One Step at a Time: The Effects of an Early Literacy Text Messaging Program for Parents of Preschoolers

Benjamin N. York and Susanna Loeb

No 20659, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Large systematic differences in young children’s home learning experiences have long-term economic consequences. Many parenting programs place significant demands on parents’ time and inundate parents with information. This study evaluates the effects of READY4K!, an eight-month-long text-messaging intervention for parents of preschoolers that targets the behavioral barriers to engaged parenting. We find that READY4K! increased parental involvement at home and school by 0.15 to 0.29 standard deviations, leading to child gains in early literacy of about 0.11 standard deviations. The results point to the salience of behavioral barriers to parenting and the potential for low-cost interventions to reduce these barriers.

JEL-codes: I1 I10 I12 I2 I20 I25 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014-11
Note: CH EH ED
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (20)

Published as Benjamin N. York & Susanna Loeb & Christopher Doss, 2019. "One Step at a Time," Journal of Human Resources, vol 54(3), pages 537-566.

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