BA Early Childhood Studies: Children, Families & Family Structures

This essay delves into the critical role of family involvement in early childhood education, highlighting its impact on children's academic success, behavior, and overall development. It examines the evolving family structures, parenting practices, and the importance of understanding family dynamics in shaping a child's early years. The report draws upon literature reviews, interviews with educators, and analysis of family patterns to demonstrate how parental attitudes, family support, and engagement in activities like reading and play significantly influence a child's self-esteem, social competence, and school readiness. Furthermore, the essay addresses potential risk factors such as single-parent households, divorce, and socioeconomic challenges, emphasizing the need for educators and families to work collaboratively to create a nurturing and supportive environment for young children's growth and learning.

Running head: EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES
Early Childhood Studies
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Literature Review.......................................................................................................................3
Methods and Ethics....................................................................................................................5
Findings......................................................................................................................................6
Discussion..................................................................................................................................8
Conclusion................................................................................................................................10
Table: Assessment Form..........................................................................................................11
References................................................................................................................................13
Bibliography.............................................................................................................................14
Appendix..................................................................................................................................16
Interview with a Preschool Teacher.....................................................................................16

2EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES
Introduction
According to Elango et al. (2015), when families and schools work together, young
children have better chances for achieving success. The involvement of the family members
in early childhood education, benefits the children to a huge extent. They get higher scores or
grades in their academic papers. In addition to this, their attendance is always 100 percent
and their behavior is more positive than others. Bruce (2012) mentioned that young children
are like learning sponges and their family members play a major role in shaping their
attitudes and behaviors. When the members of the family are involved, there is always a
chance that the family values get communicated to the children. Young children want to feel
the pride in their family members and the pride tends to influence how the child is feeling
about himself/herself. However, extensive research on this topic reveals that the role of
family members play a crucial role to the children’s success.
The report throws light on the involvement of family members into their children’s
early education. In addition to this, the report discusses about the changing parenting
practices, young children and family structures, within the context of their families.
Moreover, the report highlights the overall importance of developing awareness of the family
structures, patterns and relationships. Significant research since the past years has
demonstrated the fact that involvement of the family members is very crucial for the
educational success of young children. The report aims to develop ideas and concepts
regarding family involvement and how their structures and patterns affect children education.
Last but not the least; the report emphasizes on the benefits of early childhood education and
how it changes the attitudes as well as behaviors of the children.

3EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES
Literature Review
Early childhood professionals agree on the fact that a good method of meeting the
demands of the young kids is through their family members, whatever the units may be.
According to Bruce (2012), as family patterns or structures change, early childhood
professionals tend to develop various ways of meeting the parents’ as well as children’s
needs. The family system has the overall responsibility of meeting the needs of the children.
It is true that parents are the children’s primary educators and the guidance as well as
experience they gain from their parents, shapes the children’s future. It is within the family
that the basic values, approaches and literacy skills are set as well as reinforced.
In Wortham and Hardin (2015) words, it is important for the educators to work with
the family members and assist them to get a good start on parenting. Educators need to
address the family issues and problems before they assist the children in an effective manner.
For instance; working with the family service agencies in order to help the parents, access
affordable and adequate health care means for keeping their children healthier. Moreover, the
early childhood professionals should work with the young children as well as their families,
in order to benefit both.
According to Roopnarine and Johnson (2012), a good example of working with the
families is conducting family literacy programs, where the teachers should organize sessions
with the family members and educate them on childhood learning. Family literacy programs
provide training to the parents and assist the families with some parenting strategies, values
and behaviors for the growth and development of children. Family structures, living patterns
and other factors highly matter in the development, growth and education of the children.
Moreover, Bredekamp (2016) examined that an increasing number of mothers are currently
employed. In the year 2004, around fifty seven percent of the mothers with children below

4EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES
six years of age and seventy three percent of the mothers with children above six years of
age, were into the workforce.
This factor of working parents has created a greater demand for the early childhood
programs. As per Essa’s (2012) opinion, educators and professionals are highly responsible
for keeping the teaching quality high, affordable and accessible in order to give proper care to
the children. In addition to this, fathers should also rediscover the joys of interacting and
parenting with the young children. Gordon and Browne (2013) mentioned that men also play
a major role in providing the children with basic care, nurturance and love. Increasingly, men
should also be more concerned regarding their roles as fathers. Moreover, they should
actively participate in family events that is before, during and after the child is born.
Dahlberg, Moss and Pence (2013) stated that the fathers are rediscovering new ways
and methods of interacting as well as parenting with young children. Fathers are getting
involved for the cognitive development of their children. In other words, fathers often
participate in the school meetings, studies, reading and helping with the school works. This in
turn, motivates and encourages the children to a huge extent and brings positivism to the
family. Men and women should distribute the works equally and take care of their children. It
is important for both the parents to give adequate attention to their kids.
Moreover, Kjellstrand and Harper (2012) examined that the number of single parents
are increasing. Certain ethnic groups are being represented disproportionately in the single
parent families. There are several factors which lead to this. Firstly, the pregnancy rates are
comparatively higher among the lower socio economic segments. Secondly, the teenage
pregnancy rates are at times higher at the poor African, American and Hispanic populations
due to illiteracy, fewer life opportunities as well as economic constraints.

5EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES
In addition to this, Noble et al. (2015) opined that in the United Kingdom, around fifty
percent of the marriages end in divorce. Young children, who experience challenges like
parents going through a divorce procedure, are left susceptible to problems such as
depression. It also hampers their education and impacts them in a negative manner. In
modern days, family relationships are becoming increasingly complex because of the rising
rates of separation, divorce and others. These factors are needed to be adequately addressed,
keeping the future of the child into consideration.
Methods and Ethics
For this research, the researcher has collected both primary and secondary data
sources. The primary data has been gathered from several sources like surveys as well as
personal interviews. Moreover, the secondary sources comprise information which is
available on the online sources. Both the data types will be used for conducting this research
paper. The primary sources like surveys, interviews as well as questionnaires will help in
gaining personal insights. The secondary sources will help in reviewing the existing articles
based on the topic. Panneerselvam (2014) explained secondary sources as the ones which are
being published in various books, websites, journals, blogs or others.
The researcher has collected both primary as well as secondary data for establishing
the report. Moreover, the secondary data is collected from several observations, gathering
information from relevant websites as well as reading relevant journals. Additionally, the
secondary data also helped the researcher in coming across relevant ideas as well as concepts
regarding this topic. Furthermore, it will assist in gaining a clear understanding about the
impact of family members, structures and patterns on children development and education.
Therefore, it can be said that both the data sources have helped in gaining important insights,
which in turn established the study.

6EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES
The researcher has maintained the professional as well as ethical issues, while
conducting the whole research paper. As per Miller et al. (2012), the researchers need to
maintain some sort of privacy related to unpublished information or data. Moreover, the
researchers did not leak any kind of personal details of information of the interview or survey
respondents, without their consent. The researcher was sure of the facts collected from
secondary or primary sources. He/she did not fabricate or use those facts for unethical
purposes. In addition to this, the researcher took prior consent from the respondents and has
provided the necessary information for the research purpose.
Findings
The interview helped in gaining some useful insights, which further established the
study. Interviews with the educators and professionals have revealed the fact that the family
structures or patterns highly impact child behavior, their attitude and academics (refer to the
appendix for the interview questions). In specific terms, the children who are raised in lone-
parent support are found to be less attentive in class, with lesser academic scores and
interests. They are comparatively doing less well in both academics as well as extra-
curricular activities, than the ones in two parent families. The parental separation is being
seen to be entirely associated with the adverse outcomes for young children.
Educators have said that during the early years, a parent’s values as well as attitudes
get carried onto the child. At this time, their self esteem and concept gets developed and thus,
the parents need to take care of this. Parents’ behavior and attitudes highly influence the
children. Therefore, they need to take care and acquire certain skills which will strongly
support the system of early childhood education. A supportive as well as loving family leaves
a positive impact upon the child and it is very critical for their healthy development. If the
child feels secure, loved or safe within their family, it will assist in forming their self esteem

7EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES
as well as well being. Moreover, this will also help the child in becoming more competent
socially, along with better communication skills and family connections.
Parental participation or involvement in the children’s activities such as reading books
together, outdoor exploration and others has helped the children in becoming more social. In
addition to this, the children who engage into playful activities with their family members
jump into games when they attend school. Moreover, they tend to show much independent
behavior in such situations. It is seen that the parents who are involved into playful activities
of the children helps them develop a strong self sense.
Educators have said that the parents as well as family members also have the power to
influence the early development of childhood by supporting childhood lessons and literacy
programs. It is important to encourage the practice of reading skills and math among the kids.
Moreover, parents should increase school readiness among their children, so that they are not
afraid of going to schools. Educators also play a major role in this. The educators should take
care of the children in such a manner, that the kids are always school-ready. Even the early
lessons like prayers, singing alphabets, counting objects or others can lead into more
successful classroom environment.
However, the family risk factors also influence childhood development. The maternal
risk factors may have a greater impact on the children’s development and behavior. For
instance; drug abuse, domestic violence, poverty and other factors lead to behavioral issues
among the children. Parents need to take care of these factors and can seek help from the
educators, trainers, doctors and others. Therefore, it can be said that the parents as well as
families have the lasting and direct impact over the children’s development and learning of
social competence.

8EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES
According to the educators, the parents who remain involved with their children’s
education tend to create a connection between their school and home. Early childhood
education is the beginning of the child’s educational career. One of the beneficiary factors for
parental involvement is the establishment of social networks, which should never be
underestimated. Kids are appropriate to become friends with their parent, who have a friendly
nature. The parents who are involved in their children’s schooling and studies can contribute
a lot to their social development, by demonstrating the friendly openings.
Discussion
All throughout the study, I have gained useful insights regarding early childhood
education. Conducting interviews as well as reviewing the literatures have helped in
establishing the study. The existing literatures have given an overview of how children need
parental support for their overall growth and development. Not only in academics, but also in
the societal sphere of life, children need support from their parents. The social, physical as
well as emotional development of the kids directly affects their overall development.
Therefore, it is important to start investing in early childhood education in order to maximize
their future prospects.
Researches on this topic have revealed the fact that the early years play a major role in
the child’s brain development. Young children and babies learn the most from a very early
stage, including the prenatal, perinatal and postnatal period. The early experiences of the
child and the bond they share with their parents are their first experiences of learning. These
factors deeply affect their future cognitive, social, emotional and physical development.
Optimizing the early childhood years is the best investment one can make to ensure future
success of the kids (Panneerselvam 2014). Reviewing the existing literatures have also helped

9EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES
in understanding the facts how children get impacted due to several factors like separation,
divorce and others.
Many scholars have suggested that parental involvement in early childhood
development helps in extending the teaching outside classroom and create more positive
experience for the children (Bruce 2012). This in turn, helps the kids to perform better at
schools. It is immensely important for the parents to support the kids’ learning, which
happens at the pre-school settings and home as well. The parents who keep a note of the
classroom happenings are believed to be well connected with their children. This bond or
connection is regarded as a key component for the child’s development and support for
further learning.
In addition to this, interview with the educators have helped me in gaining practical
knowledge regarding early childhood and education. It has assisted in establishing the paper
to a huge extent. Moreover, the educators have revealed the fact how children with one
parent, face several challenges. They face issues with their studies and are generally slow
learners, as compare to the ones with two parents. In reference to this, the educators
mentioned that by establishing and enhancing good communication lines, the parents can
make a positive impact on their children’s ability of learning.
The educators also organize programs and invite the children’s parents to gain an idea
regarding their kids’ progress. They also try to make the families more comfortable so that
they get more involved into the meeting. In such cases, few educators mentioned that some
working parents do not get time to attend the parent-teacher meetings, which is obviously a
negative thing. At least one parent needs to attend such meetings as it helps in getting an
overview of their child’s overall development. By encouraging participation, the parents are

10EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES
more likely to support the children beyond their early days and also the children will make
their family members a crucial part of their education, into the future.
According to Spodek and Saracho (2014), the parents who are highly involved in their
kids’ education create a certain bond between the school and home. Young children are like
learning sponges; they learn what they see from their elder ones and their surroundings. At
homes, the parents should be able to replicate as well as extend the activities that the children
learn at school. This will help in increasing their competencies as well as confidence level.
The involved parents learn the names of their kids’ friends and get to know how they are
getting along in the school groups.
Conclusion
To conclude, early childhood education consists of a number of experiences as well as
activities, which are designed to support the social and cognitive development of the
preschoolers before they enter the elementary schools. The report has given a clear picture
regarding involvement of family members into childhood development and growth. Several
existing literatures, journals and these are being reviewed and presented in an ethical manner.
This has helped in establishing the report. Interviews with the educators have helped the
researcher in gaining useful insights and practical knowledge regarding childhood
development. In addition to this, the educators have revealed the fact that parent involvement
in childhood education has impacted the kids’ academics, cognitive functioning, health as
well as overall development. Moreover, several researchers have examined the need for
parental involvement in the early education, by linking their behaviors with academic
outcomes.
It can be said that a parent-child connection or bond is very important and immensely
necessary for their growth and development. Family involvement plays a major role in the

11EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES
child education. At times, many parents think that they do not have any role to play, once
their kids are sent to schools. They feel that the educators will take care of their children and
mould them into better human beings. Few of them also do not have time to attend parent-
teacher meetings, which is absolutely wrong. The parents should always keep in mind that
they are the primary educators of their children. The children learn things from them at first,
and their surrounding is their classroom. Therefore, the parents should take care of these
factors in order to teach good habit to their kids, at the earliest stage.
Table: Assessment Form
Please comment on… Reviewer’s comments here! Keep for your own reflections
and improvements
Author’s response here!
The relevance of the points
made to this module.
The points are relevant to the
topic. The topic being discussed
here is involvement of parents
into childhood education.
How the points are supported
from reading.
Various articles, literatures,
journals and theses are being
reviewed to support the study.
The author’s understanding of
theory relating to children and
families.
The report has helped me in
gaining useful insights
regarding childhood
development and their parental
support.
The use of different points of
view.
Utilizing various resources has
enabled in establishing the
report and I have gained useful