Parent Involvement Defined
The concept of parent involvement has evolved from predominantly what parents contribute in school - such as volunteering or parent teacher conferences - to a more dynamic and multidirectional concept. Epstein (1995) broadened this conceptual understanding to include what parents do at home and in the community to foster learning and education. Family involvement behaviors occurring at home and in early childhood education setting have been shown to positively contribute to academic and social outcomes. Considering the cognitive, social and developmental importance of early childhood and early childhood education, and the importance of parents in shaping early childhood development at home and in early childhood education settings, it is not surprising that many ECCE programs stress the importance of parent involvement in education.
