3.6: Engaging Families in Early Literacy Strategies

Research demonstrates that family/caregiver engagement leads to improved student academic performance (Wasserman & Sabater, 2018). The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has identified six principles that demonstrate successful caregiver engagement practices (NAERYC).

Six Principles of Successful Caregiver Engagment Practices

Deliberate exposure to language and immersive encounters with literature within the school setting, at home, and in the broader community, are pivotal elements in nurturing proficient readers among children. Engaging children and families in activities such as singing songs, reading and discussing books, and participating in writing and drawing to tell stories actively foster the development of oral language skills.
The following activities may be useful in engaging teacher candidates as they build this asset-based lens.

Using An Asset-Based Approach

In the pursuit of educational equity, an asset-based or strengths-based approach plays a pivotal role. This approach focuses on harnessing the inherent strengths within students, families, and communities, and values the funds of knowledge they possess (Garven, Pattoni, McLean, 2016 & González, Moll, & Amanti, 2005). More precisely, an asset-based approach is a collaborative exploration of individual abilities and circumstances that enables the individual to meet their needs and achieve their goals. The table below provides guidance on how to engage with families/caregivers and their children using an asset-based approach.

Strengths-Based Attitudes	Guidance
All families/caregivers have strengths.	Look and listen for strengths as families/caregivers interact with their children.
Families/caregivers are the first and most important teachers of their children.	Listen to families/caregivers’ knowledge about their children. Remember children come to you during a snapshot of their development, but they spend a lifetime with their families/caregivers.
Families/caregivers are our partners with a critical role in their child’s development.	Pay attention to what families/caregivers tell you about their children at each developmental stage. Build on what you learn from families/caregivers to help you partner with them to support their children’s learning and development.
Families/caregivers have expertise about their child and family.	Listen carefully to what families/caregivers share about their children, family, and culture. Honor and value families/caregivers’ expertise by listening to and using their suggestions on how to best care for their children.
Families/caregivers’ contributions are important and valuable.	Be open to families/caregivers’ suggestions and requests. Adopting an open mind will help you learn from families/caregivers about their children and what is happening.

Funds of Knowledge

Leveraging Funds of Knowledge provides valuable insights for enhancing effective teaching strategies and practices for diverse student populations (González, Moll, & Amanti, 2005). To gain a deeper understanding of students‘ lives and backgrounds, it is imperative to center attention on the daily routines and practices within households. This approach emphasizes discovering “what is,” rather than dwelling on “what is not.” Moreover, it entails engaging directly with individuals rather than relying on preconceived assumptions and stereotypes (Hogg, 2011).

When leveraging Funds of Knowledge to enhance learning accessibility for children, consider the following:

• Funds of Knowledge/Cultural Asset Mapping
  • Identify and chart the cultural assets within the classroom community, including students’ interests, extracurricular activities, and skills beyond the school setting.
  • Create a mapping system that connects external interests and skills to content area standards, thereby acknowledging and leveraging student strengths and backgrounds.
• Parent/Caregiver Expertise
  • Actively involve parents and caregivers in the educational process by inviting them to share their expertise with both teachers and students.
  • Facilitate scheduled events where parents can contribute their knowledge, fostering a sense of agency for parents and their children in the classroom.
  • Utilize parental knowledge to inform instruction, creating a collaborative and supportive learning environment.
• Parents/Caregivers and Students as Storytellers
  • Encourage students and their families to share meaningful stories, traditions, and skills, promoting a sense of community and belonging.
  • These storytelling sessions can occur during family nights or within the classroom, reinforcing a collective sense of efficacy in the academic setting.
• Project-Based Learning
  • Empower students to apply their Funds of Knowledge to learning and problem-solving.
  • Offer students choices in how they learn and how they share their acquired information.
  • Encourage students to infuse their unique skills and perspectives into project-based learning activities, fostering creativity and individuality in the learning process.

A Look Inside Myths and Assumptions

There are common myths about families that lead to assumptions about children and families that influence engagement with families and the learning environment. These include:

Myth	Reality
Aligned with most media’s frequent references, a typical American family has one type of family structure.	Historically, America has been composed of many different family structures including the traditional nuclear, single, and multi-generational or extended families.
Each family member experiences “the family” in the same way.	Men, women, children and adults often experience family in different ways due to socially constructed gender roles.
All family members have common needs, interests, and common experiences.	Children may have different family experiences due to economic, parental and/or marital stressors, birth order, and type and level of disability.
Family life is congruent, even, and somewhat predictable, and operates on the principle of harmony and love	The power relations and competition intrinsic to families, creates an atmosphere where families must balance feelings of both love and antagonism.

Assumptions can be described as unexamined beliefs or thoughts that may go unnoticed, but which shape our interactions in diverse contexts. When we examine our assumptions before engaging with children and families/caregivers, interactions are more meaningful and beneficial for academic and social development. The following questions provide a mechanism to reflect on our assumptions and foster self-awareness and constructive engagement when working with families/caregivers.

Pause and Reflect

What might we unintentionally take for granted when it comes to collaborating with diverse families?

What assumptions may we possess that could potentially affect our interactions with diverse families?

References

Garven, F., Pattoni, L., McLean, J. (2016). Asset-based approaches: Their rise, role, and reality. Policy and Practice in Health and Social Care Number Twenty. London: Dunedin Academic Press.

González, N., Moll, L.C., & Amanti, C. (2005). Funds of knowledge: Theorizing practices in households, communities, and classrooms. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Hogg, L. (2011). Funds of knowledge: An investigation of coherence within the literature. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27, 666-677.

NAEYC. (n.d.). Principles of Effective Family Engagement. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/topics/family-engagement/ principles#:~:text=During%20an%20extensive%20review%20of%20the%20research%20on,decisions%20and%20 wider%20advocacy%20efforts.%20...%20More%20items

Wasserman, D. & Sabater, A. (2018). Toward authentic family engagement with counter-narrative and self-determination. Journal of Underrepresented and Minority Progress, 2(1), 32-43. https://www.ojed.org/index.php/jump/article/view/43/50

Page adapted from Watkins, K., Zimmer, K., Lisic, E., & Alvarez McHatton, P. (2023). Dialogic Reading Toolkit: Building Early Literacy One Storybook at a Time. Peachtree City, GA: Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity.