Research Problem StatementThe rural environment could be unfavorable for a child's education, as parents in rural areas are often at a disadvantage because They live in poverty and lack adequate formal education. school education, which often leads them to have a low level of literacy. “Literacy is a powerful force in the process of economic and political empowerment; it is also of particular importance in reducing the poverty that exists among the largest proportion of disadvantaged communities in South Africa” (Matjeke, 2004: 23). Poverty poses a problem because parents from low socio-economic backgrounds are unable to sufficiently provide for the basic functional, social and academic needs of their children. Parents in rural areas tend to teach their children how to survive in a rural environment with little or no education, rather than encouraging children to strive for more than their current situation. It is therefore crucial to identify the factors that contribute to the impact and role of parental involvement in the literacy development of their children and the ways in which parents can ...