The topic of motivating parent involvement in reading was chosen since children continue to demonstrate a lack of reading ability in early grades. In addition, the involvement of parents in their child's reading has been empirically shown to improve educational outcomes (Wright & Willis, 2004). Despite parental consensus about the importance of their involvement, there are differences in types and levels of involvement (Lee & Bowen, 2006). Trotman (2001) reported on factors that affect parental involvement such as family structure, parent socioeconomic status, and parent educational level. Wright and Willis as well as my own personal experience as a teacher supports the conclusion that parent involvement must continue to be researched and addressed in the educational system since it is an important component in the educational process of children.
The ecological systems theory is used as a theoretical framework for this research paper. This theory was developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner (Birnbaum, Lytle, Perry, Murray, & Story, 2003). The theory points out that the family and child are embedded within many systems of influence and it is therefore important to understand that the environment is an essential aspect to consider since events or situations such as parental involvement affect the child. The individual family is considered a microsystem that is located within a broad system with social and economic influences, which affects the ability of the parent to be involved and support the child in their reading efforts. Within each family there are factors such as cultural values and beliefs and there are outside factors such as economic circumstances that affect the parent's ability to be involved with their child's reading. The ecological systems theory points out that the individual is continuously engaged and interacting reciprocally and purposively with others in their environment (Birnbaum et al., 2003; Smith, 2004...