Click Here for the Article: Parent Involvement in Education.

In this article, Kathleen Cotton and Karen Reed Wikelund present a review of literature on parent involvement. They found that parent involvement in children’s learning is positively related to achievement for all types of involvement and for all types and ages of students. They discovered that the more active forms of parent involvement produced greater achievement benefits than the more passive ones and that the earlier the involvement begins the more powerful the effects will be. They also found that parent involvement programs that included training components enhanced the effectiveness of parent involvement. However, they also discovered that a little training is better than a lot because extensive programs experienced considerable attrition perhaps due to the time and effort requirements. The research was found to show that improved parent attitudes toward the school and improved parent self concepts often result when parents become involved in their children’s learning and this has been found to be true regardless of the parent’s educational level or socioeconomic status. Cotton and Wikelund discovered that parent involvement remained beneficial in promoting positive achievement in older students and that parents can make a difference regardless of their levels of educations. Finally, the research established that the most successful parent involvement programs were well organized and provided parents a range of activities and roles in the schools.

Discussion Question?

How do you participate in your child's education?