Parental involvement in reading: research and recommendations for practice 

 
Over the years, research has demonstrated that if parents read to their children, have books in the home, and hear their children read, children's reading standards improve.  This page gives you some key studies which have argued that parental involvement is vital for children's reading attainment. There is a vast amount of research in this area, and only UK studies have been cited. 
 

Overview of research 
Putting research into practice 

Overview of research on parental involvement 

1) Tizard, J. and Schofield, W.N. and Hewison, J., "Collaboration between teachers and parents in assisting children's reading", British Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 52, 1982, pp 1-15.  

This is the principal published report of the experimental Haringey project. Two classes of children from different schools were in the project for a two-year period from the beginning of top infants to the end of first year juniors. These children took reading books home regularly and their parents were given encouragement and support in hearing them read at home, including home visits by researchers. The reading attainment of project children, as measured by NFER reading Test A, was significantly higher at the end of the two years than that of other children in parallel control classes in the same schools although there had been no pre-test extra differences. In two further schools the reading attainment of classes given extra teacher help was not significantly different from that of control classes. Because of its methodology and practical relevance, this experiment has been widely influential.  

2) Tizard, B., and Hughes, M., Young children learning: talking and thinking at home and at school. London: Fontana, 1984.  

Tizard and Hughes report a research project which recorded and analysed conversations of four-year-old girls with their mothers, and with their teachers at nursery school. 30 children from working class and middle class homes were observed. The authors show how far parents do assist their children's language and intellectual development and how the home provides a rich learning environment. Included are descriptions of parents' attempts to teach reading and writing, and reading stories to their children.  

3) Gordon Wells, The Meaning Makers Hodder and Stoughton, 1987.  

This longitudinal study from the Bristol Language Development Programme followed children from the early years into upper primary and concluded that children from book rich homes find the school reading experience more positive and become more positive readers.  

4) Tizard, B., Blatchford, P., Burke, J. Farquar, C. and Plewis, I, Young Children at School in the Inner City Hove and London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1988.  

In a longitudinal study of children's school achievements and progress starting at school entry, the study found that children who performed well on tests of literacy just before compulsory schooling were most likely to be performing well at age 7. Children of parents who provided more exposure to books and who had the most positive attitude towards helping the children at home, scored more highly on tests of reading and writing than other children.  

5) Hannon P., Weinberger, J. and Nutbrown, C, "A study of work with parents to promote early literacy development", Research Papers Education vol. 6 no. 2, 1991, pp. 77-97.  

In this study, home-based and school-based ways of working with parents were devised and tried out with families in the Sheffield Early Literacy Development Project. It was found that if parents were given a clear structure as to how to help their children, this had an impact. Home-based activities particularly promoted book sharing and early literacy. The Sheffield REAL project, as it is called, is ongoing, and enquiries can be made to Dr. Peter Hannon, Department of Educational Studies, Sheffield University, 388 Glossop Road, Sheffield S 10 2JA.  

6) Wade, B., and Moore, M. "Children's Early Book Behaviour," Educational Review vol. 48 no. 3 1996.  

The national pilot study of Bookstart took place in Birmingham in 1993 and involved co-operation between The Children's Book Foundation, local libraries and health authorities and researchers. A cohort of urban families with young babies received a pack of materials which included information about book sharing and supply, library facilities plus a bookmark, poster, poem card and a children's book. Questionnaire investigations revealed that the pack was valued by families; it led to positive attitudes to books, more use of books with babies, more library enrolments, more book purchase and more book club membership. A follow-up study then concluded that this head start was maintained, and intervention-group parents gave a higher priority to books than did comparison-group parents. This had implications for children's reading attainment at school.  

7) E.C. Wragg, C.M. Wragg, G.S. Haynes and R.P. Chamberlin, Improving Literacy in the Primary School. Routledge, 1998.  

 This research study looked at how achievement in literacy could be improved in primary school. They commented that parents often did not know how to help their children read at home. Their key finding was that an enthusiastic teacher can have a dramatic effect on children's literacy attainment at school. High profile activities, such as the Year of Reading in Birmingham, also may have contributed to the improved reading scores in Birmingham in particular.  

Research suggests that the early years are crucial for child development, but what does this mean when put into practice? Here are some suggestions from several researchers on the best ways to enhance learning in the home environment.  

