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The handbook tells about the characteristics of a five-year-old child, work and play in kindergarten, and when we respond to the environment. The handbook shares suggestions that will enable parents to understand the purpose and programs of the school and to promote understanding and enthusiasm for school.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the feasibility of using the mobile computer classroom for increasing the parental involvement via technology with the intent of alleviating both the problems of downward trending performance of students as well as bridging the "digital divide" among parents and other adults.

Submitted to the Faculty of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Planning and Administration at the University of Zululand, 1991. / The ever depreciating quality and quantity of matric results in black schools has called for the urgent attention for all educationists, decision-makers and parents, as well as pupils with the aim of joining hands to save and improve this appalling state of affairs. There has been much speculation ranging from the malfunctioning of the education system for the black community to the racially segregated education system. This thesis presents the findings of a study which describes the role played by parents in the academic performance of pupils in Senior Secondary classes in the Nseleni and Ongoye Magisterial districts. The Study was conducted among 150 Standard 9 and 10 pupils, 12 subject teachers, six principals of schools and 50 parents. The questionnaire and interview tools of research were used in the collection of data. The data collected by means of both the questionnaire and research tools, were analysed quantitatively. The analysis of results led to the emergence of numerous closely related factors which formed the basis of poor academic performance of pupils in Senior Secondary classes, especially standard 10. The findings indicated work time-tables, viz. shift work undertaken by parents, lack of parental support due to illiteracy, conditions of employment, lack of space and furniture conducive to study - due to unfavorable socio-economic factors prevailing within the family, absence of a well-structured personal study time-table for pupils, lack of regular contact between the school and parents, low occupational status of the parents, discrepancies in the staffing procedures and a high teacher-pupil ratio in schools are factors responsible, to a large extent, for the poor academic performance of pupils. In the light of these findings, it is advisable that these factors should not be regarded as separate, units, but as complementary to one another, forming a complete whole.

This study examined the relationship between maternal education, the home environment, educational expectations and children’s math skills. The aim of this research was to determine how well these measures individually and collectively explained the variation in children’s mathematical achievement at the start of kindergarten. This analysis was done within the context of the unique biological mother-child relationship, how frequently they engaged with their children in shared activities at home, the warmth of their relationship with their children, their perspectives on parenting, and finally their aspirations for their children’s educational attainment. Relying on a large, nationally representative sample of 10,863 biological mothers and their children, this study found a persistent and moderate association between maternal education and children’s mathematical skills, even after adjusting for both the home environment and educational expectations measures, and several other select maternal, child, and family characteristics. The home environment, measured by maternal self-reports of the frequency of engagement in eight pre-selected activities and by maternal self-ratings of the warmth of the relationship with their children, was addressed using Principal Component Analysis. The findings in this area were mixed. A higher self-reported frequency of time spent playing games, talking about nature, playing with construction toys, and helping with arts and crafts was positively linked to children’s early math achievement. The frequency of shared book reading, storytelling, and working with numbers was negatively linked to children’s mathematical achievement. Both of these effect sizes were statistically significant, yet quite small. No relationship was found between maternal warmth and children’s mathematical skills or between parenting perspectives and children’s math achievement. The findings also demonstrated a small, positive association between maternal expectations and children’s mathematical achievement. Children whose mothers believed they would graduate from college or beyond had stronger math skills than those whose mothers expected them to experience some college. This finding was more pronounced among mothers from different cultural backgrounds. The continued significance of both the maternal education and maternal expectations effects helped to explain some of the variation in children’s math achievement and contributed to the important research aimed at reducing these gaps early in children’s formative education.

Child-centered play therapy (CCPT) is an empirically supported and developmentally appropriate counseling intervention for young children. Despite the clinical effectiveness of CCPT with children, no known study has been conducted in which parents were surveyed or interviewed regarding the services they have received as a part of their children’s participation in CCPT. Therefore, this study was designed to gain a better understanding of parents’ reported needs and expectations in CCPT. This study utilized Q-methodology in which participants completed a Q-sort by actively sorting 40 items on a continuum of least important to most important. Items included services and processes regarded by CCPT scholars and child therapy practitioners as being important to working with parents. Data was collected from 19 parents of children receiving CCPT services in a community-based counseling clinic. Participants included 16 females and 3 males; 15 Caucasian and 4 Hispanic; and 14 biological parents, 2 adoptive parents, and 3 other biological caregivers. Data was analyzed using centroid factor analysis, and results revealed a one factor solution representing 18 of the 19 participants. Eighteen parents reported similar beliefs regarding the processes they consider most and least important to their experience in working with child-centered play therapists. In general, parents’ beliefs aligned with CCPT philosophy, particularly in regards to respecting children’s natural pace of development and healing. Furthermore, parents shared preferences for play therapists who demonstrate expert knowledge and training and who understand the individual needs of their children. Discussion includes implications for the practice of CCPT and training of future play therapists, limitations of the study, and implications for future research.

