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Why engage parents?
An ongoing challenge for every educator is to develop and enhance skills that will offer students the best possible learning experiences and opportunities, in school at home and community settings. It is therefore essential that every effort be made to ensure that ongoing and effective communication and partnerships be established and maintained with parents. Parents as partners in Recognition and Response
Recognition and Response is designed to help early childhood educators (in collaboration with parents) to respond effectively to the learning needs of all young children, ages 3-5, including those who are experiencing problems with early learning and those who may be at-risk for learning disabilities. At first glance, it may seem difficult to engage parents in the different components of the Recognition and Response system. With minimal additional planning and a bit of flexibility, parents can be helpful in supporting the implementation of any number of the core components of Recognition and Response such as systematic observation, screening and recording data, monitoring progress, and helping to implement effective teaching practices. Key Findings about Parent-School Partnerships
Here are two studies that offer insight into the benefits of parent-school partnerships: Researchers at the University of Oxford found that children whose parents participated in the Peers Early Education Partnership (a program geared towards supporting families of children ages 0-5) “made significantly greater progress in their learning than children whose parents did not participate.” These strides where found in children ages 3-5, and included progress in vocabulary, language comprehension, understanding of books and print and number concepts. In addition, these children also exhibited higher self-esteem in comparison to children of non-participating parents (Evangelou & Sylva, 2003). A study published in the Journal of Instructional Psychology reported that improving parental involvement in the classroom can also improve schools in general (Machen, Wilson & Notar, 2005). The authors describe how everyone within the school community can benefit when parents and teachers work as partners. What Parents Want To Know
In order to effectively engage parents, it is important to know their specific questions and concerns with regard to their child’s learning and transition from home or day care to other educational settings. An article written by Pianta and Kraft-Sayre (1999) titled Parents’ Observations about Their Children’s Transitions to Kindergarten offers a number of insights: - While two-thirds of the parents viewed their child’s transition into kindergarten as generally smooth, nearly 35% of parents mentioned a disruption to family life” - marked by having difficulty adjusting to a new schedule and not having a playmate available for a younger sibling.
- 53% of parent responses contained positive feedback regarding their child’s ability to adjust well, the benefits of prior experience to school setting, proactive transition planning by the school, positive qualities in the teachers, communication with the school, and the quality of the curriculum/program.
- Negative feedback shared by parents reflected the child’s emotional/behavioral difficulties during transition (e.g., “not handled well by the school,”), family adjustment difficulties (e.g., sleep/work schedule), reluctance or refusal of child to attend school, unrealistic expectations of the school (e.g., curriculum too advanced), and communication difficulties between parents and school personnel (e.g., lost notes, missing money, skipped meals, hygiene difficulties)
Understanding parents’ concerns and being proactive in addressing them (or circumventing potential problems) is a positive way to engage parents and establish productive home-school relationships. Engaging Parents
According to Webster’s New World College Dictionary (4th ed.), to “engage” is “to draw into, involve, to attract and to hold.” Most parents want to be engaged in their child’s learning, and many are able to establish and maintain ongoing and productive communication with teachers on a regular basis. Some families, however, must deal with challenging circumstances (e.g. financial difficulties, separation/divorce, health issues, language/cultural difference) that complicate their ability to reach out or respond to school personnel. “To Draw Into and, To Attract...”
Relating to parents and drawing them in as partners can be challenging. And the challenges do not always emanate from outside of the classroom!
Amy was a new teacher and was especially eager to make sure parents felt at ease about leaving their child with her on the first day of school. In an effort to show that she was “in charge” she tried to do everything herself. She greeted parents and children, helped children feel welcome and quickly engaged them in an activity, stowed back-packs and extra clothing in cubbies and wrote name tags, and answered parents' questions. Despite her best efforts, a number of children began crying, and sizeable group of parents (many visibly concerned about getting to work on time) congregated at the classroom door.
While a certain amount of tension and anxiety is to be expected at times like this, careful planning can go a long way to help everyone feel more at ease. |
Next: Tips on how teachers can “draw and attract” parent participation
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