Partnership with families
The most successful opportunities for parent engagement are those that address the ideas of parents about their roles in their children’s education and their sense of efficacy in helping their children to succeed in early childhood programs (Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler 1997). Working with parents to define shared goals helps to strengthen the home–school partnership. In particular, when programs and teachers work to integrate school and family experiences, implement school-readiness practices, and identify strategies for school readiness and transitions, both families and their children benefit.
Researchers have found that preschoolers achieved at higher levels when families and teachers shared similar child centered beliefs and practices. Thus, it is important that programs ask all families to collaborate and participate in joint goal setting for their children, and to ask families with dual language learners and those families who have children with disabilities or other special needs, about effective strategies and the contexts in which their children learn best.
Integrating School and Family Experiences
Programs
- Explain the program’s philosophy on school readiness to classroom staff and families, with consideration for each child’s level of development.
- Incorporate the role of family members in facilitating their children’s transition from preschool to kindergarten.
- Ensure that families with young dual language learners are included as partners in their children’s education. Families should be consulted regarding their children’s early language learning experiences, their educational goals for their children, and the educational progress of their children.
- Ensure that families of young children with disabilities or other special needs are included as partners in their education. Families should be consulted regarding their children’s unique learning needs, their educational goals for their children, and the educational progress of their children.
- Invite families to collaborate with program staff on long-term language development and learning goals for their children. Actively recruit families to participate in classroom activities.
Teachers
- Respond to children and family members in ways that encourage them to share family experiences.
- Share information about children’s experiences in the early education setting with families.
- Support each child’s home language and culture at home and at school.
- Maintain confidentiality of family and child information as appropriate.
- Design early education environments that reflect the diverse experiences of children and families.
Implementation of School-Readiness Practices
Programs
- Collaborate with local transitional kindergarten and kindergarten programs, schools, and support staff in preparing children and families for upcoming transitions.
- Provide professional development activities for staff on school-readiness issues, including developmentally appropriate practice, communication with families, and social–emotional competence.
Teachers
- Describe the program’s philosophy on school readiness and transitions.
- Engage in discussions with families about children’s experiences in the group or classroom as the experiences relate to school readiness and transitions.
- Respond to questions from families or refer them to appropriate staff for inquiries related to school readiness.
- Articulate that school entry is one milestone in the context of a developmental and educational continuum.
- Include all families as partners in the education of their children with attentiveness to families whose home language is not English.
Strategies for School Readiness and Transitions
Programs
- Coordinate developmentally appropriate experiences to support children’s school readiness in all developmental domains, anticipating upcoming transitions to new programs or schools.
Teachers
- Know the previous early care and education experiences of children in the group and plan for upcoming transitions to new programs or schools.
- Identify indicators of school readiness and developmental precursors of school readiness, as appropriate, for the ages of the children served.
