Globus Journal of Progressive Education
A Refereed Research Journal
Vol 11 / No 2 / Jul-Dec 2021
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN RELATION TO STUDENTS’ READING
PERFORMANCE
*
Mirabelle M. Bendanillo
Paper Received: 02.09.2021 / Paper Accepted: 06.10.2021 / Paper Published: 07.10.2021
Corresponding Author: Mirabelle M. Bendanillo; Email: mirabelle.bendanillo@deped.gov.ph; doi:10.46360/globus.edu.220212014
Abstract
The study focused on the Parental Involvement
in Relation to Students’ Reading Performance.
There were seventy-seven (77) students used as
respondents in this study and conducted at
Pinucauan High School, Pinucauan,
Vallehermoso, Negros Oriental. The extent of
parental involvement to respondents’ reading
performance in terms of parent involvement
capabilities had a moderate parental
involvement result. Mean and Standard
Deviation were used. In Reading performance
of respondents, frequency count and
percentage were used and the result was high
percentage of frustrated readers. The school
must determine appropriate strategies to
decrease the number of struggling readers and
design interventions to help respondents
improve their reading performance. However,
the relationship between respondents’ extent
of parental involvement and their reading
performance, the result was significant. The
descriptive-correlational survey design was
used in this research.
Keywords: Parental Involvement, Reading
Performance, Literacy, Learning.
*MAEd-Teacher III, Pinucauan High School, Division of Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, Philippines.
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ISSN: 2231-1335
Introduction
In school, reading is one of the most important
skills a learner should develop. Reading is defined
as an interactive process consisting of inferring,
knowing correct sounds and comprehension [7].
Furthermore, any Filipino child with sufficient
reading skills would have greater chances of
success in school compared to a child whose
reading skills are poor [12].
However, for many children, the period of learning
to read can be a complex process. Those who
cannot read or have poor reading performance will
experience significant difficulties mastering many
types of academic content and may have the risk to
fail in school [1].
To achieve good reading performance, children
need much guidance and assistance not only from
their teachers but also from their parents in order to
become successful readers. Moreover, in order to
motivate and encourage their children to achieve
better in school, parents should support their
children in their studies, particularly by providing a
supporting environment at home [11]. The task of
teaching reading is not the sole responsibility of
educators. The parents are likewise expected to
augment and reinforce what is being developed in
the school [10]. However, too many students do not
get this support, and consequently are not reaching
their potential as emerging readers.
Many students, particularly those in public schools,
struggle to learn to read [9]. In the Philippines, the
government has issued policies and programs to
make each child a reader. This policy aims to
promote effective readers and enhance literacy
because children with poor reading skills receive
poor grades at school, get easily distracted and
frustrated, have behavior problems, seem to dislike
school, often fail to develop their full potential and
eventually will drop from school works [12].
Specifically, in Pinucauan High School where the
researcher is stationed, reading programs show that
most students in Grade 7 have poor reading
comprehension. Based on the final result of PHIL
IRI, Independent Level has 18%, Instructional
Level has 14%, and Frustration Level has 68% for
this reason, the researcher is impelled to conduct
this study to determine the extent of parental
involvement and reading performance of Grade 7
students. This would help the teachers in
understanding their struggling readers and
eventually aid them with appropriate strategies,
support and motivation to improve their reading
performance.
Statement of the Problem
The purpose of this study was to determine the
extent of parental involvement to respondents’
reading performance.
Specifically, it sought to answer the following
questions:
1. What is the extent of parental involvement to
respondents’ reading performance when taken
as a whole and grouped in terms of:
a. Parent Involvement Capabilities;
b. Willingness to Participate in
Student’s Reading
Program/Activities;
c. Parent Responsibilities for Reading
Instruction?
2. What is the reading performance of
respondents when taken as a whole and
grouped in terms of:
a. Frustration;
b. Instructional;
c. Independent?
3. Is there any significant relationship between
respondents’ extent of parental involvement
and their reading performance?
able to direct themselves as to whether an action is
positive and should be copied or negative and
should not be copied.
Analytical Psychology stated that scaffolding is
justified as a form of prompting the learners to read
based on their existing schema [6]. Karl Jung’s
Schema Theory provides an archetypal
convergence of Vygotsky’s theory that propels a
connection of meaningful learning experiences,
where learners construct their own meanings, in a
more constructivist approach of teaching.
The research questions and interviews were linked
to social interaction and how they relate to parental
involvement. The knowledge parents receive from
this study may increase their understanding of
parental involvement.
