The Subtle Aspects of Parental Involvement

Based on the results of a series of meta-analyses, it appears that the nature of parental
involvement may be considerably different than was previously conceived. For many years,
educators, parents, and social scientists have conceptualized engaged parents as those who
frequently attend school functions, help their children with their homework, and maintain
household rules that dictate when their young engage in schoolwork and leisure (Domina, 2005;
Epstein, 2001; Henderson & Mapp, 2002). That is, most individuals typically view parental
engagement as a set of deliberate, overt actions (Kelly, 2004). Results from three meta-
analyses have challenged the traditional image of parental involvement (Jeynes, 2003a, 2005a,
2007b). A meta-analysis statistically combines all the relevant existing studies on a given
subject in order to determine the aggregated results of said research. The findings of these
meta-analyses indicate that the most powerful aspects of parental involvement are frequently
subtle, such as maintaining high expectations of one’s children, communicating with children,
and parental style (Jeynes, 2005a, 2007b).

https://www.adi.org/journal/2011ss/JeynesSpring2011.pdf

This meta-analysis addresses the question of whether 1 general cognitive ability measure developed
for predicting academic performance is valid for predicting performance in both educational and work
domains. The validity of the Miller Analogies Test (MAT; W. S. Miller, 1960) for predicting 18
academic and work-related criteria was examined. MAT correlations with other cognitive tests (e.g.,
Raven's Matrices [J. C. Raven, 1965]; Graduate Record Examinations) also were meta-analyzed.
The results indicate that the abilities measured by the MAT are shared with other cognitive ability
instruments and that these abilities are generalizably valid predictors of academic and vocational
criteria, as well as evaluations of career potential and creativity. These findings contradict the notion
that intelligence at work is wholly different from intelligence at school, extending the voluminous
literature that supports the broad importance of general cognitive ability (g). (APA PsycInfo Database
Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0022-3514.86.1.148

Questionaire
In your opinion, to what level do you agree that you are capable of dealing with your
child’s emotions appropriately?
How capable do you think you are to support your child’s learning at home?
What level of confidence do you have in your ability to make the school meet your
child’s learning needs?