Dive Brief:
- In the second brief of a 10-part series examining social and emotional development among young people, Pennsylvania State University researchers highlight four especially effective elements of parent engagement programs.
- “Parent Engagement Practices Improve Outcomes for Preschool Children,” produced with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, holds up programs that promote positive parenting practices and parent-child relationships, promote home learning activities and effective teaching strategies, strengthen parent-teacher partnerships, and emphasize child physical health.
- While many programs focus on the “birth-to-3” years, researchers say parent engagement efforts need to be strengthened in preschool, and these research-based strategies were identified as effective using randomized-controlled trials.
Dive Insight:
While K-12 school districts often stay out of the early childhood world, forging partnerships with early childhood providers can be important for kindergarten readiness. Teachers and other liaisons can ensure there is a clear pathway from a pre-K curriculum to kindergarten. And early outreach to families can ensure stronger bonds once students enter kindergarten and beyond.
Recent research out of the University of Chicago and the University of Southern California shows a 13% rate of return on investments in high-quality birth-to-5 childcare programs — that’s $6 in return for every dollar invested. With the Every Student Succeeds Act allowing districts to spend more federal dollars on early childhood programming, K-12 districts may want to have a hand in these wider efforts.