Gender Equity in Early Childhood EducationMain MenuIntroductionWhy is Early Childhood Education Important?Why is Early Childhood Education Important for Girls?How is Gender Socially Constructed in the Early Years?Why Is Parent Involvement Important for ECE?A Comparative Look At ECE and Gender EquityParent Attitudes, ECE and Gender Equity in The United States, Kenya and CambodiaConclusionKelly Grace33ad43180d3cbf24c9554a05e30c99611fd3ababDana Stiles1776c60122811f7ceb112aadf951353b993a2d54
12015-11-20T13:23:13-08:00Parents and Sociocultural Influences25plain2015-11-20T21:14:54-08:00Parents have the most direct influence on children’s development. Parent involvement in education has also been shown to impact academic achievement, and to improve the health, cognitive functioning, and social-emotional development of young children. The interaction between a child and his or her context at this time determines the trajectory for lifelong and holistic development. This is reinforced by the learning theories of educationists Dewey, Piaget, Vygotsky, and Erikson, who assert child development and cognition is a process requiring children to socialize and experience their environment. Children rely on play, parental and peer interactions, and realistic and social models to develop critical social skills, communication skills, and self- confidence. As children develop, culture impacts their early learning. According to Bowman (1994), the "rules of development are the same for all children, but social contexts shape children's development into different configurations" (p. 220). Ultimately, every child has the same aptitude for learning, but sociocultural contexts shape children’s developmental competencies and influence their learning achievements.
