Graduate Research Papers

Availability

Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Keywords

Home and school; Grandchildren--Education; Grandparent and child;

Abstract

The research strongly suggests that family involvement in education is vital to a child's academic achievement (Epstein, 1987; Zill, 1996). The Grandparent in Education Project goes beyond the parents and into the previous generation of grandparents. In many families grandparents have played a key role in children's lives. Today the numbers of grandparents that help raise or are full-time guardians to children are on the rise (Bafile, 1999). It is a logical connection to include them in today's educational environment.

Another important component is technology and the current role it plays in society. Digital media is continuing to influence communication and instruction in the classrooms, much like print has since the time of Plato (Rose & Meyer, 1994). Future literacy instruction will likely include a variety of on-line resources (Martinez & McGee, 2000). By integrating technology, literacy, and grandparents, the Grandparent in Education Project helps bridge the generation gap between past and present literacy practices.

This project consists of grandparents or "adopted grandparents" actively participating in the educational lives of children. Past intergenerational classroom projects such as Grandparent Pen Pals (Smith, 1995) and Senior Pals (Jobe, 1999) have been very successful. The Grandparent Project extends these single project ideas into an entire year of grandparent involvement projects.

Year of Submission

2004

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Education

Department

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

First Advisor

Deborah L. Tidwell

Comments

If you are the rightful copyright holder of this graduate research paper and wish to have it removed from the Open Access Collection, please submit a request to scholarworks@uni.edu and include clear identification of the work, preferably with URL.

Date Original

2004

Object Description

1 PDF file (80 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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