Publication Date

1991

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Sheerer, Marilyn

Degree Name

M.S. (Master of Science)

Legacy Department

Department of Human and Family Resources

LCSH

Education; Preschool--Illinois; Domestic education--Illinois

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe the home visiting process of five selected sites of the Illinois At-Risk Prekindergarten Program funded by the Illinois State Board of Education. The researcher was an observer as she accompanied one teacher at each site on her visits to the homes of her students in May and June, 1991. After observing each visit, the investigator interviewed the parent, teacher, and administrator to gain some understanding of each person’s perception of the home visit process. The purpose of the home visit, the role of the teacher in the home visit, and verbal interactions within each visit are described. A qualitative approach was selected in order to provide in-depth descriptions of the process of home visiting, including examples of ways in which teachers educate parents informally within their homes. The researcher is a prekindergarten teacher in a state-funded program. Overall, findings which emerge from this study showed several discrepancies between parents’, teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions about the purpose and focus of home visits and about the importance of the teacher as friend and source of support to parents. While parents assumed active verbal participation in the visits, the absence of parent-child verbal interaction seemed to the investigator to contradict the "parents as teachers" purpose stated by administrators.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references (pages [104]-106)

Extent

122 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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