SPLASH

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Student-Parent Laboratories Achieving Science at
Home
SPLASH
Peter Rillero Arizona State
University West
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Why is parental involvement important?

• (please share your thoughts)

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What do involved parents know?
What do involved parents do?

• (please share your thoughts)

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How can teachers help parents be more involved?

• (please share your thoughts)

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Involving Parents through Hands-On Science

• Why hands-on science?
• Types of Programs
• Out-of-home experiences
• In-home experiences

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Out-of-home experiences

• Family Science Night
• Programs at zoos, museums, or other venues
• Advantages
• Disadvantages

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In-home experiences

• Science Kit Programs
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
• Non kit program
• Student Parent Laboratories Achieving Science at
  Home (SPLASH)

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SPLASH Goals

• To increase parental involvement in education
  through hands-on science activities done at home.
  
• To provide the opportunity for students to have
  more hands-on science experiences.

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Ideal SPLASH Activities Programs

• Relate to the curriculum
• Required of all children
• Feature parents working with children
• Use readily available materials
• Give time, use little time
• Clearly direct
• Battle procrastination
• Feature class discussion

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Relate to the curriculum

• Must relate to concepts learned in the classroom.
• Introduce, review, extend, or apply
• Why?
• What does an involved parent do?
• What does an involved parent know?

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Required for all children

• Teachers may be tempted to use assignments like
  this as Extra Credit.
• Problem Low achieving students opt to not do
  them. They have the most to gain.
• Thus, require for all students.

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Feature parents working with children

• Parents are active in the activity.
• Writing hypothesis
• Manipulating materials
• Homework sheets end with place for parents
  signature and comments.

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Use readily available materials

• Teachers cannot be expected to supply materials
  for at home activities.
• Parents are inconvenienced if they have to go and
  buy materials.
• SPLASH seeks to use materials commonly found in
  the home.

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Give time, use little time

• Allow a weekend (plus) for the activity.
• Designed to take 30 minutes or less

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Clearly direct

• Early implementations
• Clear directions are the biggest problem
• Good editing and field tests are needed

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Battle procrastination

• Students often waited until the night before to
  show parents the activity.
• Results in rushed completion or non-completion of
  activities.
• No perfect solution
• Write both due date and assigned date on the
  activities.
• Let parents know when to expect activities.

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Feature class discussion

• When assigned
• clarify
• motivate
• When returned
• process learning
• build understanding
• share experiences
• motivate

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Parents Expressed Positive Attitudes about the
Program

• Their children learned a lot from program
• Strongly Agree or Agree 64.3
• Enjoyed activities
• Strongly Agree or Agree 63.5
• Feel more involved as a result of program
• Strongly Agree or Agree 58.8
• Helped increase childs understanding by working
  together
• Strongly Agree or Agree 70.6
• All parents should do at least one SPLASH
  activity
• Strongly Agree or Agree 83.6

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Significant differences between parents in
control and treatment groups for

• Reported time spent helping with or monitoring
  homework.
• Feeling involved with their childrens education
• Knowing what occurs in childrens science class.

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Parents Views of Potential Problems

• Required too much time
• Strongly Agree 2.1 Agree 0
• Required too much money
• Strongly Agree 2.4 Agree 0
• Instructions too confusing
• Strongly Agree 25 Agree 2.4
• I did not know enough science to work effectively
• Strongly Agree 14.1 Agree 3.5
• Most activities were too difficult
• Strongly Agree 3.5 Agree 0
• Materials too difficult to get
• Strongly Agree 8.2 Agree 0

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Parent Interviews Discoveries

• I think she is even smarter than I thought. She
  is very good at coming up with the conclusions.
  She seems to have a real handle on it and she
  likes science more than I knew she did.
  (High-Participation Mother)
• It was kind of fun to actually see her in action.
  (Low- Participation Mother)

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Interviews Changes in behavior

• It was fun to do it together, but ... I dont
  help her with any homework. So that was kind of
  a new experience for me. (Low-Participation
  Mother)
• Before they used to tell me to do my homework and
  then after SPLASH, my Mom or my Dad would sit
  down and help me. (High-Participation Boy)

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Apple P.I.E. Award

• Working Mother Magazine, the Family Involvement
  Partnership for Learning, and Teachers College,
  Columbia University awarded the Apple PIE Award
  to the SPLASH program. The program was featured
  in Working Mother magazine.

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SPLASH Web Site www.west.asu.edu/coe/splash
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Student-Parent Laboratories Achieving Science at
Home
SPLASH
Peter Rillero Arizona State
University West