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Family Involvement Models Some programs, especially those funded by the state or federal government, or grants, establish and operate comprehensive family involvement programs with different kinds of features. If you work in a Head Start program, for example, there are clearly defined policies about how teachers and the program will collaborate with families. In a […]

How would you characterize an “ideal” relationship between the teacher and children’s families? Grassroots Approach Frameworks for collaboration with families typically include some or all of the six types of parent involvement proposed by Joyce Epstein (2001) for the National Network of Partnership Schools initiative: Parent education: Providing information or training about topics important to

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

How Ecological Theory Plays Out in Family Involvement Programs Sphere of Influence System Features Family Involvement Program Features Microsystem Home and immediate surroundings Develop family-focused services Tailor different kinds of support for moms vs. dads Provide teacher professional development focusing on family systems Mesosystem Relationships among immediate contexts Reduce barriers to family participation Cultivate welcoming

Family Systems Theory Family systems theory describes family dynamics and provides insights about family structures. Teachers and programs can apply their understanding of family systems to develop productive and collaborative relationships. From a family systems perspective, educators recognize that while the families they serve today are increasingly diverse, all have elements in common that may

Understanding Families Two theories in particular are helpful to teachers for understanding the families with which they work: Uri Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological theory (introduced in Chapter 1) and family systems theory (FST), used widely in family therapy settings (Christian, 2007; Fiese, Eckert, & Spagnola, 2006; Grant & Ray, 2010; Hill, Stremmel, & Fu, 2007; Weiss,

Children with Special Needs While all children, families, and teachers benefit from high-quality, ongoing interactions, this dynamic might be considered absolutely essential for children with special needs. In a recent study of nine child-care centers that serve children with disabilities (Bradley & Kibera, 2007), the researchers learned that understanding and attention to family culture was

Understanding and Collaborating with Families Many collaboration approaches have been devised, implemented, and studied over the past half-century. With shifts in priorities and technological advances, the details about how early care and education programs connect with families continue to change and evolve. But in general the emphasis and goals have been to promote mutually inclusive,

Early Collaboration: Parent-Teacher Associations Candace Jaruszewicz In the days of mostly rural schools, the community shared all responsibility for the education of its children. This photo documents the author’s great grandfather using his tractor in 1918 to move the local one-room “Liberty” school across the prairie to its new location. Like other aspects of early

What Is a Collaborative Approach and Why Is It Important? As an expanding number of households have both parents working outside the home. As of 2010, the number of women in the workforce is 58.6 percent or 72 million; women are projected to account for 51 percent of the increase in total growth in the