How does home life, school, and neighborhood resources affect a child's educational growth? Robert P. Jones, II UNIV 200

How does home life, schools and neighborhood resources affect a child’s educational growth Sub Claim 1: Parents are the ultimate go to for the production of a child’s education however educational resources can assist parents with a child’s achievements. Quotation 1: “Forum participants agreed that parents have considerable responsibility in boosting academic achievement. Many participants said parents have ultimate authority over their children and should be educators, advocates, disciplinarians, partners, and mentors to them. They should be preparing their children to learn and should teach them values, support school system efforts, and make major decisions about their futures (Flano 29). Quotation 2: “Larger socioeconomic structures and cultures may influence parenting norms and parental access to educational resources and may, in turn, influence children’s outcomes” (Dupere, Leventhal, Crosnoe, Dion 1228). Interpretation 1:Some forum participants believe that the parents have the ultimate say in how successful the child will be in school. Mother and fathers wear multiple hats in the role of a parent. They should be the advocators, educators, disciplinarians and help mentor the child to achieve their full potential in school. Interpretation 2: Because of your parents or family’s socioeconomic status you could have access to educational and neighborhood resources that can impact a child’s outcome. The ability to have the access to resources that can assist your child’s future can change the way a parent makes decisions.

How does home life, schools and neighborhood resources affect a child’s educational growth Subclaim 2: Parents availability and the home environment plays a significant part in the success of the child educationally and socially. Quotation 1:  “The amount of time parents can devote directly to their children is declining precipitously as more hours are spent away from home, working, commuting, and delivering children to and from child care, school and other activities; family members characterize home life is hectic, unstructured, unpredictable, and, at times, simply out of control” (Evans, Gonnella, Marcynyszyn, Gentile, and Salpekar 560). Quotation 2: “Lack of routines, structure and rituals in the home has been shown to be negatively associated with psychological adjustment in children and adolescents, parental competency ratings, satisfaction with family, and school achievement” (Evans, Gonnella, Marcynyszyn, Gentile, and Salpekar 560) .   Interpretation 1: The amount of time spent with children is being reduced by the commuting back and forth to school and other activities along with getting to and from work and its causing families to not spend the needed time together. This in turn can have the household feeling out of control. Interpretation 2: Without routines, structure and rituals there is a disconnect between the child and parent(s). This can have an adverse effect on the child’s psychological adjustment, along with the child or parent believing that they cannot perform their duties.

How does home life, and neighborhood resources affect a child’s educational growth Sub Claim 3: When looking at the achievement of children you have to take in consideration multiple factors such as human or financial resources along with the effects that a child or adolescent surroundings can have on them. Quotation 1: “Recent work has focused on measuring the overall contribution of school context to variation in student outcomes whether due to factors like human or financial resources, peers, or school practice, including administrative leadership, curricular context, utilization of resources and classroom instruction” (Carlson, Cowen 40). Quotation 2: “In a series of studies Brooks-Gunn and colleagues have documented the powerful and beneficial effects of neighborhood affluence or high SES (Socioeconomic Status) on young and early school-age children’s IQ, verbal ability, and reading recognition scores. Although no neighborhood effects were found at ages 1 and 2, results when the children in the program were age 3 indicated that residing in an affluent or high SES neighborhood was positively associated with children’s IQ scores” (Leventhal, p.315 and p.317). Interpretation 1: Studies have been completed lately surveying what schools are contributing to student’s outcomes. Circumstances such as assistance in resources, and school’s methods in teaching and administrators being there to support the goal of the teachers which is to educate all students to their best ability. Interpretation 1: Studies have shown that a child’s IQ, verbal ability and test scores can be associated with their surroundings or their SES. In the program this generally effected children 3 years old and older who lived in a prosperous neighborhood positively regarding their test scores.

How does home life, schools and neighborhood resources affect a child’s educational growth Sub Claim 4: The effects of the MTO (Moving to Opportunities) program shows positive results for the recipients.   Quotation 1: “In a study by “Ludwig, Ladd, and Duncan (2001) examined the effect of the MTO housing voucher program on student achievement. These researchers found (p.149), elementary school children assigned to the experimental group achieved scores in both reading and math that exceeded those of the control group children by about one quarter of a standard deviation” (Howell, Wolf, Campbell, Peterson p.194). Quotation 2: A researcher by the name of Steven Barnett findings “also demonstrates that overall academic achievement and life success measures remain significantly higher for participants in the pre-school programs that for their non-program peers” (Howell, Wolf, Campbell, Peterson p.194). Interpretation 1: Researchers of the MTO program saw that the children who participated in this program attained scores in math and reading that went beyond the children who weren’t in this program. Interpretation 2: Another researcher states that preschoolers who attended a program named The Perry Preschool Remediation program off of a school voucher showed achievements academically higher than those who were not able to attend. Moving to Opportunities is a program and has vouchers for qualifying citizens and it gives them the opportunity to move to a more affluent neighbohood which also has better educational resources to offer to children.

Going Forward At this point in my research I feel that I need to find more information on the Moving to Opportunities (MTO) program. Find more examples of the positive affects that home life, schools and neighborhood resources have on the educational growth.