Parental involvement in children's school readiness : a role for social workers

Abstract

The importance of the early childhood years for school readiness highlights the primary role of parents in preparing their children for school entry. This article reports on a qualitative study that explored parental involvement in children's school readiness in a South African context, with special emphasis on the influence of the social environment on parental involvement. Through purposive and snowball sampling, a sample of 25 parents or caregivers, nine Foundation Phase teachers and four social workers were recruited from communities in Tshwane, Gauteng. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory as theoretical framework was relevant for understanding contextual influences on parental involvement in school readiness. To account for the evidently inadequate school readiness of many South African children, the findings of the study indicate that parents' knowledge, perceptions and socio-economic contexts influence their ability to effectively prepare young children for school entry; this in turn suggests a role for social workers to empower parents for enhancing their children's school readiness.