Benefits to Teachers and Caregivers of Good Home–School Interaction
Whatever your goals are, and have been, in the field of early education, they are most likely focused on a future with young children. Many teachers-to-be, and even practicing teachers, find it difficult to see the importance, even the necessity, of focusing also on the children’s families. As you have just seen, there are definite benefits for both parents and children for good home–school interactions. But there are, as well, benefits to teachers and caregivers. What follows are several, among many benefits, as observed by and discovered through the research of a number of writers (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009; Keyser, 2006; Prior & Gerard, 2007; Spaggiari, 1998).
Early educators who take time to learn about and work with families learn more about the children they are teaching. As well, teachers can gain valuable knowledge about the families’ cultures and
traditions. All this goes a long way toward planning curriculum that meets the needs of every child. It also helps to carry on successful dialoguing with parents in terms of learning much more about children’s interests and needs; and the parents can learn more about the teacher’s need for resources, materials, and time.
Teachers who devote time and energy to interactions with families are more likely to see families not as a threat, but as colleagues, appreciating the different wisdoms they provide. Parents who learn about what is happening in school or center are more likely to understand and appreciate the work that teachers do. Not surprisingly, teachers who interact well with family members tend to receive higher parent ratings and increased support from them.
Joyce Epstein at Johns Hopkins University has created a useful framework for school, family, and community partnerships. Although its focus is elementary and secondary school, much of it is helpful for early childhood professionals as well. See Table 8.1 for an abbreviated version of the framework (Epstein. Sanders, Simon, Salinas, Jansorn, & Voorhis, 2002).