Parent Involvement and Early Literacy

9/8/2018

Seems complicated, doesn't it? Using the new cool tool, bubbl.us, I was able to "mind-map" all the ideas I have been having about where my research interests lie.

The IRBPH proposal development document was full of very specific questions that helped me to think through this web of questions. However, it provoked a few more questions. These were sort of deal-breaker questions, too.

Since I began the Touro program, I have known that at some point I was going to use it as a resource to tackle a certain problem.  Each year, a significant group of our youngest students (many are on free/reduced lunch programs) are found to be drastically below in achievement on early literacy skills assessments. It seems as though they enter school already in the achievement gap. While we do our best to provide high quality, effective interventions at school where students do make significant growth, it isn’t enough. Students remain in the gap.

My essential question is: Can parent involvement in home literacy activities improve student achievement in early literacy skills? I also have an additional question: Can school-to-home communication technology enhance the achievement?

Here's my problem. I know this seems like it's already been done, and done, and done. However, most of the research I was able to pull up addresses how parent involvement can be a predictor of achievement. Fewer studies came up in my search about what specifically works to make a positive intervention, and I didn't find much with a focus on early literacy.

Another thing. If I choose a parent home literacy intervention program to implement for my study, does my study become all about the effectiveness of that specific program? Realistically, I just want to improve things for my students and I want to find out what will work in my setting. After all, Falk and Blumenreich tell us that action research is "a study of a situation that is driven by a desire to improve that situation."

One more thing.  Is it wrong that I also want to include technology as a part of my study? Am I all over the place? Is it okay to have more than one thing you are looking at in a study?

As you can see, I have a lot to sort out! Thankfully, I feel like the IRBPH document definitely lined so much of it up in my head so that these important questions can be answered and I can be on my way to finding some help for my students.

5 Comments

Happy Johnson

9/10/2018 04:48:16 pm

Greetings Jona,

I read your blog with interest. Thank you for sharing. If I might be so bold I'd like to make some comments with the intent of stimulating our thinking. Below is a partial cut-and-paste version of your blog. I'll embed my comments within your text in CAPS so they will be readily seen.

I quote:
"Since I began the Touro program, I have known that at some point I was going to use it as a resource to tackle a certain problem. Each year, a significant group of our youngest students (many are on free/reduced lunch programs) are found to be drastically below in achievement on early literacy skills assessments. It seems as though they enter school already in the achievement gap. While we do our best to provide high quality, effective interventions at school where students do make significant growth, it isn’t enough. Students remain in the gap.

My essential question is: Can parent involvement in home literacy activities improve student achievement in early literacy skills? INTERESTING QUESTION AND AS YOU ARE AWARE IT HAS BEEN ASKED IN MANY WAYS MANY TIMES. SO IT APPEARS YOU ARE INTERESTED IN DETERMINING IF "PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN HOME LITERACY ACTIVITIES" WILL IMPROVE "STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN EARLY LITERACY SKILLS".

IN PURE, BORING RESEARCH PARLANCE, "PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN HOME LITERACY ACTIVITIES" WOULD BE LABELED AS YOUR "INDEPENDENT VARIABLE", THE INTERVENTION YOU WILL USE TO TRY AND INFLUENCE THE "DEPENDENT VARIABLE", WHAT YOU WILL BE COLLECTING DATA ON WHICH IS "STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN EARLY LITERACY SKILLS."

EXCELLENT QUESTION. WHAT YOU WILL HAVE TO DO, AGAIN IN PURE, BORING RESEARCH PARLANCE, IS TO OPERATIONALLY DEFINE WHAT YOU MEAN BY YOUR DEPENDENT VARIABLE "STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN EARLY LITERACY SKILLS." I'M ASSUMING THAT THIS DATA COMES FROM SOME FORM OF STANDARDIZED TESTING YOUR SCHOOL OR DISTRICT DOES. IF THAT IS THE CASE THEN YOUR TASK IS ALREADY DONE FOR YOU. YOU JUST NEED TO GATHER IT. IF NOT, IF YOU WILL CREATE YOUR OWN FORM OF ASSESSMENT TO MEASURE "STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN EARLY LITERACY SKILLS" THEN YOU WILL HAVE TO SUPPLY AN OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF YOUR MEASURE. I'M SURE YOU ARE AWARE, BUT JUST IN CASE WHEN YOU OPERATIONALLY DEFINE SOMETHING YOU DEFINE IT SO THAT YOU AND I AND WHOEVER ELSE IS DOING THE DARA COLLECTION, WILL BE ABLE TO RELIABLY RECOGNIZE THE BEHAVIOR.

