An Exploration of Evidence-based Strategies for Parents’ Involvement in Children’s Reading Development

Abstract

This paper highlights the place of reading in children’s educational development. It focuses on children’s reading development from the parental involvement perspective. The article discusses the concept of parental involvement in depth and how important it is to children’s reading development. It also presents some guidelines for parents to become involved in their children’s reading activities. To guide discussion and practice, Joyce Epstein's (1990) Parental Involvement Framework was highlighted. Joyce Epstein's framework is a widely recognized model for parental involvement in schools. Developed in the early 1990s, it outlines six types of involvement that help build partnerships between schools, families, and communities. Schools, families, and communities can improve children's reading and learning performance when they properly utilize these six types of involvement. It goes further to describe extensively and recommend two reading strategies—shared and dialogic reading—that parents can implement with children to foster their reading skills. These strategies have been proven to be effective in enhancing reading skills.