Reflection 3: Accessible Family Involvement In Early Childhood
Myra Munroe
Education 311
Article reflection 3
Accessible Family Involvement in Early Childhood
TEP outcome 6. Communicating and collaborating with families and communities for the benefit of ALL students
February 26, 2017
The very first thing the article asks us is “What strategies enable families to be full and active participants in their young children’s education?” Talk about a loaded statement.
So why is this so important? Research over the years has found a correlation between positive parental interaction and student achievement as well as improved behavior and social interactions. These improvements encompass all ethnic and economic groups. (Morrison, Storey and Zhang 21) Since the inception of Swap in 1993 programs have continued
to be implemented to improve upon these noted successes.
Parental/teacher interactions are an essential part of early childhood education and growth. It helps to nurture their cognitive skills and problem solving while giving the needed guidance for in developing emotional stability and resilience. This is especially important in the more impoverished communities giving families access to pre-school and kindergarten allowing students to build strong foundations in reading and lowering the rate of students being held back. They also noted a decrease in special education needs when students hit middle school age. (21)
Teacher/Parent correspondence also helps teachers learn more about the background and culture of the students they teach. This is also an important aspect of developing a multiculturally compliant and inclusive classroom setting. By developing on intercultural relationships, we are creation an environment of increasing participation as the students can relate to the lessons. (22) This is also something we see mentioned a lot in our textbooks.
Diversity and acceptance of all students should be a goal for all teachers and future educators. This means guarding against negative attitudes and fostering positive learning experiences. We cannot stop all prejudices, hostility or racism but we must strive to negate them within the classroom and remain an unbiased advocate for our students. (Parkay 117)
This article introduces us to a 6-point framework created to make Family involvement more accessible to parents in all walks of life, allowing working parents information and ideas on how they can participate in a positive manner to the ongoing education of their young children. The first include: 1. Parenting, 2. Communication, 3. Volunteering, 4. Learning at home, 5. Decision making, and 6. Collaborating with the community. Granted this is only one of the many programs created and discussed, you should be able to tell right away that a large part of the focus is on parent’s interaction in the learning process. (22)
The article also gives us a few tips as to what we can do to create the parent/teacher interaction such as a family bulletin board, emails, classroom and school newsletters and parent/teacher conferences. Family/child cooperative projects can also be completed at home. These projects can be chosen by the students which will increase their desire to be involved in the process. (24) As instructors, we should help create times and places for these interactions. (Parkay 121)
In higher quality, early education programs parents have access to community resources and activities used to enhance the student’s education opportunities. (25) Teachers with the ability to use not only classroom education but also community based activities have a greater success of expanding the learning process beyond the school yard to incorporate the entire community taking learning beyond that of traditional Perennialism and well on its way to Essentialism. It also incorporates constructivism by allowing hands on instruction in a variety of setting. (Parkay 137) This is one of my hopes as a future teacher. To meld traditional education with cultural knowledge and hands on participation. I think this should be the goal of all teachers.
References:
Morrison, J. W., Storey, P., & Chenyi, Z. (2011). Accessible Family Involvement in Early Childhood Programs. Dimensions Of Early Childhood, 39(3), 21-26.
Weblink: http://voyager.wnmu.edu:2056/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=29a18347-4a04-41d8-a73c-2ef28a749b2a%40sessionmgr4006&vid=10&hid=4101
Ormrod, J. E. (2014). Essentials of educational psychology: Big ideas to guide effective teaching (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Education 311
Article reflection 3
Accessible Family Involvement in Early Childhood
TEP outcome 6. Communicating and collaborating with families and communities for the benefit of ALL students
February 26, 2017
The very first thing the article asks us is “What strategies enable families to be full and active participants in their young children’s education?” Talk about a loaded statement.
So why is this so important? Research over the years has found a correlation between positive parental interaction and student achievement as well as improved behavior and social interactions. These improvements encompass all ethnic and economic groups. (Morrison, Storey and Zhang 21) Since the inception of Swap in 1993 programs have continued
to be implemented to improve upon these noted successes.
Parental/teacher interactions are an essential part of early childhood education and growth. It helps to nurture their cognitive skills and problem solving while giving the needed guidance for in developing emotional stability and resilience. This is especially important in the more impoverished communities giving families access to pre-school and kindergarten allowing students to build strong foundations in reading and lowering the rate of students being held back. They also noted a decrease in special education needs when students hit middle school age. (21)
Teacher/Parent correspondence also helps teachers learn more about the background and culture of the students they teach. This is also an important aspect of developing a multiculturally compliant and inclusive classroom setting. By developing on intercultural relationships, we are creation an environment of increasing participation as the students can relate to the lessons. (22) This is also something we see mentioned a lot in our textbooks.
Diversity and acceptance of all students should be a goal for all teachers and future educators. This means guarding against negative attitudes and fostering positive learning experiences. We cannot stop all prejudices, hostility or racism but we must strive to negate them within the classroom and remain an unbiased advocate for our students. (Parkay 117)
This article introduces us to a 6-point framework created to make Family involvement more accessible to parents in all walks of life, allowing working parents information and ideas on how they can participate in a positive manner to the ongoing education of their young children. The first include: 1. Parenting, 2. Communication, 3. Volunteering, 4. Learning at home, 5. Decision making, and 6. Collaborating with the community. Granted this is only one of the many programs created and discussed, you should be able to tell right away that a large part of the focus is on parent’s interaction in the learning process. (22)
The article also gives us a few tips as to what we can do to create the parent/teacher interaction such as a family bulletin board, emails, classroom and school newsletters and parent/teacher conferences. Family/child cooperative projects can also be completed at home. These projects can be chosen by the students which will increase their desire to be involved in the process. (24) As instructors, we should help create times and places for these interactions. (Parkay 121)
In higher quality, early education programs parents have access to community resources and activities used to enhance the student’s education opportunities. (25) Teachers with the ability to use not only classroom education but also community based activities have a greater success of expanding the learning process beyond the school yard to incorporate the entire community taking learning beyond that of traditional Perennialism and well on its way to Essentialism. It also incorporates constructivism by allowing hands on instruction in a variety of setting. (Parkay 137) This is one of my hopes as a future teacher. To meld traditional education with cultural knowledge and hands on participation. I think this should be the goal of all teachers.
References:
Morrison, J. W., Storey, P., & Chenyi, Z. (2011). Accessible Family Involvement in Early Childhood Programs. Dimensions Of Early Childhood, 39(3), 21-26.
Weblink: http://voyager.wnmu.edu:2056/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=29a18347-4a04-41d8-a73c-2ef28a749b2a%40sessionmgr4006&vid=10&hid=4101
Ormrod, J. E. (2014). Essentials of educational psychology: Big ideas to guide effective teaching (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.