THE MORE DIFFICULT AND MORE INTERESTING AND CREATIVE ASPECT OF YOUR QUESTION IS DEFINING "PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN HOME LITERACY ACTIVITIES". WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? WHAT FORM WOULD IT TAKE? FOR ME THIS IS THE REAL EXCITEMENT OF RESEARCH: HOW CREATIVE CAN YOU BE IN DEFINING THE INTERVENTION OR TREATMENT?

HERE'S A SILLY EXAMPLE: SUPPOSE YOU DECIDE TO USE A SURVEYS TO TRY TO ASSESS PARENT INVOLVEMENT. HOW WILL YOU DEAL WITH CONFOUNDING VARIABLES LIKE PARENTS OR GUARDIANS WHO ARE ILLITERATE? WHOSE FIRST LANGUAGE IS NOT ENGLISH? WHO DON'T READ ENGLISH WELL? I'M MOST INTERESTED IN HOW YOU TACKLE THIS.

I also have an additional question: Can school-to-home communication technology enhance the achievement? GOOD QUESTION. AGAIN, "SCHOOL TO HOME TECHNOLOGY" WOULD BE YOUR TREATMENT, INTERVENTION OR YOUR INDEPENDENT VARIABLE. "ACHIEVEMENT" WOULD BE YOUR DEPENDENT VARIABLE (WHAT YOU ARE COLLECTING DATA ON). AS BEFORE, BOTH WOULD HAVE TO CLEARLY BE DEFINED.

Here's my problem. I know this seems like it's already been done, and done, and done. However, most of the research I was able to pull up addresses how parent involvement can be a predictor of achievement. Fewer studies came up in my search about what specifically works to make a positive intervention, and I didn't find much with a focus on early literacy. THAT GREAT!! YOU'LL BE A TRAIL BLAZER OPENING UP NEW RESEARCH GROUND. THAT'S EXCITING!!

Another thing. If I choose a parent home literacy intervention program to implement for my study, does my study become all about the effectiveness of that specific program? YES IT WOULD BECAUSE YOU WOULD BE EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE INTERVENTION YOU SELECTED AND NOT ALL "HOME LITERACY INTERVENTIONS". Realistically, I just want to improve things for my students and I want to find out what will work in my setting. After all, Falk and Blumenreich tell us that action research is "a study of a situation that is driven by a desire to improve that situation." FANTASTIC, SO LET'S IMPROVE YOUR STUDENTS' SITUATION BY DOING A VALID PIECE OF ACTION RESEARCH!!

One more thing. Is it wrong that I also want to include technology as a part of my study? I THINK YOU ARE ASKING THE "WRONG" QUESTION (NO PUN INTENDED). IT'S NOT A MATTER OF BEING RIGHT OR WRONG, THE QUESTION IS, IS IT DOABLE? DO PARENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THE TECHNOLOGY? DO PARENTS KNOW HOW TO USE THE TECHNOLOGY? DOES INCLUDING TECHNOLOGY IMPROVE THE STUDY OR DOES IT COMPLICATE IT?

Am I all over the place? YES, AND AT THIS STAGE OF THE GAME YOU SHOULD BE.

Is it okay to have more than one thing (THE BORING RESEARCH TE

Jona Sandau

9/11/2018 11:09:46 pm

Happy! I'm so thrilled that you read and commented on my questions--I hit the jackpot! You have given me so much to think about and new questions are emerging... In the literature, I came across a (research based) home literacy program that is easy for parents to implement, quick, and supposedly effective. I am wondering if I can use that and see if it will work with my population. It's also available in Spanish. I have so many more questions... I can't wait to ask them all. So glad I get to work with you. Thank you!

9/14/2018 09:03:13 am

Greetings Jona, the Home Literacy Program you mentioned sounds great! What is the name of it? Can you send me a link to it (if you do please send it to my email account - [email protected].

I see no reason, if it is a reliable program, why you could not use it. How do you think you would use it. What might the intervention look like?

You mentioned you have so many more questions, would you like to have a one-on-one zoom meeting to talk things over? If so please let me know.

Keep up the good work.

Happy

Natasha Engering-Ward link

10/2/2018 12:03:04 am

Wow Jona - your blog is absolutely amazing - I love all of the graphics that you have put in there! I think the topic you have chosen is so interesting but so complex. I know being a parent that our lives just get so busy with things sometimes getting to sit down with your child every day to do homework sometimes can be difficult. Will you have the parents read with their child every night and complete certain types of activities? If you wanted to use technology have you thought of maybe using voicethread to record their reading level at the beginning and then use it again to record them when you complete your study so you can look at their progress? Good luck!

10/2/2018 09:24:32 pm

Thank you so much, Natasha! Yes, parents will have a short reading and a couple of activities to do. I want to keep it super short so that it isn't overwhelming, and it's enjoyable for both parent and child. Love the idea of the recordings! Thank you so much!

Parent Involvement and Early Literacy

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