There are a variety of ways in which the family influences school readiness for young children. They include, but are not limited to, the home environment, style of parent-child interaction, and family's attitudes toward school and learning. There are many lasting benefits to children when parents and homes are structured yet flexible, and where adults demonstrate positive attitudes and behavior toward school and learning. The benefits include higher school achievement rates, higher attendance rates, lower delinquency and dropout rates, and increased high school completion and college university admission rates (Ziegler, 1987).
Providing Stimulation to Learn: The availability of appropriate play materials in the home, throughout infancy and toddlerhood, has a positive effect on achievement in early elementary school, particularly in reading achievement (Bradley et al., 1988). It is especially important for the home to have manipulatives that encourage the young child to have a variety of sensory experiences, and to be able to develop fine and gross motor skills.
Social/Cultural Exposure: Parents who provide an array of enriching cultural and social experiences during preschool and early elementary school have children who perform better on achievement tests and are rated as more task oriented by their teachers (Bradley et al., 1988). Social and cultural activities that are recommended include frequent use of libraries, museums, zoos, historical sites, and other places of interest (Bloom, 1931).
Problem-Solving Strategies: Parents who expose their preschoolers to problem-solving strategies are more likely to have children who use them (Freund, 1990). Mothers who interact with preschool children in problem-solving tasks, and expose them to open-ended questions about that task, have children who later demonstrate greater independent performance with similar tasks requiring problem-solving skills.
Literacy and Language Development Opportunities: High-achieving children have parents who read to them frequently and help them attain phonemic awareness (Juel, 1988). There is a strong relationship between children's early knowledge of nursery rhymes and later development of phonological skill (Maclean, Bryant, & Bradley, 1987). In homes where children participate in family discussions, children are better prepared for the language they will hear in classrooms. Parent-child interaction with reading materials is important during the preschool period because it is during these years that children become familiar with story structures, complex syntax, and vocabulary. They will be better prepared to develop concepts that are prerequisites to reading and listening comprehension (Juel, 1988). In order for reading ability to develop and remain constant throughout the elementary school years, children must hear and practice language from an early age.
Authoritative: An authoritative parent-child interaction balances acceptance with limits, and is positively related to self-esteem, social acceptability, and achievement in young children (Elings, 1988; Estrada et al., 1987; Bradley et al., 1988). The authoritative parent seeks democracy. The authoritative style is warm, responsive to the child's needs, and consistently sensitive. At the same time, it imposes reasonable limits without resorting to belittling or punishments that are abusive, punitive, or inappropriate for the child's stage of development. Authoritative parenting seeks to enhance the happiness of both the child and parent.
Warm and Responsive: Parents who are responsive to the needs of their young children through their active participation and assistance in the child's play have children who demonstrate socially acceptable classroom behavior at age ten. The research suggests that responsive parenting in early childhood enables children to feel more comfortable in social interactions and act more responsibly themselves in situations encountered later in childhood (Bradley et al., 1988). According to a study by Estrada, mothers who display affection are responsive, flexible, and accepting, and who refrain from punitive or harsh punishment have children at age four who are more likely to play independently. By age six, the children are more likely to choose challenging games and activities that they self-initiate (Estrada et al., 1987). Another study on mothering found that a warm and responsive interaction between mother and child increases the likelihood that a young child will pay attention to the formal aspects of written language during storybook reading. A willingness on the part of the child to focus on a task is positively related to performance on emergent literacy measures by age five (Bus & van Ijzendoorn, 1988).
Structure and Routine: Modeling and teaching order, structure, and daily routine in the home are essential for the development of good school work habits in children (Bloom, 1981). Suggestions for providing positive structure, routine, and limits on children in early childhood include regulating television and videotape viewing, enforcing regular bedtime hours, assigning age-appropriate chores, providing regular physical exercise, and monitoring non nutritious snacking. A 1989 study to investigate the relationship between paternal childrearing practices and motivation to achieve in preschoolers found that fathers who structured specific rules and regulations in their homes appeared to have preschool children who demonstrated greater achievement and motivation in school (Nogy, 1989).
Academic Attitudes and Expectations: Parent's attitudes and expectations influence children's attitudes about achievement. This has been found to be especially true for girls (Stevenson & Newman, 1986).
When parents show an interest in their child's education, set high expectations, and provide support and help as needed, children are motivated to learn and achieve (Henderson, 1987; Bloom, 1981).
School Related Attitudes: When family members support school action or take part in a young child's school life in a positive way, it positively affects the child's self-esteem because it sends a message to the child that the family endorses school and deems it important (Greenberg, 1989). The child is more likely to respect teachers and schoolwork and experience less conflict in school when the parents exhibit positive attitudes toward school and learning.
Family Involvement: The respect between teacher and parent is a critical element in helping a child develop positive self esteem. While the amount of time parents spend involved with their child's school is important, research shows that if a child knows that the family and school agree and respect one another, the impact on the child's evolving self-image is greatest (Greenberg, 1988). Active family involvement in early childhood education shows a demonstrable effect on a preschooler's mastery of basic skills needed for elementary school success. Less active forms of family involvement, including attendance at special events, parent organizations, and parent teacher conferences, show little impact on behavior or progress reports that measure mastery of basic skills. However, when parents are actively involved in instruction through class visits or helping with class activities involving their children, their child's behavior and basic skill scores are higher (Marcon, 1988). It is possible that teachers rate children as a result of familiarity with parents who appear interested in their child's education. Such parental interest may influence the teacher's willingness to work with children, resulting in an enriched school experience for the child (Maroon, 1988).
References
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