Deandra Henderson
Seminar in Applied Theory & Research 1
Ed. 702.22 – Fall 2009
Abstract
Introduction
-
Statement of the Problem
-
Review of Related Literature
-
Statement of the Hypothesis
Method
-Participants
-Instruments
-Experimental Design
-Procedure
References
Appendix (ces)
 Ask one of your close adult friends…”Hey what book are
you reading?” You will be surprised at the answer.
“Reading?…I don’t read, I don’t have time”. This is always
troubling for me, especially when the person is a parent. If
you don’t even read yourself as a parent, its highly unlikely
you are reading with your child.
 After volunteering to read to my daughter’s Kindergarten
class, and witnessing their overwhelming excitement and
response to my participation with their learning. I am
determined to promote and encourage parents to get
involved in early childhood literacy with their children, in
and out of the classroom. Parents NEED to be active in
Literacy Development.
 More than 20 percent of adults read at or below a
fifth-grade level - far below the level needed to
earn a living wage.
 Approximately 44 million adults in the U.S. can't
read well enough to read a simple story to a child.
 Parents need to participate and encourage literacy
within the home to their children at an early age to
set a sturdy foundation for literary success.
 Children are more ample to practice as we “do”
then do as we “say”.
Theorist POV: Lev Vygotsky
- social interaction plays a fundamental role in the
development of cognition.
- Children learn through their interactions with
surrounding culture.
- children can do more with the help and guidance
of an adult or other person more experienced, than
they can do by themselves
 - “…the amount of talk and the guidance style that
parents use with their children have also been
related to later language and cognitive
development. (Hart & Risley, 1995; Walker,
Greenwood, Hart, & Carta, 1994).
 - “Parent –child storybook interactions have long
been recognized as a positive influence on
children’s reading development (Bus, van
Ijzendoorn, & Pellegrini, 1995; Scarborough &
Dobrich, 1994; Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998).
 - “informal teaching activities (e.g., teaching
reading, letters, or printing) taking place at home
were significantly associated with better lettername and letter-sound knowledge (Evans et al.,
2000)
 - “… parents participation increases achievement
motivation, and higher levels of emotional, social,
and behavioral adjustment”. (Fan & Chen, 2001;
Henderson & Mapp, 2002; Marcon, 1999; Reynolds,
1991
 - “As parents read books with their children, they
introduce conventions governing reading, (Snow &
Nino, 1986)
 - “Home literacy contributes to children’s
vocabulary growth” (Senechal 1996)
 - Children as well as adults need to see literacy in
terms of pleasure and significance. Ryan, S. (2000,
December 1). The Value of Early Literacy and
Parental Involvement
 -
 - “..parent involvement is correalted with higher
student academic achievement, better student
attendace, and more positive student and parent
attitudes toward education”. (Eccles & Harold,
1996; Epstein & Dauber, 1991; Griffith, 1998;
Henderson, 1987)
 - “Attempts to increase parent involvement have
become a regular feature of federal, state, and local
education policies (Chrispeels, 1991; D’Angelo &
Adler, 1991; Epstein, 1991)
 - “Parents can promote their young child’s
vocabulary when they read books to their child,
and in time those vocabulary skills will facilitate
their reading comprehension”. (Jorm, Share,
Maclean, & Matthews, 1984).
 - Early reading experiences with their parents
prepare children for the benefits of formal literacy
instruction. Indeed, parental involvement in their
child’s reading has been found to be the most
important determinant of language and emergent
literacy (Bus, van Ijzendoorn & Pellegrini, 1995).
 - Parents who introduce their babies to books give
them a head start in school and an advantage over
their peers throughout primary school (Wade &
Moore, 2000).
 Parental involvement in their child’s literacy
practices is a more powerful force than other family
background variables, such as social class, family
size and level of parental education (Flouri &
Buchanan, 2004).
PROS
 - Parents are the first and most
important teachers to an
emergent leaner/reader.
 - Parental involvement overall, is
vital in academic success.
 - The most important lessons are
taught in the home and the
modeling of behavior is the best
teacher.
 - The benefits of parental
involvement extend beyond the
realm of literacy and educational
achievement
CONS
 - Parents take on a more
instructional stance, focusing
more on the mechanics of the
reading process, which affects the
quality of the interaction.
 - Income and ethnicity
differences can play a role in how
parents interact with their
children during shared storybook
reading.
 - Parents may influence children’s
views with their own biases and
opinions towards particular texts.
 HR1: 24 Students at P.S. ABC will demonstrate
excitement and enthusiasm towards literacy
once they witness their parents take part in the
“Mystery Reader” literacy program that takes
place over 6 weeks.
 HR2: Student’s response to literacy program will
encourage parents to be more engaged and
take a more hands on approach with their
children when it comes to literacy in and
outside the classroom.
 Participants:
 - Kindergarten Class 24 Students (12, Boys, 12
Girls)
 - 1St Grade Class 26 Students (15 girls, 11 Boys)
 - Lower to Middle class
 - Public School, 691 Students (Brooklyn, NY)
 - “Mystery Reader Program”
 - Parents
 - Leveled Reading books
 - Internet Online Reading websites (Starfall.com)
 - Reading Assessment tools (Running Records,
WRAPS (Word Recognition and Phonic Skills)
 - Parent Surveys & Questionnaires

Dear Principal:

I am presently completing my graduate program at Brooklyn College. This semester I have
been asked to conduct an action research project within a classroom. My research project is
focused on the impact of parental involvement in literacy with early learners

The research will require me to select and monitor a sample of students, and after acquiring
parental permission, gather information on them. I have already selected two classes that I am
interested in conducting my research, and have been granted permission by those teachers.

The chosen students and their parents will be given surveys, questionnaires and tests in
addition to the child being observed occasionally. To respect their privacy, the actual names of
the individuals will not be used.

This survey will assist me in my passion to encourage and be an advocate for parents being
more involved in the educational careers of their children, especially in literacy. I am asking for
your consent to conduct the survey within your school.

Thank you in advance for your support in this endeavor.


Respectfully,

Deandra T. Henderson

Dear Parent:

Thank you for your involvement in the “Mystery reader” Literacy program. We are interested in learning more about how
our parents and students view reading at home. The information will help to determine the success of the reading program
Please complete this survey and return to school.

1) Circle the number which best reflects your attitude toward reading with your child.
1

2
3
4

(Least positive)

2) Circle the number which best reflects your child’s attitude about reading with you.

1
(Most positive)
2
3
4

(Least positive)

3) Circle the types of reading materials you and your child read together:

Cookbooks

Level reading books Newspapers Storybooks Picture books

4) Circle the amount of time you and your child typically read together a week

Less than an hr.

5) Circle the type of reading you and your child use most often:

Parents read to child Child reads with parent

Impress reading (fill in the blank)

6) Circle the ways you check for comprehension

Ask questions about the text

5
5
(Most positive)
Storybooks Magazines
Scholastic Journals
1 hr.
2-3 Hrs
Coral Reading (at the same time)
Repeated Reading (rereading)
Summarizing
4-5 hrs
Activities Drawing pictures Retelling
9+ hrs

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