4. More on Supporting Young Children at Home

The parent's role in early childhood is probably the most critical to the child's development. This role can be described in four parts:

* - providing for the basic physical needs of the child

* - giving emotional support and guidance

* - encouraging the child to learn in a variety of situations

* - supporting the child learning at school

Katz (1991) has described the role of the home and parents in preparing the child for school. That role includes support to the child so that they are socially and intellectually ready to learn. ( Our understanding of readiness to learn has been broadened to include five dimensions-see Introduction.).

The US Department of Education ( Greene, 1993) has published a 32 page booklet for parents on Helping Your Child Get Ready for School. That text lists a variety of activities that parents can do with their children during all five years prior to school. The text also describes child development at different ages and offers practical advice on selecting child care facilities. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (1997) in the US has also published a list of suggested activities for parents that help to prepare their child for learning and school.

The ERIC Clearinghouse on Early Childhood Education has pulled together many, many materials for parents that support the child's readiness to learn. These full-text materials are organized into two lists of Internet links. The first, dealing with Family/ Peer Relationships, has documents on topics such as adopted children, aggression, biting, boys development, keeping children busy, child-rearing disagreements, safety, assigning family chores, separation anxiety, death, discipline, the only child, birth of another child, and many other topics.

The second set of Internet Links, on Early Learning, links documents on topics such as identifying good preschools, play, books, art, dance, math, science, creativity, reading, self-esteem, television viewing, museums, playgrounds, and many other topics.

The US Department of Education has also published a short booklet answering the parent's question; How Can I Assess the Development of My Preschooler? Another noted researcher and writer has prepared a similar booklet for parents that answers this question; How Can I be Involved in My Child's Education? A third publication, also from the US Department of Education, offers advice to parents on the First Days of Preschool.

On a more academic note, McBride & Rane (1996) discuss the importance of Father/ Male involvement in the early childhood education of their child. They discuss and dismiss the myth that low income males are often absent from their children's lives. They note that most preschool programs and parent involvement activities tend to discourage father/ male involvement. They describe four barriers; including male fear of exposing weakness, ambivalence of program staff, gate keeping by the mother and poor program design or delivery. They offer eight general strategies to encourage father/ male involvement.

For more on school, agency or community readiness, go back Introduction.

See also:

* - Readiness: Children and Schools (ERIC Digest)

* - Helping Your Child Get Ready for School (US Department of Education)

* - Early Years are Learning Years (National Association for the Education of Young Children)

* - Early Childhood Family-Peer Relationships (Internet Links to Documents)

* - Early Childhood Learning (Internet Links to Documents)

* - How can I assess the development of my preschooler?

* - How can I Be Involved in My Child's Education?

* - First Days at School (ERIC Clearinghouse on Early Childhood Education)