Developing children's learning from birth to five 
Talk to your baby to avoid language difficulties 
The role of parents in the development of peer group competence 
 

Developing children's learning from Birth to Five  

In a proposed framework for a pre-school curriculum, researchers from the University of Leeds have produced a useful guideline that can help parents of pre-schoolers to develop their infant's learning (see full reference below).
  
A. Anning and A. Edwards investigated different routes to successful learning outcomes in their project, Developing children's learning from birth to five. The strength of this research is that the researchers and teachers worked closely with the parents to develop a curriculum framework  "based on the 'everydayness' of literacy and mathematical learning experiences." In other words, the researchers designed their programme on the assumption that children acquire knowledge about literacy and maths when related to their every day experiences.  

Their suggestions are:  

• Children should learn a range of languages of communication such as music-making, drawing, model making, role playing, dancing, talking as well as reading and writing.
• Remember that children gain confidence in settings where the value and significance of the language learning in their home and local community are acknowledged.
• Successful interactions are realised through close emotional bonds within a caring context and through early gestures, facial expressions, body language and games between the adult and child.
• Learn to listen to your child.
• Teach your child by modelling literacy behaviours such as writing letters, enjoying a book, using recipes and by encouraging children to reflect on what they are doing.
• Cultivate your baby's interests and use his/her enthusiasm to stimulate other learning interests.
• Encourage your child to tell stories about their own lives as well as about the books and TV programmes they have read or seen.
• Introduce your child to literacy conventions (letter, sounds, words, writing, drawing, pictures, etc) in meaningful contexts of encounters with literacy-- and not as isolated exercises.
• Teach writing in role-play such as shopping, post offices, home corners.

Sally Ward, a Speech and Language Therapist, argues that talking to your baby can help reduce the chances of the child developing speech and language difficulties. Speech delays can also be treated by parents spending time each day talking to their child. These are some suggestions from her book, BabyTalk (2000).  

Try to:  

• keep the house quiet for part of each day
• spend a little time alone with your child every day if you can
• talk to your baby or child a lot
• talk about what he or she is interested in
• use short sentences
• speak a little slower, louder and more tunefully than you do to an adult.

• ask your little child questions unless you need to know the answer, to avoid making the child feel uncomfortable
• ask him or her to say or copy words, to avoid making the child feel self-conscious
• correct your child's speech, which would send the message that you do not like the way he or she speaks.

"Screening and early prevention of delayed language development: Wilstaar," in DfEE, Sure Start: A guide to evidence-based practice, 2nd edition, 1999, pp. 43-44. Available from the DfES mailing house at dfes@prolog.uk.com.  

Shirley G. Moore identifies the parenting styles that have an impact on a child's social competence and learning behaviour. Parenting styles predetermine children's behaviours in the classroom such as behavioural problems, short attention, and lack of self-confidence that can affect their ability to learn literacy skills.  

Moore argues in favour of parenting strategies that involve high nurturance and moderate control over children's behaviour. The following gives a brief outline of her main arguments.  

What are the strategies parents use? Moore framed her analysis around the three parenting styles identified by Diana Baumrind: authoritarian, permissive, and authoritative. Each of these styles differ by the amount of nurturance in child-rearing interactions and the amount of parental control over the child's activities and behaviour. The authoritative strategy is considered by both Moore and Baumrind to be the preferred style.  

Styles and Outcomes: 
 

Parenting syles	Nurturance	Parental control	Outcomes in child
Authoritarian	Low	High/discipline	Little confidence
Permissive	Moderate-high	Low/inconsistent with discipline	Lack knowledge of appropriate behaviour. little responsibility for misbehaviour
Authoritative	High	Moderate	Best outcome

The case for high nurturance and moderate control

Research shows that social competence is determined by the nurturing behaviours of parents toward their child beginning in infancy. Children who experience this environment tend to incorporate parental values such as "considerateness" and "fairness" in interpersonal relations and they are less likely to adopt behaviours of their peers that are inconsistent or different from family values.  

What is meant by moderate control? 

• Parents give reasons and explanations for demands placed on children
• Parents use positive reinforcers such as praise, approval and awards to encourage children to comply with behavioural standards
• Disciplinary strategy usually involves an explanation of the issue and the enforcement of a just solution.
• Children are expected to make up for their wrong-doing
• Parents avoid extreme forms of punishment because, in the long run, this can generate hostility and resentment that can carry over to the school and peer group.