The Importance Of Family Involvement In Early Childhood Education

The impact of family involvement on academic and social development

According to Elango et al. (2015), when families and schools work together, young children have better chances for achieving success. The involvement of the family members in early childhood education, benefits the children to a huge extent. They get higher scores or grades in their academic papers. In addition to this, their attendance is always 100 percent  and their behavior is more positive than others. Bruce (2012) mentioned that young children are like learning sponges and their family members play a major role in shaping their attitudes and behaviors. When the members of the family are involved, there is always a chance that the family values get communicated to the children. Young children want to feel the pride in their family members and the pride tends to influence how the child is feeling about himself/herself. However, extensive research on this topic reveals that the role of family members play a crucial role to the children’s success.

The report throws light on the involvement of family members into their children’s early education. In addition to this, the report discusses about the changing parenting practices, young children and family structures, within the context of their families. Moreover, the report highlights the overall importance of developing awareness of the family structures, patterns and relationships. Significant research since the past years has demonstrated the fact that involvement of the family members is very crucial for the educational success of young children. The report aims to develop ideas and concepts regarding family involvement and how their structures and patterns affect children education. Last but not the least; the report emphasizes on the benefits of early childhood education and how it changes the attitudes as well as behaviors of the children.

Early childhood professionals agree on the fact that a good method of meeting the demands of the young kids is through their family members, whatever the units may be. According to Bruce (2012), as family patterns or structures change, early childhood professionals tend to develop various ways of meeting the parents’ as well as children’s needs. The family system has the overall responsibility of meeting the needs of the children. It is true that parents are the children’s primary educators and the guidance as well as experience they gain from their parents, shapes the children’s future. It is within the family that the basic values, approaches and literacy skills are set as well as reinforced. 

Changing family patterns and structures in early childhood education

In Wortham and Hardin (2015) words, it is important for the educators to work with the family members and assist them to get a good start on parenting. Educators need to address the family issues and problems before they assist the children in an effective manner. For instance; working with the family service agencies in order to help the parents, access affordable and adequate health care means for keeping their children healthier. Moreover, the early childhood professionals should work with the young children as well as their families, in order to benefit both.

According to Roopnarine and Johnson (2012), a good example of working with the families is conducting family literacy programs, where the teachers should organize sessions with the family members and educate them on childhood learning. Family literacy programs provide training to the parents and assist the families with some parenting strategies, values and behaviors for the growth and development of children. Family structures, living patterns and other factors highly matter in the development, growth and education of the children. Moreover, Bredekamp (2016) examined that an increasing number of mothers are currently employed. In the year 2004, around fifty seven percent of the mothers with children below six years of age and seventy three percent of the mothers with children above six years of age, were into the workforce.

This factor of working parents has created a greater demand for the early childhood programs. As per Essa’s (2012) opinion, educators and professionals are highly responsible for keeping the teaching quality high, affordable and accessible in order to give proper care to the children. In addition to this, fathers should also rediscover the joys of interacting and parenting with the young children. Gordon and Browne (2013) mentioned that men also play a major role in providing the children with basic care, nurturance and love. Increasingly, men should also be more concerned regarding their roles as fathers. Moreover, they should actively participate in family events that is before, during and after the child is born.

Dahlberg, Moss and Pence (2013) stated that the fathers are rediscovering new ways and methods of interacting as well as parenting with young children. Fathers are getting involved for the cognitive development of their children. In other words, fathers often participate in the school meetings, studies, reading and helping with the school works. This in turn, motivates and encourages the children to a huge extent and brings positivism to the family. Men and women should distribute the works equally and take care of their children. It is important for both the parents to give adequate attention to their kids.

The role of educators in supporting families

Moreover, Kjellstrand and Harper (2012) examined that the number of single parents are increasing. Certain ethnic groups are being represented disproportionately in the single parent families. There are several factors which lead to this. Firstly, the pregnancy rates are comparatively higher among the lower socio economic segments. Secondly, the teenage pregnancy rates are at times higher at the poor African, American and Hispanic populations due to illiteracy, fewer life opportunities as well as economic constraints.

In addition to this, Noble et al. (2015) opined that in the United Kingdom, around fifty percent of the marriages end in divorce. Young children, who experience challenges like parents going through a divorce procedure, are left susceptible to problems such as depression. It also hampers their education and impacts them in a negative manner. In modern days, family relationships are becoming increasingly complex because of the rising rates of separation, divorce and others. These factors are needed to be adequately addressed, keeping the future of the child into consideration.

For this research, the researcher has collected both primary and secondary data sources. The primary data has been gathered from several sources like surveys as well as personal interviews. Moreover, the secondary sources comprise information which is available on the online sources. Both the data types will be used for conducting this research paper. The primary sources like surveys, interviews as well as questionnaires will help in gaining personal insights. The secondary sources will help in reviewing the existing articles based on the topic. Panneerselvam (2014) explained secondary sources as the ones which are being published in various books, websites, journals, blogs or others.

