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Using Technologies for Documentation and Communication With advances in user-friendly technologies, teachers now have at their disposal many options for creating documentation (Berson & Berson, 2010). Many tools are currently available that can serve to streamline the process and help families feel a part of the daily learning experiences of their children. Certainly the digital […]

Helping Families to Understand the Curriculum As you begin to develop reciprocal relationships with families, you will want to share information about developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) with regard to curriculum; this will provide a foundation for further discussion (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009; Gestwicki, 2011). For example, programs and teachers can: Include a statement in promotional

Accountability: Testing and Assessment Parents are entitled to accurate reporting designed to help them understand how the curriculum is working on behalf of their children. Teachers and programs need to provide information to families to help them understand the accountability measures in use and how that information is specifically relevant to the curriculum and its

Creative Curriculum Alignment (for 3-Year-Olds) Head Start Domain Element Examples of Objectives and Dimensions from the Creative Curriculum for Preschool Examples from the Creative Curriculum for Preschool Receptive language: the ability to comprehend or understand language 8. Listens to and understands increasingly complex language 8a. Comprehends language 8b. Follows directions Mighty minute 73 “Are You

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

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,

The Goals of a Collaborative Approach According to the NAEYC, the goals of a collaborative approach to home/school/community involvement should be to increase learning and reduce the achievement gap that still persists in our society (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009). One of the core considerations of DAP is the need to understand sociocultural family contexts as

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