Informational and Interactive Events and Programs
More From the Field
Critical Thinking Questions
- Do you agree with Lynda’s position? Why or why not?
- If parent’s aren’t involved in setting the curriculum, how else might you include them in the classroom?
As described in Table 5.2, many well-known models for formal family involvement include components focused on parent education. These priorities may include such things as general education, improving literacy and/or facility with English, career-ladder opportunities, or parenting skills. The focus or intent of these kinds of programs is different from parent education about the child’s curriculum.
In this section, we briefly consider programs and experiences intended to inform and engage parents/families in dialogue about the curriculum itself. These types of activities fall into three broad categories: (1) providing access to curriculum resources, (2) planned events that engage families in first-hand experiences with the curriculum, and (3) sending the curriculum home (Berger, 2008, Gestwicki, 2004; Sciarra & Dorsey, 2007; Wentworth, 2006).