How First Grade Teachers Involve Parents in Their Child's Reading Education

Publication Date

5-2012

Type of Culminating Activity

Dissertation

Degree Title

Doctorate in Education, Curriculum and Instruction

Department

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies

Supervisory Committee Chair

Jennifer L. Snow-Gerono, Ph.D.

Abstract

This descriptive study seeks to understand how first grade teachers involve parents in the reading education of their children. The survey was administered electronically to 89 first grade teachers in a Mountain West Region school district. Sixty teachers responded, including 25 Title I teachers and 35 Non-Title I teachers.

The survey design was adapted from two surveys developed by Epstein and her colleagues (Epstein & Sheldon, 2003; Epstein & Salinas, 1993) and contained a total of 153 items. Items were organized around teachers' demographics and nine scales, with the scales serving as dependent variables in the analyses. Each scale represented key constructs found in the parent involvement literature: communication, types of parent involvement activities and barriers to parent involvement in reading education (Epstein, 2011; Swap, 1993; Swick, 2003).

Descriptive statistics were analyzed and t-test analysis was conducted to determine differences in responses on the scales for two independent variables. Independent variables were Title I status (Title I teacher versus Non-Title teacher) and level of professional development on parent involvement status (some professional development versus none). Results for Title I status were significant on scales for communication about student progress, parent involvement activities in reading, methods of teaching parents strategies to reinforce reading skills at home, barriers to parent involvement, and teacher perceptions about parent involvement. Significant results were also indicated for professional development status on scales for communication about classroom instruction and methods of teaching parents strategies to reinforce reading at home.

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