As an implication to the teaching and learning
process, this theory emphasized that teachers
should utilize pre-existing knowledge and
experience of the reader, set clear purposes for
reading, ask appropriate questions before, during
and after the reading lessons [13].

Hypothesis
There was no significant relationship between
extent of respondents’ parental involvement and
their reading performance.

Theoretical Framework
This study was anchored on the theory by Lev
Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory which
places on parents as partners in their child’s life is
crucial as he believed that everything a child learns
is through the interactions with knowledgeable
partners [2]. A child spends most of their time with
their parent(s) during their early development,
therefore emphasizing the importance of modeling
positive behavior for the child. Vygotsky’s theory
includes an important theory called the Zone of
Proximal Development which looks at the range of
actions a child can perform alone and how a person
with a better understanding of the world such as a
parent or teacher, can guide and prompt what the
child already knows; helping the child to learn
more about the world around himself/herself [2].
He also stresses the importance of language in
mental development. Language develops in social
interaction, it influences others behaviors and
serves as a guide as to what to do [2]. In other
Figure 1: Schematic Diagram Showing The
words, language is something children hear from
others around them. By speaking aloud, a child is Relationship of The Variables in The Study

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Related Literature and Studies
Many children begin kindergarten lacking language
and early literacy experiences needed for successful
achievement in the school setting. These children
are at-risk of facing significant challenges in
reading achievement. They may not reach expected
language and literacy outcomes and are likely to
become struggling readers. Unfortunately, the
challenges faced by these young students are
evident even in their preschool experiences. The
gap in achievement in kindergarten between these
at-risk children and their peers who have attained
kindergarten readiness standards has been found to
widen in subsequent years, even with the help of
high-quality preschool instruction [4].
The definition of parental involvement has really
changed over the past several decades. There is
more of a focus on preparing parents to work with
their child in the home rather than just being
involved at school. Parents play a critical role in
enhancing their child’s literacy development from a
very young age. Bringing children and parents
together to work, play, read, and learn can lead to
positive outcomes in language, literacy, emotional
growth, and cognitive development [5].
Research indicates that parent involvement and the
amount of time spent reading at home are major
predictors of student success in reading, literacy
development, and overall learning [3]. Research
findings suggest that there is a positive effect on
students’ literacy development resulting from
parent involvement.
Given the importance of support from home in
helping children develop essential language and
early literacy experiences, this study was designed
to examine the effect of encouraging effective
parent involvement and reading at home on
children’s early literacy development.
Parental involvement has been widely supported to
be an effective strategy in increasing academic
growth. Research on the topic suggests that
students whose parents take an active role in their
school activities are more likely to attend school
regularly, achieve higher grades and test scores,
and continue their education beyond high school
[8]. School-based parental involvement can take
many forms such as volunteering at school,
communicating with teachers, assisting with
homework, and attending school events such as
performances or parent-teacher conferences.
Creating a welcoming environment for parents and
the community is imperative. Providing such an
environment includes establishing effective school-
to-home and home-to-school communication and
making student success the top priority.
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Positive connections between home and school can
help increase children’s academic ability. For
instance, parents who read with their kids have
children who do better in school. Ronald
Ferguson’s ‘research-based tips for high
achievement parenting’ suggest that parents
promote reading at home, discuss reading materials
with their children in ways that encourage children
to enjoy learning, and seek opportunities at home to
discuss and apply what children are learning in
school, among other activities [15]. Further, he
emphasized that teachers should collaborate with
parents to develop a consistent program or
instructional routine that does not vary widely over
time. Research findings found that promoting
parental participation may be a successful approach
for improving reading achievement and that
intervention could be relevant for schools with
students whose parents have lower levels of
education because better educated parents are more
aware of knowing the benefits of being engaged in
their child’s education compared to lesser educated
parents [8].
Methodology
Research Design
The descriptive-correlational survey method was
used. This design conducts a survey of
investigation prior to writing the research, with the
aim of describing the subjects, topic and results
[14]. Sometimes it may be followed up with
examinations of why the observations exist and
what the implications of the findings would be.
Research Participants
The respondents for this study were from the two
(2) sections in Grade 7 of Pinucauan High School
comprising a total of 77 students. Total
enumeration of participants was used.
Research Instrument
With the aim to gather accurate data needed for the
study, an adopted instrument was used.
