Date of Award
1-1-1991
Document Type
Dissertation - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Center for the Advancement of Education
Advisor
William W. Anderson
Keywords
Preschoolers, Parent Involvement, Parent Interactions, Self-Esteem, “At-Risk” Youngsters, Parenting, Positive Parenting, Preschool Education, Reading Aloud.
Abstract
This practicum was a three-month project designed to improve positive experiences of "at-risk" preschoolers through coaching of parent interactions. The goal was to provide parents with tools to assist them in enriching the home environment of their preschool children. Parents of preschool children from Chapter I schools were invited to participate in this twelve-week practicum which met weekly for two and one-half hours at an identified school. The population came from a large urban school district where many young parents were involved. Twelve parent improvement sessions were held with each session dealing with a different aspect of parenting; physical, social/emotional and intellectual development of children; time spent with the child; importance of reading aloud to the child; constructing teaching devices; dealing with problem behaviors; etc. Various strategies and procedures were used to accomplish the objectives including role-playing, discussions, Make-It-Take-It Workshops, field trips, consultant visits, research, demonstrations, and incentives for involvement. Data was collected before, during and after the practicum. Checklists, surveys, merchant letters and quizzes were developed by the writer. Feedback information was also collected. The results of this practicum were significant. The goal and objectives were successfully reached and they were surpassed in most instances.