Parental engagement is an essential element in the social-emotional and academic achievement of students. However, barriers to this involvement continue to exist. Barriers may take many forms including time, school and staff perceptions and bias, power dynamic, communication with teachers, curriculum, and differences in language and culture.…

This mixed-methods case study examines parental motivation for participation in a Canadian university-based STEM outreach event. Parents responded to a post-event questionnaire that was followed by individual interviews. The quantitative part revealed how and why parents engaged with their children's STEM education. Surprisingly, neither…

In a 5-year longitudinal study of typical literacy development (Grades 1-5 or 3-7), relationships were examined between (a) parental responses to questionnaires about home literacy activities and ratings of children's self-regulation at home, both completed annually by the same parent, and (b) children's reading and writing achievement assessed…

This publication focuses on curriculum integration. Integrative curriculum focuses on a theme or themes upon which two or more disciplines is organized. Curriculum integration has been proposed as a way of organizing the life skills, or "common learnings," considered essential for citizens in a democracy. The curriculum is organized…

This practicum was designed to teach appropriate social skills to mainstreamed elementary students with disabilities. It was determined that mainstream classroom teachers did not have adequate knowledge of social skills to promote interaction and develop friendships between disabled students and their nondisabled peers. A social skills inservice…

A kindergarten teacher implemented a practicum intervention designed to improve teachers' communication with parents of kindergarten children concerning curriculum and school activities. In particular, the intervention aimed to increase parental involvement in spite of the fact that parents were unable to spend time at the school. A computer and…

The Preprimary Traffic Safety Curriculum (PTSC) Demonstration Project is a three year project to develop, pilot test, and disseminate a traffic safety curriculum for young children. The PTSC Project has two general goals: to develop appropriate safety habits and attitudes in children, and to establish cooperation between home and school so that…

Parents of a group of first graders knew very little about the whole-language approach to reading employed in their children's classroom and were consequently unable to help their children as they learned to read. A program was implemented to provide parents in a target group with an understanding of the whole-language approach to reading as well…

This practicum report describes the implementation of a pilot program that used packets of learning materials to incorporate individualized instruction into a traditional curriculum in a kindergarten classroom. Objectives of the program were that 80 percent of students would demonstrate improvement in basic readiness skills, and that 90 percent of…

An elementary school science teacher implemented a practicum intervention designed to improve students' critical thinking skills by emphasizing the role of the parent as a resource at home. A total of 25 parents of third-fifth graders were instructed in four sessions in the Talent's Unlimited thinking skills model. Sessions focused on productive…

An elementary school teacher in an urban school serving economically disadvantaged and middle-class black students implemented a practicum designed to increase involvement of parents of intermediate grade students in their children's education. Parent participation was mandatory in preschool and primary programs. But when children entered the…

This document is a catalogue designed to help motivate students by familiarizing teachers with use and selection of manipulative materials. The first section discusses what manipulative materials are, how to use manipulative materials in instruction, in what branches of mathematics manipulative can be used, what students benefit from manipulative…

This practicum report describes a 13-week intervention that facilitated the participation of parents of 16 preschoolers in the instruction of their children. Objectives of the intervention were that: (1) parents and children would participate in take-home projects and workshops; (2) parents and children would increase the amount of time they spent…

Presented are numerous ideas for workshop and in-service activities designed to involve parents as team members in the planning and implementation of the Chapter 1, Educational Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA) programs of Missouri schools. Also provided are suggestions for parents to use to enhance their children's cognitive skills in…

A course of study was researched, designed, and implemented by the writer to learn mathematics apprehensions of fifth grade students. The primary goal was to reduce mathematics apprehension through positive mathematics experiences at home as well as in school. The objectives of the program were to develop a more positive feeling about mathematics…