Early Childhood Development continues to be one of the crucial sectors in the education system in the world. Significant investments are made to improving the ECD sector to ensure quality learning outcomes and academic success for children. As the African proverb says “charity begins at home”, it is important to ensure that the family and home environment is taken as the key player in enhancing early childhood education. Children are brought up at home before they can be sent out to external environment therefore parental involvement is vital to ensuring the success of children’s learning outcomes. This literature review will discuss the importance of parental involvement in early childhood education.

Patrikakou (2008:1) defines parent involvement in ECD as “participation of parents in regular, two-way and meaningful communication between the home and ECD centre activities that ensure that (a)parents play an integral role in assisting the child’s learning; (b) parents are fully included in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the development of the child”. According to Bridgemohan (2001) parent participation can be referred to as “as a working relationship characterised by a shared sense of purpose”