RESEARCH BRIEFS

IN THIS ISSUE

• Parent Engagement in ECE

• Community Engagement

• Early Childhood Behavioral Supports

• PDG Announcement

• Nevada ECAC

  
  

NOVEMBER AWARENESS HIGHLIGHTS

• National Family Caregivers Month

• Early Childhood Mental Health Awareness Month

  
  

• National Adoption Awareness Month

NEVADA & NATIONAL NEWS

• Foster kinship helps Nevada families

• Nevada named one of the worst states for childcare costs

• Transitional kindergarten meets toilet training

• Reading challenges

  develop long before kindergarten

• Naming objects builds executive function in kids

Welcome to the TWELFTH ISSUE of Research Briefs in Early Childhood! This newsletter brings you easy-to-read summaries linked to recent news and research focusing on early childhood education and development as part of the Nevada Statewide Comprehensive B-5 Needs Assessment process. In each issue, these monthly newsletters feature topics that inform early childhood system considerations, share Nevada and National News, and more. This newsletter was created with the help of PubTrawlr, which used generative artificial intelligence, such as large language models and other machine learning systems trained on image datasets.

PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN ECE

Parents and Teachers Build Early Learning

Parent engagement in early childhood education is about more than showing up at school events or volunteering in the classroom. While parents often think of engagement as things they do at home, like reading or talking with their kids, teachers and school leaders tend to focus on more visible activities at school, according to research in the Journal of Child and Family Studies. Another study points out that rating systems usually measure things like attendance or conference participation but miss the bigger picture of family support needs and at-home involvement. Metaphors that parents and educators use, such as describing school as a “home away from home,” can reveal hidden expectations about roles and power in the relationship. And in rural areas, educators say distance, work schedules, and limited resources often make it harder for parents to participate, even when they care deeply about their children’s learning. Together, these studies show that meaningful engagement isn’t just a parent’s job—it also depends on how schools listen, share responsibility, and create opportunities for every family to be involved in ways that work for them.

Teaching and Parenting Shape Kids’ Futures

Early childhood experiences at home and in school play a large role in shaping children’s development. One study found that for children from more disadvantaged backgrounds, what parents do at home can sometimes matter even more for early skills than childcare alone. Research on the Head Start program found that its effects on parenting vary—some families benefit more depending on their background and level of engagement. Another study on children who participated in Head Start found that they experienced improved preschool quality on average, which positively influenced their development. When teachers and families collaborate closely in infant and toddler classrooms, it improves teacher–child interactions, which supports children’s learning and social growth. The HighScope Perry Preschool Project also demonstrates the impact of parent involvement: home visits and field trip participation were linked to higher cognitive scores for children later on. Together, these findings show that children benefit most when families and educators actively work together to support learning and development.

Parents’ Support at Home Boosts Kids’ Learning

Studies show that the way parents get involved in their kids’ learning can make a big difference in how well they do in school. Research in Frontiers in Psychology found that when parents spend time reading, talking, and doing simple learning activities at home, children are more ready for school and can even catch up if their parents have less education or speak a different language. Another study showed that helping with homework works best when parents give guidance and encouragement instead of just making sure the work gets done, and the impact can vary depending on the child’s needs and family situation. Together, these studies suggest that the quality of parent involvement, like creating positive learning moment, matters more than simply being present.

Parent Engagement Fosters Positive Outcomes

In early childhood education, family engagement is crucial for fostering belonging and positive child outcomes. A recent study found that family engagement is strengthened when educators build trust, communicate openly, and honor family priorities, but limited interaction opportunities, inconsistent communication, and few participation options can hinder engagement, especially for families of children with disabilities. Similarly, another study showed that children whose parents participated in a school readiness intervention in which teachers regularly collaborate with parents on goal-setting, feedback, and relationship-building made greater gains in social–emotional skills than those in typical Head Start programs, underscoring the impact of intentional parent–educator collaboration.

Engaging Multilingual Families

Culturally aware practices play a crucial role in early childhood education, especially for multilingual kids. A study in the Early Childhood Education Journal found that Spanish-language family activities not only boosted preschoolers’ Spanish vocabulary but were also enjoyable for caregivers and relatively easy to implement. Similarly, research around rural multilingual families emphasizes the importance of educators building trust with families, tailoring approaches to their needs, and understanding their social and geographic context. Together, these insights show that thoughtful, culturally aware practices can help children thrive while honoring the backgrounds they come from.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Strong Community Ties Help Children Thrive

Strong community partnerships can make a big difference in early childhood education. An evaluation of the West Philly Promise Neighborhood shows that when schools, local groups, and government services join forces, families get better support from birth through school—though gaps remain, like many young children still not enrolled in early learning programs. Additionally, a recent review of cross-disciplinary collaboration finds that partnerships across sectors, especially those involving health and education, help communities respond more effectively to children’s needs by sharing expertise and resources. Together, these findings underscore that early childhood efforts thrive when communities build strong, lasting relationships that connect families with a full network of supports.

EARLY CHILDHOOD BEHAVIORAL SUPPORTS

How Parents and Teachers Shape Behavior

Research on early childhood discipline shows that both teacher practices and parenting approaches strongly shape children’s behavior and the risk of exclusionary punishment. One study found that preschool teachers often document and manage challenging behavior but sometimes involve families in ways that blame parents. They were also slightly more likely to suggest harsh or removal-type responses when the child was Black. Another study showed that children who were spanked at age five were more likely to display acting-out behaviors by grade five, though warm, supportive parenting lessened these effects. Together, these findings suggest that discouraging physical punishment, strengthening positive parent–teacher partnerships, and providing teachers with training in supportive, non-exclusionary strategies can help reduce racial disparities and promote healthier child development.

PDG ANNOUNCEMENT

Incentives Inspire Early Childhood Education Outreach- Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5), values your opinion and wants to ensure that all voices are heard. We also understand that time is in short supply and is therefore valuable. To increase engagement in statewide early childhood programs and initiatives, PDG B-5 in partnership with The Children’s Cabinet, has designed and implemented a three-tiered incentives process of $25-$100 incentives for advice, collaboration, and leadership. So far in 2025, families of children aged 0-8 and the ECE workforce have received $26,775 for their participation in the system.

To increase participation in your organization’s outreach to the ECE community, you can request incentives now through December 30, 2025. If you are planning an event or activity that involves Nevada families with children ages 0-8 and/or members of Nevada’s early childhood workforce and would like more information please refer to our info sheet.

The Early Learning Data and Reporting System (ELDRS) is Nevada's new integrated data system, designed to inform early childhood policy and practice. By unifying previously siloed program data, ELDRS provides a cohesive, statewide view of our ECE landscape for the first time. The system powers public-facing tools like our QStar quality reports and the Parent Empowerment, Action, and Knowledge Survey (PEAKS), enabling us to track program effectiveness, understand family needs, and make evidence-based decisions to improve outcomes for Nevada's youngest learners.