark Wildmon, Kenny, Zion Kamau
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright without restrictions. Unless otherwise indicated, from 2021 all articles are published under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA license. For more information visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/. Articles published prior to 2021 used a CC-BY-NC-SA license.