Running head: PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT: IMPACT ON A CHILDS EDUCATION
Commented [M1]: According to APA 6th edition formatting
Parental Involvement: Impact on a Childs Education
Students Name
University Affiliation
1
guidelines, the header of the first page of your paper should have a
running head of the form Running head: TITLE OF YOUR PAPER.
This should be flush left with the page number flush right. All other
pages should have a header with the text TITLE OF YOUR PAPER
flush left and the page number flush right.
In this paper, the running head takes the form Running head:
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT: IMPACT ON A CHILDS EDUCATION, and
it is flush left with 1 (the page number of the title page) flush right
in the header of the title page. All other page headers have the text
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT: IMPACT ON A CHILDS EDUCATION
flush left with the respective page numbers flush right.
NB: In Microsoft Word 2007, to make the header of the first page
different from those of other pages, double-click on any header
and select the Different First Page option under the Design tab.
Commented [M2]: The text on the first page should be of the
form:
Title of the Paper
Students Name
University Affiliation
In most cases, you will not know the clients names. Therefore, the
text on this paper takes the form: Parental Involvement: Impact on
a Childs Education
Students Name
University Affiliation
Additionally, the above text should be vertically centered on the
upper half of the title page. Therefore, this text is roughly a quarter-
way down the title page.
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT: IMPACT ON A CHILDS EDUCATION
Parental Involvement: Impact on a Childs Education
Providing for a family is a challenging task in todays world. Parents work long hours to
pay bills and ensure that their children live a comfortable life. As a result, most parents return
home tired and with little energy or time to follow up on their childrens educational progress.
Some parents delegate all educational responsibilities to teachers. However, a child whose
parents are supportive and involved in his or her education has a better chance of succeeding in
school.
Firstly, children whose parents play a critical role in their education score higher grades
than those whose parents play a passive role or are absent altogether. This is because active
parents encourage their children to succeed in school. They aid their children to do their
homework and help teachers to identify and solve difficulties encountered in their childrens
education. They also help their children to choose subjects and courses they can pursue with
passion and excellence. The involvement of parents in the education of their child also influences
teachers (Jeynes, 2011). Since instructors play a significant role in rating and grading a child, a
high degree of parental involvement likely influences how the teacher perceives and even grades
the child (Jeynes, 2011, p. 55). According to Chance (1997), providing teachers with feedback
about a childs attitude and wellbeing can help the child achieve higher scores in IQ tests and
vocabulary competence.
Secondly, children with supportive parents are more disciplined than those with
unsupportive parents. It is easy for parents who follow up on their childrens school activities to
identify weaknesses that may lead to indiscipline. They can then discuss such weaknesses with
teachers and develop strategies and mechanisms to rectify the weaknesses. As a result, children
with such parents are less likely to develop disorderly behaviors. Children with supportive
parents are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol or to be suspended from school (Feuerstein,
2
Commented [M3]: An APA 6th edition paper should begin with a
Centered, Uppercase and Lowercase Title. Though APA heading
levels are usually written in boldface, the papers title does not
count as a level, and it is not bold, italicized or in a larger font.
For more on APA 6th edition heading levels, please visit this page.
Commented [M4]: According to APA 6th edition formatting
guidelines, the first sentence of each paragraph should be indented
-inch.
Commented [M5]: APA 6th edition papers should be double
spaced all through. Spaces between sentences, those between
paragraphs, those between headings and paragraphs and those
between references should be the same (double).
NB: To achieve even double spacing within some text in Microsoft
Word 2007, select the text, right click and select Paragraph. In
the dialog box that will appear, make sure you select Double in
the Line Spacing drop down menu and check the Dont add
space between paragraphs of the same style checkbox. Finally,
press Ok.
Commented [M6]: When citing an author or authors, only
indicate the surname(s). Do not use first or middle names in APA in-
text citations.
A Work by Two Authors: Name both authors in the signal phrase or
in the parentheses each time you cite the work. Use the word "and"
between the authors' names when using a signal phrase and use
the ampersand if you choose to use parentheses.
Signal Phrase Example
Research by Wegener and Petty (1994) supports...
Parentheses Example
(Wegener & Petty, 1994)
A Work by Three to Five Authors: List all the authors in the signal
phrase or in parentheses the first time you cite the source.
Parentheses Example
(Kernis, Cornell, Sun, Berry, & Harlow, 1993)
Signal Phrase Example
Kernis, Cornell, Sun, Berry and Harlow (1993) found that..
In subsequent citations, only use the first author's last name
followed by "et al." in the signal phrase or in parentheses.
(Kernis et al., 1993)
Six or More Authors: Use the first author's name followed by et al.
in the signal phrase or in parentheses.
Signal Phrase Example
Harris et al. (2001) argued...
Parentheses Example
(Harris et al., 2001)
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT: IMPACT ON A CHILDS EDUCATION 3

2000). A study by Sui-Chu and Willms (1996) concluded that eighth graders whose parents were

keen on their childs schoolwork had reduced absenteeism and were less likely to drop out of

school. Schools that have many activities that require parental involvement report fewer

incidences of violent or antisocial behavior (Connor, 2012).

