Beyond the Classroom: Parental Insights into Facilitating Kindergarten Learning

This study examined the insights, attitudes, and beliefs of kindergarten parents in early childhood education and its influence on parental involvement as learning facilitators at home in Quirapi, Castilla, Sorsogon. It also identified the strategies they use to reinforce classroom learning, the challenges they encounter, and the perceived effectiveness of these strategies in supporting their children’s academic and socio-emotional development. A mixed-methods design was employed, utilizing a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of checklists, Likert-scale items, and open-ended questions to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. The findings revealed that parents strongly recognize early childhood education as the foundation of future learning success. Their beliefs motivated them to actively assist their children in essential tasks related to academic and social development, such as reading, writing, and completing homework. Most parents practiced praising and motivating, play- based activities, the use of educational materials, and the integration of lessons into daily routines. These strategies were rated as very effective, particularly in enhancing academic and social development. Moreover, parents expressed that their involvement strengthened their emotional bond with their children and encouraged consistent engagement in learning activities. Despite these positive practices, parents faced several challenges, including limited time due to work responsibilities, lack of adequate learning resources, difficulty maintaining consistent study routines, and limited confidence in teaching certain concepts. These barriers affected the level of support they could provide at home. Based on the overall results, the study proposes a set of developmentally appropriate and context-responsive home- based learning activities that parents can easily implement. The findings highlight the critical role of parents as partners in early childhood education and provide valuable insights for teachers, school administrators, and policymakers in designing programs that strengthen home–school collaboration and support parents in facilitating learning beyond the classroom.