The researcher has collected both primary as well as secondary data for establishing the report. Moreover, the secondary data is collected from several observations, gathering information from relevant websites as well as reading relevant journals. Additionally, the secondary data also helped the researcher in coming across relevant ideas as well as concepts regarding this topic. Furthermore, it will assist in gaining a clear understanding about the impact of family members, structures and patterns on children development and education. Therefore, it can be said that both the data sources have helped in gaining important insights, which in turn established the study.

The researcher has maintained the professional as well as ethical issues, while conducting the whole research paper. As per Miller et al. (2012), the researchers need to maintain some sort of privacy related to unpublished information or data. Moreover, the researchers did not leak any kind of personal details of information of the interview or survey respondents, without their consent. The researcher was sure of the facts collected from secondary or primary sources. He/she did not fabricate or use those facts for unethical purposes. In addition to this, the researcher took prior consent from the respondents and has provided the necessary information for the research purpose.

The benefits of early childhood education for children’s attitudes and behaviors

The interview helped in gaining some useful insights, which further established the study. Interviews with the educators and professionals have revealed the fact that the family structures or patterns highly impact child behavior, their attitude and academics (refer to the appendix for the interview questions). In specific terms, the children who are raised in lone-parent support are found to be less attentive in class, with lesser academic scores and interests. They are comparatively doing less well in both academics as well as extra-curricular activities, than the ones in two parent families. The parental separation is being seen to be entirely associated with the adverse outcomes for young children. 

Educators have said that during the early years, a parent’s values as well as attitudes get carried onto the child. At this time, their self esteem and concept gets developed and thus, the parents need to take care of this. Parents’ behavior and attitudes highly influence the children. Therefore, they need to take care and acquire certain skills which will strongly support the system of early childhood education. A supportive as well as loving family leaves a positive impact upon the child and it is very critical for their healthy development. If the child feels secure, loved or safe within their family, it will assist in forming their self esteem as well as well being. Moreover, this will also help the child in becoming more competent socially, along with better communication skills and family connections.

Parental participation or involvement in the children’s activities such as reading books together, outdoor exploration and others has helped the children in becoming more social. In addition to this, the children who engage into playful activities with their family members jump into games when they attend school. Moreover, they tend to show much independent behavior in such situations. It is seen that the parents who are involved into playful activities of the children helps them develop a strong self sense.

Educators have said that the parents as well as family members also have the power to influence the early development of childhood by supporting childhood lessons and literacy programs. It is important to encourage the practice of reading skills and math among the kids. Moreover, parents should increase school readiness among their children, so that they are not afraid of going to schools. Educators also play a major role in this. The educators should take care of the children in such a manner, that the kids are always school-ready. Even the early lessons like prayers, singing alphabets, counting objects or others can lead into more successful classroom environment.

However, the family risk factors also influence childhood development. The maternal risk factors may have a greater impact on the children’s development and behavior. For instance; drug abuse, domestic violence, poverty and other factors lead to behavioral issues among the children. Parents need to take care of these factors and can seek help from the educators, trainers, doctors and others. Therefore, it can be said that the parents as well as families have the lasting and direct impact over the children’s development and learning of social competence.

According to the educators, the parents who remain involved with their children’s education tend to create a connection between their school and home. Early childhood education is the beginning of the child’s educational career. One of the beneficiary factors for parental involvement is the establishment of social networks, which should never be underestimated. Kids are appropriate to become friends with their parent, who have a friendly nature. The parents who are involved in their children’s schooling and studies can contribute a lot to their social development, by demonstrating the friendly openings.

All throughout the study, I have gained useful insights regarding early childhood education. Conducting interviews as well as reviewing the literatures have helped in establishing the study. The existing literatures have given an overview of how children need parental support for their overall growth and development. Not only in academics, but also in the societal sphere of life, children need support from their parents. The social, physical as well as emotional development of the kids directly affects their overall development. Therefore, it is important to start investing in early childhood education in order to maximize their future prospects. 

Researches on this topic have revealed the fact that the early years play a major role in the child’s brain development. Young children and babies learn the most from a very early stage, including the prenatal, perinatal and postnatal period. The early experiences of the child and the bond they share with their parents are their first experiences of learning. These factors deeply affect their future cognitive, social, emotional and physical development. Optimizing the early childhood years is the best investment one can make to ensure future success of the kids (Panneerselvam 2014). Reviewing the existing literatures have also helped in understanding the facts how children get impacted due to several factors like separation, divorce and others.

Many scholars have suggested that parental involvement in early childhood development helps in extending the teaching outside classroom and create more positive experience for the children (Bruce 2012). This in turn, helps the kids to perform better at schools. It is immensely important for the parents to support the kids’ learning, which happens at the pre-school settings and home as well. The parents who keep a note of the classroom happenings are believed to be well connected with their children. This bond or connection is regarded as a key component for the child’s development and support for further learning.