It was composed of four (4) parts; Part I dealt with
the respondents’ demographic profile. Second part
was the survey instrument. This survey contained
questions to determine the extent of parents’
involvement to the respondents’ reading
performance. For this, adopted instrument by
Fantuzzo, Tighe, and Child (2000) entitled,
Parental Involvement Questionnaire was used that
was categorized into three components, namely:
Parent Involvement Capabilities, Willingness to
Participate in Child’s Reading Program/Activities,
and the Parents’ Responsibilities for Reading
Instruction. The category on Parent Involvement
Capabilities had 15 items. The category on
Willingness to Participate in Child’s Reading
Program/Activities had 15 items; and category that
determined the Parent Responsibilities for Reading
Instruction had another 15 items. The survey was
scored on a scale of 1-5, with five indicating the
highest degree of involvement.
To provide specific data of the reading
performance of the respondents a secondary data
using the PHIL IRI result of the respondents was
used.
Data Gathering Procedure
The researcher first sought the permission of the
Dean of the Graduate School to allow her to
conduct the study. Once approved, another letter
was sent by the researcher to the School Principal
to ask for permission to conduct the study to the
Grade 7 students explaining the purpose and the
nature of the investigation.
The researcher secured the parents’ permit of the
participants prior to the conduct of the study. Also,
the participants were informed that the results of
the study would be treated as highly confidential.
Data Analysis
Considering the objectives set in the study, the
following statistical tools were used:
To answer the first objective, which aimed to
identify the extent of respondents’ parental
involvement to their reading performance when
taken as a whole and grouped in terms of Parent
Involvement Capabilities; Willingness to
Participate in Student’s Reading
Program/Activities; Parent Responsibilities for
Reading Instruction, the formula of mean was
employed.
The acquired mean scores for the extent of parental
involvement to respondents’ reading performance
were interpreted using the following scale:
Table 1: Extent of Parental Involvement of
Respondents’ Reading Performance
Mean Range Descriptive Reading
4.50-5.0 Highest involvement
3.50-4.49 High involvement
2.50-3.49 Moderate involvement
1.50-2.49 Less involvement
1.0-1.49 Least involvement
To answer the second objective, frequency count
and percentage distribution was used.
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Descriptive Results
The parental involvement capabilities obtained a
mean score of 2.62 interpreted as Moderate
involvement. This could be implied that when
parents would be engaged with their children’s
learning at home and at school, then children are
more likely to be successful and achieve better
reading performance.
The willingness to participate obtained a mean
score of 2.73 and interpreted as Moderate
involvement. This could be implied that when
parents are willing to engage themselves in their
children’s learning, it would positively affect the
child’s performance at school leading to higher
academic achievement, excellent reading
performance, better school attendance and fewer
behavioral problems.
Parent responsibilities obtained a mean score of
2.82 and interpreted as Moderate involvement. This
could be implied that when parents read daily to
their children, it would give benefits to their
children and it could greatly impact their literacy
development. They could enhance the reading by
engaging their children in phonemic awareness
activities, rhymes, pointing to each word as they
are reading, as well as rereading, and all of these
activities could give a lot of benefits their child in
developing literacy skills.
As a whole, parental involvement obtained a mean
score of 2.73 and interpreted as moderate
involvement. This implied that parents’
involvement is only in moderate level since they
need to balance their time with their work and their
time to assist their children in their studies. They
could not give full time and attention in guiding
and teaching their children especially in reading
since they are also doing their responsibility of
providing for their family’s daily needs.
The reading performance of the respondents when
taken as a whole and grouped in terms of the
selected areas, majority of the respondents (68%)
were frustrated readers. They are characterized as
slow readers with poor comprehension. This could
be implied that most of the respondents need
guidance and assistance from their parents and
teachers to improve their reading performance and
to manage their time effectively. Most of the
students were struggling readers because they lack
knowledge of vocabularies, lack of comprehension
especially in English reading materials.
Spearman’s rho was used to determine whether
there was a significant relationship between
respondents’ extent of parental involvement and
their reading performance. Results indicated that
the two variables were not associated (rs = 0.185, p
=0.107). This suggested that parent involvement is
not the determining factor of the respondents’
reading performance.
Conclusion and Recommendation
Conclusion
Based on the findings of the study that majority of
the respondents need extensive assistance from the
parents and educators in terms of their level of
reading comprehension.
Significant relationship existed between
respondents’ extent of parental involvement and
their reading performance. Parental involvement
might vary to the reading performance of the
students.
Recommendation
Parents should take responsibility of their
children’s studies. Parents should attend parent-
teacher meetings as it has a positive influence on
student achievement as well as on reading
performance.
The school must determine appropriate strategies to
decrease the number of struggling readers and
design interventions to help respondents improve
their reading performance.
School administration should establish a
coordinator at the school level who should be
responsible to work with teachers and principal to
initiate support for the parental involvement.
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