ED446835 PS028956
Title: Head Start Parents' Roles in the Educational Lives of Their
Children.
Author(s): Bryant, Donna; Peisner-Feinberg, Ellen; Miller-Johnson,
Shari
Pages: 14
Publication Date: April 28, 2000
Notes: Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American Educational
Research Association (New Orleans, LA, April 24-28, 2000).
Available from: EDRS Price MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
Language: English
Document Type: Reports--Research (143); Speeches/meeting papers (150)
Geographic Source: U.S.; North Carolina
Journal Announcement: RIEAPR2001
Noting that
parent involvement in their children's education is a crucial contributor
to children's achievement, this study investigated the relations
among family factors, parental involvement in children's learning
activities within and outside of Head Start, and children's outcomes
related to literacy, numeracy, social skills, and behavior problems.
Data were collected by means of Fall and Spring parent interviews,
teacher ratings of children's social skills and problem behaviors,
and administration of the Woodcock Johnson Math and Letter-Word
ID subscales. The findings indicated that in the Fall, parents who
were most involved with their children in activities at home and
in the community were more likely to include mothers with higher
levels of education. Larger families tended to have less involvement
in Head Start than smaller families. The level of Fall home activities
was highly significantly related to Spring home activities. Parents'
participation in Head Start activities over the course of the year
was a significant predictor of home activities with the child in
the Spring. There were no significant family demographic or activity
predictors of the pre-math outcome. Family size and income were
significant predictors of the literacy outcome. A family's involvement
in activities with their child at home and in the community was
significantly positively related to Letter-Word ID. Parent involvement
in Head Start activities did not contribute to the cognitive development
outcomes. Parents who reported more Head Start involvement in activities
that included their child had children whom teachers rated more
highly on social skills. (KB)
Descriptors: Academic Achievement; Behavior Problems; Emergent Literacy;
Family Environment; Interpersonal Competence; Models; Numeracy;
*Parent Participation; *Parent Role; *Parent School Relationship;
Parent Student Relationship; *Parents; Parents as Teachers; Predictor
Variables; *Preschool Children; Preschool Education
Identifiers: *Project Head Start
