Publication year
2010
Citation Title
Parent involvement and children's academic and social development in elementary school.
Journal Name
Child Development
Journal Volume
81
Issue Number
3
Page Numbers
988-1005
DOI
10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01447.x
Summary
Children, their families, and teachers completed measures at pre-kindergarten and grades one, three, and five to consider the benefits of parental involvement for the academic and social development of children. Higher parent involvement promotes better social skills and fewer problem behaviors in middle childhood, but is unrelated to average achievement across elementary school. Between-child variation in the average level of parent involvement was generally not predictive of growth in achievement and socio-emotional functioning across elementary school.
Key Findings
Greater engagement in a variety of parental involvement practices was largely unrelated to academic achievement. Improvements in parental involvement did not predict gains in any of the standardized achievement measures (math, reading, and vocabulary).
Increases in parents' involvement over time were related to increases in children's social skills and declines in problem behaviors (based on both teacher and parent reports).
Increase in parent involvement over time for children was associated with related improvements in teacher-reported social skills.
Implications for Military Professionals
Collaborate with other professionals in the field about ways to support military families promote academic and social outcomes for their children
Facilitate support groups for military parents with children who are having behavioral issues to increase kinship and support among these families
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer classes for military parents that provide training for how to increase children's social skills and decrease behavior problems
Provide courses for military parents that provide specific examples of ways in which they can be involved in their children's schooling, even in the context of a busy military career
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend that Service members be supported in their efforts to be involved in their children's school activities, which may involve some flexibility in work schedule
Recommend professional training for military family program workers in effective means of fostering social skill development among military children
Methods
Data from a nationally representative longitudinal sample from birth to fifth grade students was used.
In first, third, and fifth grades, parents and teachers were asked about parental involvement and socioemotional development of the children.
In pre-kindergarten, first, third, and fifth grades, children were given tests of academic achievement.
Participants
One thousand one hundred thirty-three children and their families and teachers participated.
As this was part of a larger nationally representative longitudinal study, additional demographic data for the final sample was not presented.
Mothers who were younger than 18 years at the time of the participating child's birth were excluded.
Limitations
No demographic data for the final sample was presented; therefore, it is difficult to determine generalizability.
There were several instances when the parent and teacher reports contradicted one another, making it difficult to understand some of the smaller findings.
Parental military status was not assessed limiting the generalizability of results to military parents who may have access to additional programs and supports.
Avenues for Future Research
Assess whether gains in social skills and declines in problem behaviors are associated with improvement on academic performance and behavior in the future
Isolate parent involvement efforts to identify the impact of those elements independently
Conduct a similar study with a military sample to explore how military status influences parent involvement and child outcomes
Focus
Civilian
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
Data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Childcare and Youth Development (N = 1,364) were used to investigate children's trajectories of academic and social development across 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine within- and between-child associations among maternal and teacher reports of parent involvement and children's standardized achievement scores, social skills, and problem behaviors. Findings suggest that within-child improvements in parent involvement predict declines in problem behaviors and improvements in social skills but do not predict changes in achievement. Between-child analyses demonstrated that children with highly involved parents had enhanced social functioning and fewer behavior problems. Similar patterns of findings emerged for teacher and parent reports of parent involvement. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
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