Introduction
Early parental involvement has been known to have diverse positive impacts on not only the early socio-emotional development of a child but also those benefits that have been shown to prevail even in adulthood. Drawing illustrations from the article “The Longitudinal Process of Early Parent Involvement on Student Achievement: A Path Analysis,” this essay discusses the impact of early experiences on cognitive and socioemotional development. Specifically, it does a careful review and analysis of the article to ascertain the role played by early parental involvement in the overall child’s psychology and well-being.
Article Summary
This longitudinal study by Hayakawa et al. examined how early parent involvement initiated through the Child-Parent Center (CPC) preschool program influences children’s academic achievement from kindergarten through 6th grade. The participants were 1,539 low-income, predominantly African American children from Chicago. About two-thirds attended the CPC program for 1-2 years, while the rest were in an alternative kindergarten program (Hayakawa et al., 2013). The CPC program strongly promotes parent involvement, requiring at least half a day per week of participation in school activities. The centers had parent resource rooms for activities and education, and parents volunteered in classrooms while staff conducted home visits. Thus, the study assessed the effects of this early parent involvement model on children’s later achievements and motivation.
Through path analysis, the study found CPC participation predicted higher early parent involvement and kindergarten achievement. Early involvement also directly influenced kindergarten achievement. However, there was no direct path from CPC participation or early involvement to motivation in kindergarten and 1st grade (Hayakawa et al., 2013). Instead, kindergarten achievement predicted motivation in grades K-1. Highly motivated 1st graders then encouraged further parent involvement in grades 1-3. This cyclic process between involvement, achievement, and motivation continued across elementary school. The model explained 61% of the variance in 6th-grade achievement. Several indirect pathways were identified as follows: An achievement pathway where early parental involvement influenced later achievement beginning at kindergarten existed. Similarly, a parent involvement pathway existed where early parental involvement affected later achievement through subsequent parental involvement. In addition, a motivation pathway existed where early involvement influenced 6th-grade achievement through motivation and then later involvement. An involvement-motivation-achievement cycle where early involvement affected achievement, then motivation, then involvement again, and finally achievement (Hayakawa et al., 2013).
Overall, the results suggest the CPC program’s emphasis on early involvement initiates a cascade of influences on motivation, achievement, and further involvement over time. While early involvement did not directly predict early motivation, it set in motion a process through its effects on kindergarten achievement. In turn, higher achievement motivated students to perform well, encouraging further parent involvement. This cyclic process persisting across elementary schools may help reduce the achievement gap for low-income minority students (Hayakawa et al., 2013). Early involvement provides a foundation, and the process helps maintain higher achievement throughout childhood. This study provides valuable insight into the long-term impacts of high-quality preschool interventions like CPC that strongly promote parent involvement. The results highlight the importance of early involvement for initiating an ongoing cycle between involvement, motivation, and achievement. This sets low-income minority youth on a more positive educational trajectory starting from preschool onwards.
The study has important implications for early childhood education programs and policies. It demonstrates that high-quality preschool interventions focused on parent engagement can have significant long-term benefits for at-risk children. According to Guinosso et al. (2015), the results highlight the value of prioritizing early parent involvement to initiate a positive cycle of motivation and achievement. This approach can put disadvantaged youth on track for future academic success starting in the preschool years (Guinosso et al., 2015). However, further research is still needed on how specific types of involvement and school practices have the greatest impact on motivation and achievement. There may also be differences across cultural groups. Additionally, more work is needed on how educators and schools can build strong partnerships with diverse families to maximize benefits for students.
Article review
This longitudinal study provides valuable insights into the impact of early experiences on cognitive and socioemotional development, as well as the complex interactions between environmental influences, parental influences, and genetic predispositions. The authors examined how the Child-Parent Center (CPC) preschool program, with its emphasis on parent involvement, influences low-income, predominantly African American children’s academic achievement and motivation from kindergarten through 6th grade (Hayakawa et al., 2013). The study’s findings demonstrate that research on the impact of early experiences on cognitive and socioemotional development is highly valued in the field of child psychology. The study shows that a high-quality preschool intervention focused on engaging parents sets in motion a process that has significant, long-term benefits for children’s learning and motivation.
Specifically, the authors found that CPC participation predicted higher levels of parent involvement and kindergarten achievement. As they state, “early parent involvement, as instigated by CPC preschool participation, appears to initiate the process” between involvement, motivation, and achievement over time (Hayakawa et al., 2013). Although early involvement did not directly predict motivation in grades K-1, it “sets the process in motion through its direct effects on achievement and later parent involvement ” (Hayakawa et al., 2013). This aligns with the thesis statement’s focus on understanding the complex interactions between environmental influences, parental influences, and genetic predispositions. The CPC program, as an environmental influence, affects parental influence by promoting involvement. Together, these impact children’s academic outcomes.
The study also demonstrates the main goal of my research, which is to fully understand the complex interactions in order to develop effective interventions. The authors’ path analysis helped uncover the mechanisms by which the CPC intervention has longitudinal effects. They state their findings can “…provide guidance to how programs can most efficiently benefit children” through parent engagement strategies (Hayakawa et al., 2013). In particular, I learned that the cycle initiated by early involvement can help maintain higher achievement throughout childhood. As the authors explain, “…observing this continued parent involvement, children are once again motivated to perform well in school, and this then contributes to continued high achievement (Hayakawa et al., 2013). They conclude that this motivational pathway persisting from preschool onwards provides a mechanism through which the early effects of parent involvement and achievement can be carried forward throughout childhood. This shows how uncovering interactive processes can inform interventions aimed at sustaining benefits over time.
Additionally, I learned about the importance of motivation as an intermediary factor. The authors highlight that early parent involvement sets the process in motion through its direct effects on achievement and later parent involvement rather than directly impacting early motivation. Motivation emerges in response to higher achievement (Hayakawa et al., 2013). As they state, early student achievement played a critical role in this parent involvement process. High-achieving kindergarteners (in response to early parent involvement) are further motivated to continue to perform well in school. This demonstrates the complex interactions at work.
Conclusion
Overall, this research clearly aligns with my thesis statement’s focus on studying early influences on development and the interactive processes involved. The authors’ path analysis of the CPC program, parent engagement strategies, achievement, and motivation provide valuable insights into how interventions can utilize parent involvement to initiate a cycle that sustains benefits. This study exemplifies work that is highly valued in the field of child psychology with the goal of informing effective early childhood programs and policies.
References
Guinosso, S. A., Johnson, S. B., & Riley, A. W. (2015). Multiple adverse experiences and child cognitive development. Pediatric Research, 79(1-2), 220-226. https://doi.org/10.1038/pr.2015.195
Hayakawa, M., Englund, M. M., Warner-Richter, M. N., & Reynolds, A. J. (2013). The longitudinal process of early parent involvement on student achievement: A path analysis. NHSA dialog, 16(1), 103.
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