A study on parental involvement: getting parents going

The purpose of the study was to investigate whether kindergarten and first grade parents would be more inclined to be actively involved in their children\u27s educational endeavors if provided with workshops and training sessions that would make them more knowledgeable and comfortable in the academic setting. Specifically, the study addressed the following areas: (1) would there be an increase of parental participation in the workshop and training sessions, (2) would more parents be inclined to become active educational partners, and (3) would student achievement increase. To investigate these areas of the study, a sample of eighty (80) parents of kindergarten and first grade students in eight elementary schools were studied. Parents\u27 accounts of their involvement in their children\u27s education were gathered as part of the study. Participants were asked to respond to structured open-ended questions which allowed them to describe in their own words about their involvement. Principals\u27 and teachers\u27 perceptions of parental involvement was also considered in the study. They also responded to a series of open-ended questions and several questions that were answered with a Yes or No response. Conclusions suggest that children have a significant advantage when their parents are directly involved in the learning process. The study also revealed that programs for parents must be comprehensive, well planned and long lasting