Latina/o students do not perform at the same level of achievement as their peers, and often lack of parent presence is mistaken for apathy towards their children’s educational success. This research examines the strategies Latina/o parents take in navigating the school system and advocating for their students. A local nonprofit organization with the goal of achieving educational equity for Latina/o parents will utilize these findings and recommendations to develop curricula for a parent literacy program.

MEDEM / Department of Curriculum Studies and Educational Management

This family histories research study uses life history methods to explore narratives of parents’ lives regarding ways in which they socialize their children and engage school staff around issues of race and racism. The information gathered is from interviews with the two primary participants, two focus groups; one with each primary participant and the adults with whom they are raising their elementary school (Pre-K to Grade-5) children, and follow-up interviews with both primary participants. The first finding in this study is that the family life stories in both families play a direct role in socializing their children, in that the parents have shared many of their life stories related to race and racism with one another and their children prior to and regardless of this study. The second finding is that the family life stories in both families play a role in their engagement with school staff around issues of race and racism. Both findings are revealed within the themes of overt racism, covert racism, awakening (the process of one suddenly realizing something he/she had never realized), and closeness (the feeling of some level of emotion or personal connection). Also discussed, following the themes and findings, is the commonality between the two families in this study, enrolling their children in the same racially and culturally diverse International Baccalaureate school. Recommendations include: bringing to the attention of educational leaders and policy-makers the advantages of analyzing ones’ own history; providing the opportunity for voices most often unheard to be listened to and heard by policy-makers and decision makers; and that further research into the impact of policies that are intended to address issues related to race, racism, and other equal opportunity and/or anti-discrimination efforts are confirmed impactful through the voices of individuals.

AFRIKAANS: Die doel van hierdie studie is om 'n beter begrip te verkry van die wyse waarop ouers hulle rolle konstrueer by die insluiting van 'n leerder met Downsindroom. Die studie is in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks ondemeem met 'n aantal ouers van kinders met Downsindroom, wat tans in Gr. 1, Gr. 2 of Gr. 3 in verskeie skole in Gauteng ingesluit is. Die rol wat hierdie ouers self gekonstrueer het voor en tydens die insluiting van hul kinders, is verken en geïdentifiseer d.m.v. semi-gestruktureerde onderhoudvoering volgens 'n kwalitatiewe navorsingsontwerp. Vraelyste, veldnotas en oudiobandopnames het dee1 uitgemaak van die data-insamelingstegnieke wat gebruik is. Die resultate van die studie dui daarop dat ouers hulle rolle op 'n multi-fasettige wyse konstrueer. Hierdie studie se bydrae is primer gesetel in die uitbreiding van teorie, veral in terme van die rolle van ouers by insluitende onderwys van kinders met Downsindroom. Hierdie bydrae word in hierdie studie grafies voorgestel. ENGLISH: The purpose of this study is to understand the way in which parents construct their roles in the inclusion of their child with Down's Syndrome. The study was conducted in the South-African context with the parents of children with Down's Syndrome, who are currently included in Gr. 1, Gr. 2 or Gr. 3 in different schools in Gauteng. The role that these parents constructed before and during the inclusion of their children, was examined and identified by means of semi-structured interviews according to a qualitative research design. Questionnaires, field notes and audiotape recordings were used as part of the data collecting methods. Results from this study indicate that parents construct their roles in a multifaceted manner. The primary contribution of this study is towards the expansion of the theoretical knowledge about the role of parents in inclusive education of learners with Down syndrome. This contribution is presented graphically in this study. / Dissertation (MEd (Orthodidactics))--University of Pretoria, 2001. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted