EMBEDDING NEW IDENTITIES: EQUIPPING PARENTS OF READING AT RISK PUPILS

Regardless of a family’s socio-economic status, many development studies show that parental involvement is crucial in the long-term learning of children. This study examined the non-formal education experiences of parents of reading-at-risk Grade Two pupils coming from an urban poor community in the Philippines. Focus group discussions, individual interviews and participant observation were utilized for data elicitation. Results show that through their non-formal education experiences, parentparticipants took on new identities ?story tellers,tutors and fun and effective parents. The parents became story tellers not only to theirown children but to other children as well. They became effective tutors in developing literacy and numeracy skills at home and in the community. They also were transformed into fun and effective parents who no longer resorted to coercion or violence in helping their children with school work. The results of the study pose some implications with regard to educational theories about parent-school relationships, family literacy, and the management of parent non-formal education programs.