A Parent Involvement Program Focusing on Fine Motor and Language Development and its Effect on Parent Participation at Home

Abstract

Kindergarten curriculum today has become more academically oriented, particularly emphasizing the development of literacy. However, when children come to school lacking fine motor, language development skills, and exposure to literature, they are at a disadvantage. Fine motor skills are necessary for writing and drawing, while exposure to language and literature is essential for reading skills and social interaction. Parent involvement at home can help with children’s academic performance by meeting these pre-existing needs. The purpose of this study is to develop emerging literacy in kindergarten children through fine motor, language development and children’s literature activities at home. The authors designed a variety of home activities meant to complement work done at school. Parents filled out feedback questionnaires before the program began and after its completion. The program was evaluated based on student answers to questions and brief conferences, observations, oral language arts assessment, and fine motor skill screening of students. The authors found a 95% increase in fine motor skills and an increase in the language arts skills of students with attendant increases of verbal communication and reading activity at home. The findings suggest parent involvement at home increase a child’s emerging literacy skills.