Thirdly, the involvement of a parent in a childs education increases the childs self-

esteem. A high self-esteem, in turn, improves the childs general wellbeing and their success in

education (Feuerstein, 2000). Amsel (2013), who holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in

sociology, wrote that limited parental involvement makes children feel unappreciated because

there is no one to remind them that they are admirable, valuable and exciting. Children who feel

unappreciated have negative thoughts and feelings about themselves (Amsel, 2013). This

hampers the development of the childrens self-confidence and compromises their self-esteem

(Amsel, 2013). Parents who want to improve their childs esteem should not restrict their

involvement to activities at school. Rather, parental involvement in the education of children

encompasses education-related activities both at home and school (Onwughalu, 2011, p. 5). Commented [M7]: If you are directly quoting from a work, you
will need to include the author, year of publication, and the page
number for the reference (preceded by "p."). Here are two ways of
However, Amsel (2013) also warned parents that overindulgence in their childs life may give the doing it:

Using Signal Phrase

child little room to self-reflect and develop self-esteem.
In conclusion, involvement of parents in their childrens education improves the
childrens chances of succeeding in school. Children with caring and involved parents score
According to Jones (1998), "Students often had difficulty using APA
style, especially when it was their first time" (p. 199).
Using Parentheses
"Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it
was their first time" (Jones, 1998, p. 199).

higher grades in school. This is evident from various studies that show students with supportive
parents scoring high marks in tests. Such children have an elevated level of discipline and are less
However, if you are referring to an idea from another work but NOT
directly quoting the material, or making reference to an entire
book, article or other work, you only have to make reference to the
author and year of publication. Although the APA 6th edition manual
encourages writers to provide page numbers where possible, they
are only required for direct quotations.

likely to engage in antisocial activities. Finally, the esteem of a child is dependent on his or her

parents involvement in his or her life and education. This, in turn, affects the childs

performance in school. Thus, parents should strive to find time to follow up on their childrens Commented [M8]: Do not justify your text. According to APA
6th edition guidelines, text should be left-aligned. Thus, the left
edge should be straight and smooth, while the right edge should be
education and collaborate with teachers to support and encourage their children. rugged.
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT: IMPACT ON A CHILDS EDUCATION
References
Amsel, B. (2013, July 16). The effects of parental involvement on self-confidence and self-
esteem. Retrieved from http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/effects-of-parental-
involvement-on-self-confidence-and-self-esteem-0716134
Chance, P. (1997). Speaking of differences. Phi Delta Kappan, 78(7), 506-507.
Connor, D. F. (2002). Aggression and antisocial behavior in children and adolescents: Research
and treatment. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Feuerstein, A. (2000). School characteristics and parent involvement: Influences on participation
in childrens schools. Journal of Educational Research, 94(1), 29-40.
doi:10.1080/00220670009598740
Jeynes, W. H. (2011). Parental involvement and academic success. New York, NY: Routledge.
Onwughalu, O. J. (2011). Parents involvement in education: The experience of an African
immigrant community in Chicago. Bloomington, IN: iUniverse.
Sui-Chu, E. H., & Willms, J. D. (1996). Effects of parental involvement on eighth-grade
achievement. Sociology of Education, 69(2), 126-141.
4
Commented [M9]: Your references should begin on a new page
separate from the text of the essay; label this page "References"
centered at the top of the page (do NOT bold, underline, or use
quotation marks for the title).
Commented [M10]: APA 6th edition references are arranged in
ascending alphabetical order.
Commented [M11]: The general format of an APA 6th edition
web reference is shown below:
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Date of Publication).
Title of website: Should not be italicized. Retrieved from
http://www.example.com
Here is a real example:
Angeli, E., Wagner, J., Lawrick, E., Moore, K., Anderson, M.,
Soderland, L., & Brizee, A. (2010, May 5). General format.
Retrieved from
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
In the above reference, please note that:
A.(2010, May 5) is the publication date. If the exact date of
publication is available, use the format (Year, Month Day), e.g.,
(2010, May 5). If the year and month are available, use the
format (Year, Month), e.g., (2010, May). If only the year is
available, use the format (Year), e.g., (2010).
B.Unlike titles of books, the title of a web page is not italicized.
Commented [M12]: An APA book reference should be of the
form:
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the book in italics.
Location: Publisher.
Location is a combination of the city of publication and a two-letter
state code (if the city is American), or the full name of the country
(if the city is not American), separated by a comma, for instance,
Nairobi, Kenya, Boston, MA, Los Angeles, CA, New York, NY,
London, England, etc.
Here is a real example:
Ruse, M., & Castle, D. (2002). Genetically modified foods:
Debating biotechnology. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books. ...
Commented [M13]: APA 6 edition references have hanging
indents.
NB: When writing your references, do not use tabs or spaces to
achieve hanging indentation. Microsoft Word has a hanging
indents feature. To use it, first type out your references without
any indentation then select the references text as a block, right
click and select Paragraph. In the dialog box that will appear,
make sure you select Hanging in the Special drop down menu
and, finally, press Ok.
Commented [M14]: In general, the reference for a journal
article takes the form:
Surname, A. A., Surname, B. B., & Surname, C. C. (Date of
Publication). Title of the article: Should not be italicized. Title of
Journal in Italics, Volume Number(Issue Number), Pages.
Here is a real example:
...