In addition to this, interview with the educators have helped me in gaining practical knowledge regarding early childhood and education. It has assisted in establishing the paper to a huge extent. Moreover, the educators have revealed the fact how children with one parent, face several challenges. They face issues with their studies and are generally slow learners, as compare to the ones with two parents. In reference to this, the educators mentioned that by establishing and enhancing good communication lines, the parents can make a positive impact on their children’s ability of learning.

The educators also organize programs and invite the children’s parents to gain an idea regarding their kids’ progress. They also try to make the families more comfortable so that they get more involved into the meeting. In such cases, few educators mentioned that some working parents do not get time to attend the parent-teacher meetings, which is obviously a negative thing. At least one parent needs to attend such meetings as it helps in getting an overview of their child’s overall development. By encouraging participation, the parents are more likely to support the children beyond their early days and also the children will make their family members a crucial part of their education, into the future.

According to Spodek and Saracho (2014), the parents who are highly involved in their kids’ education create a certain bond between the school and home. Young children are like learning sponges; they learn what they see from their elder ones and their surroundings. At homes, the parents should be able to replicate as well as extend the activities that the children learn at school. This will help in increasing their competencies as well as confidence level. The involved parents learn the names of their kids’ friends and get to know how they are getting along in the school groups. 

Conclusion

To conclude, early childhood education consists of a number of experiences as well as activities, which are designed to support the social and cognitive development of the preschoolers before they enter the elementary schools. The report has given a clear picture regarding involvement of family members into childhood development and growth. Several existing literatures, journals and these are being reviewed and presented in an ethical manner. This has helped in establishing the report. Interviews with the educators have helped the researcher in gaining useful insights and practical knowledge regarding childhood development. In addition to this, the educators have revealed the fact that parent involvement in childhood education has impacted the kids’ academics, cognitive functioning, health as well as overall development. Moreover, several researchers have examined the need for parental involvement in the early education, by linking their behaviors with academic outcomes.

It can be said that a parent-child connection or bond is very important and immensely necessary for their growth and development. Family involvement plays a major role in the child education. At times, many parents think that they do not have any role to play, once their kids are sent to schools. They feel that the educators will take care of their children and mould them into better human beings. Few of them also do not have time to attend parent-teacher meetings, which is absolutely wrong. The parents should always keep in mind that they are the primary educators of their children. The children learn things from them at first, and their surrounding is their classroom. Therefore, the parents should take care of these factors in order to teach good habit to their kids, at the earliest stage.

Please comment on…	Reviewer’s comments here!	Keep for your own reflections and improvements Author’s response here!
The relevance of the points made to this module.		The points are relevant to the topic. The topic being discussed here is involvement of parents into childhood education.
How the points are supported from reading.		Various articles, literatures, journals and theses are being reviewed to support the study.
The author’s understanding of theory relating to children and families.		The report has helped me in gaining useful insights regarding childhood development and their parental support.
The use of different points of view.		Utilizing various resources has enabled in establishing the report and I have gained useful insights from the same.
The clarity and accuracy of the writing (grammar/spelling) and the organisation of the writing.		The report is written by maintaining clarity and accuracy.
Is the referencing and bibliography correct? If not what needs to be changed?		Yes, the referencing and bibliography is correct and done in Harvard style.
How could the assignment be improved?		The assignment can be improved by conducting a survey and the respondents would be the child’s parents. This could have given more insights regarding the parents’ views.

References

Bredekamp, S., 2016. Effective practices in early childhood education: Building a foundation. Boston: Pearson.

Bruce, T., 2012. Early childhood education. Hachette UK.

Dahlberg, G., Moss, P. and Pence, A., 2013. Beyond quality in early childhood education and care: Languages of evaluation. Routledge.

Elango, S., García, J.L., Heckman, J.J. and Hojman, A., 2015. Early childhood education (No. w21766). National Bureau of Economic Research.

Essa, E.L., 2012. Introduction to early childhood education. Cengage Learning.

Gordon, A.M. and Browne, K.W., 2013. Beginnings & beyond: Foundations in early childhood education. Cengage learning.

Kjellstrand, E.K. and Harper, M., 2012. Yes, she can: An examination of resiliency factors in middle-and upper-income single mothers. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 53(4), pp.311-327.

Miller, T., Birch, M., Mauthner, M. and Jessop, J. eds., 2012. Ethics in quantitative research. Sage.

Noble, K.G., Houston, S.M., Brito, N.H., Bartsch, H., Kan, E., Kuperman, J.M., Akshoomoff, N., Amaral, D.G., Bloss, C.S., Libiger, O. and Schork, N.J., 2015. Family income, parental education and brain structure in children and adolescents. Nature neuroscience, 18(5), p.773.

Panneerselvam, R., 2014. Research methodology. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd..

Roopnarine, J. and Johnson, J., 2012. Approaches to early childhood education. Pearson Higher Ed.

Spodek, B. and Saracho, O.N., 2014. Handbook of research on the education of young children. Routledge.

Wortham, S.C. and Hardin, B.J., 2015. Assessment in early childhood education. Pearson.