Involving Families at School
Family involvement models and approaches today aim to achieve what the Reggio Emilia educators call an “amiable school,” envisioning programs that welcome, incorporate, and reflect everyone’s ideasthose of children, families, teachers, and community (Edwards, Gandini, & Forman, 1998; Eliason & Jenkins, 2008; Hill, Stremmel, & Fu, 2007). Teachers and families might take a grassroots approach, constructing their own vision and strategies for how to promote collaboration and involvement. Or, planning for family involvement might be done within the framework of an established model if the teacher works in a program that uses one.
More From the Field
Director Beverly Prange explains the importance of face-to-face communications with families.
Critical Thinking Question