Supporting Parents and Children with Text Messages
Becoming a parent the first time is often overwhelming. Mastering nappy changes, feedings, and even grocery shopping can be a challenge. Eventually though, we manage to make it through that and find ourselves with these little people we need to help learn and grow. (To see what this has to do with a site that discusses text messages … read on)
To know what to do, we read books, search online, ask our family and friends. But even then it’s easy to suffer from information overload. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a simple checklist, or specific activities we could be told about on a regular basis? Across the pond, researchers are applying that concept to early literacy teaching. And they are using text messages to achieve it.
Stanford University in America published a study in 2015 on the impact of using SMS messaging to help parents teach early literacy skills to their preschool (ages 3-4) children. In America, the lower economic classes’ children hear about 30 million fewer words than their peers from “professional” families by the time they reach age four. While there have been, and are, many intervention programs, they rarely find success long term due to cost or limited teaching time with the parents.
Stanford looked at whether simple, step by step directions combined with positive support sent via text message would have a bigger impact on the economically challenged families. Specifically, the primary group of parents received three text messages a week that included facts, tips, and support for the parents on how to improve the literacy of their children. There was a control group as well that received general text messages on the rules and regulations regarding education, but none about literacy.
The results of the study showed that the parents who received the literacy tips were more engaged with their children (on that subject). Here’s a description from the study:
“For example, the intervention increased the frequency with which parents told stories, pointed out two words that begin with the same sound, pointed out two words that rhyme, recited nursery rhymes, looked at pictures in a book, showed the different parts of a book, and played games or worked on puzzles with their children”.
The text messages guided the parents through these specific types of activities. This made it easier for parents to follow through on them and the children benefited. This is a creative and inspiring example of how the technology can be used to improve people’s lives. Do you have a creative idea or example of how SMS messaging was used? Please share it with us in the comments.
You can also vist our main site to read about “Text Messaging in Education“.
Related Articles
How the Education Sector Can Benefit from SMS Messaging
The education sector can greatly benefit from the use of SMS messaging, as it can be a good way to build strong relationships with students, parents and also other members of staff. These are some of the ways to make good use of SMS messaging in the education sector.
3 Myths About Smartphones and SMS Messaging in Education
When it comes to using SMS messaging in student education, one major issue that comes up is whether students should have mobile phones at all (in class). Currently in the UK, each school sets its own rules on mobile phone usage. Some allow them in class and some ban them entirely.
SMS Marketing for Private Language Schools
SMS Messaging for Profitable Playschools
Despite a greater than ever demand for playschool places, many sessions remain unfilled due to the varied hours that parents and carers choose to book, as well as other factors such as illness, holidays and routine appointments. Empty spaces are not just an inconvenience when it comes to staff scheduling - they are also valuable sales opportunities. So how can you make sure your nursery fills those empty spaces and maximises profits? The answer lies in SMS messaging.
Universities and Summer Schools Use SMS to Keep Students Focused
It used to be you could skip a lecture or sleep late at university. But using the excuse you forgot about a session is about to become less believable than it already was. And it's all down to the ways educational institutions are using new technology to engage with students, mainly SMS.
How SMS Messaging Benefits Every Level of Education
Schools up and down the country are working tirelessly to increase the opportunities available to young people. But, with budgets being cut, these are tough times for many education providers. One of the biggest challenges facing head teachers, class teachers, and office staff is how to find cost-effective means of effectively communicating with the parents and carers of their pupils. That's where SMS text messaging comes in.
How to Use SMS Messaging to Avoid False Hope Syndrome in 2017
False Hope Syndrome happens to nearly 90 % of the people who make New Year’s resolutions. People set grand, hopeful, but unreasonable goals for themselves. But if you can get yourself to focus on something specific you want to improve, SMS messaging can help you achieve it.
7 Ways Business Coaches are Using SMS Marketing
The digital age has seen a rise in demand for business coaches to aid you in every aspect of your entrepreneurial efforts. From money mindset to technological solutions, earning passive income and attracting high-paying clients, these days there's a coach for everything. But running a coaching business isn't as simple as the hype would suggest. SMS marketing is the perfect way of supercharging your promotion of your coaching business, here's how.
How Clubs Can Benefit from Using Text Messaging
Read how clubs can benefit from the use of text messaging services to reduce wasted time and increase customer satisfaction. They can confirm appointments in advance with an option to text back to cancel or re-schedule thus reducing no-shows. SMS is also great for sharing news and special offers with members.
Supporting Parents and Children with Text Messages
Becoming a parent the first time is often overwhelming. To know what to do, we read books, search online, ask our family and friends. But even then it’s easy to suffer from information overload. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a simple checklist, or specific activities we could be told about on a regular basis via SMS?