Read Koralek, Nemeth & Ramsey (2019) complete this handout as you read
Koralek, Nemeth & Ramsey (2019)Answer the questions below, citing evidence from Koralek, Nemeth & Ramsey (2019):
- Why should family engagement be reciprocal, strengths-based, individualized, and participatory? In your response, explain what the terms mean in your own words.
- Did your teachers and school staff (pre-K through grade 12) engage your family in a reciprocal, strengths-based, individualized, and participatory manner? Provide specific evidence to support your conclusion.
- How can infant teachers engage families with babies in ways that are reciprocal, strengths-based, individualized, and participatory? List specific ideas that no one has mentioned yet!
1) Being reciprocal means giving something back in return. In this case, family engagement should be reciprocal because you want to make sure that the family is as engaged as possible. Strengths-based is when you focus on the more positive traits of yourself instead of the negative traits. Family engagement should be strengths-based because there are certain things that people can do and people cannot, so you have to make sure that families can do things that are comfortable for them. Family engagement should be individualized because everything child and parent are different, so family engagement should be done based on who the child and the parents are. Participatory is when teachers provide families the opportunity to participate in engagements. So family engagement should be based on this because the families have to feel like they have a chance to be involved in their child’s school activities.
2) My teachers engaged with my family mostly only in an individual manner. They would ask my mom my opinion on things when it came to things like certain trips, school events, etc.
3) Have the families list some things about themselves ( Who are they as a person, what are their strengths and weakness when it comes to their baby, how they would like to participate, etc).
Diamunique — Thanks for your comment in this activity. I appreciate your definition of family engagement. I wonder, could participatory also include families participating in the way that is meaningful for them? Based on how you describe your teachers’ interactions with your family (school trips, certain events, etc.), I wonder, would you say that your teachers’ used a participatory, individualized, strength-based, reciprocal approach as you defined? Having families complete a survey is a way to identify how families can & would like to contribute to the classroom. I wonder, how does your response connect to the Koraleck, Nemeth & Ramsey (2019) reading?
1.- Family is engagement is crucial when supporting a child’s learning development, for engagement between families and teachers should be:
-Reciprocal, because we can share strategies with the families, so they can apply them at home and at the same time families can provide important information that they know about their children, so we can come up with the best approach.
-Strength based. – We must encourage families to share their talents, abilities, and interest, so we can enrich the children’s learning experience. For example, a mother who is a chef can participate in the class presenting some healthy snacks that children can easily prepare.
-Individualized. – We must support families by providing different options or accepting their inputs which may varied depending on their schedules or interests. For example, there are parents who don’t feel comfortable talking to the teachers in person, for they prefer to send emails or text messages, we must respect the decision they feel more comfortable with.
-Participatory. – It is very important to create an inclusive classroom environment in which families feel comfortable, welcome, and willing to participate in different activities, as well as creating relationship with the classroom community, so they can create bonds of trust. For example, if a family is going through a difficult situation, this can ask for help and feel supported.
2.- My teachers and school staff (pre-K through graade12) didn’t engage my family in a reciprocal, strengths-based, individualized, and participatory manner. Back in Ecuador, schools didn’t encourage relationships or interactions with the families. My parents just dropped me off at school and go to work right away and at 1pm they and picked me up. In addition, my parents never participated in class activities as guests. All kinds of close relationships with the teachers or staff were seen as unethical.
3-Create strong relationships with the families, so we can form partnerships in which we can work as team creating the best approach to offer a pleasant learning experience to all the children. Read Koralek, Nemeth & Ramsey state, “Continuity of care service as a foundation for building relationships with families, children, and early childhood teachers. This approach engages families in the child’s initial transition to out of home care and leads to partnerships with teachers to best meet the child’s needs” (43).
-We can offer home visits and parents can visit the classroom anytime time they want
We need to offer more than a way to communicate with the families, providing our contact information, so parents can freely choose with method they feel more comfortable with. Koralek, Nemeth & Ramsey state, “Individualized, families can choose from an array of option or come up with their own that best fit their schedules” (40).
-We need to be very patient and flexible when coming up with the best approach always thinking in the child’s wellbeing, that is why we should always listen to their families, create bonds of trust, understand their cultures and work as a team, so we can find the best solutions. Koralek, Nemeth & Ramsey state, “There are many times when teacher’s family engagement efforts do not lead to initiate success. The family may resist your suggestion, discount the information you provide and prefer to make decisions about the child based on only in their experiences” (45).
Marcela — Thanks for your comment in this activity. You wove the reading into your comment. Even in the US it is very difficult to find teachers/ school staff who have individualized, participatory, reciprocal, strengths-based relationships with families. Strong bonds with families lay the foundation for family engagement & partnerships. Home visits are an important way to get-to-know and stay connected with families. Offering a variety of communication methods — but allowing families to pick which method they prefer is crucial! Thinking about the best approach to engage families, I wonder, is there 1 way/ method for that best approach?
1. Why should family engagement be reciprocal, strengths-based, individualized, and participatory? In your response, explain what the terms mean in your own words.
-Family engagement should be reciprocal because we, as teacher, want to receive the same from parents, we would love to receive information about their children, comments, ideas, feedbacks and hopes as we do. In my opinion it means both the teachers and family members form relationship with one another for the child’s development. Koralek, Nemeth & Ramsey (2019) argues “A first step after a child and family enroll in the program is to get to know the family’s needs, hopes, interest and expectations for their child’s time with you”
-Family engagement should be strengths-based because family members share their interests, ideas and skillfulness from different points of view and situations as the program may have some single parents, both parents, adoptive families or gay families. In my opinion it means respecting and appreciating their different points of view, talents and interest. Koralek, Nemeth & Ramsey (2019) states “Our goal was to find a way to encourage all family members to join their child in the classroom without making anyone feel compelled to come up with an activity or an interest to share”.
-Family engagement should be individualized because families member will automatically feel included when the staff members work with them one on one to best fit their schedule, interest and skills. In my opinion it means respecting each families ideas, decisions and comfort levels about their child. Koralek, Nemeth & Ramsey (2019) states “The family may resist your suggestions, discount the information you provide and prefer to make decisions about their child based on only their own experiences. In these instances, you may need to be persistent and try different approaches, while continuing to support the child and engage the family”.
-Family engagement should be participatory because families can contribute in some way to the program and to their child’s development. In my opinion it means when the parents have the opportunity to participate in the program or with other parents they feel motivate and even more when their participation is appreciated. Koralek, Nemeth & Ramsey (2019) argues “I noticed that the photos on the cubbies are getting torn and faded. I am an amateur photographer. I could come to pick up Emily early one day and take new photos of the children. Would that be helpful? Of course the teacher said, Yes we’d love for you to do that. Soon the cubbies had new up to date photos of Emily and her classmates”.
2. Did your teachers and school staff (pre-K through grade 12) engage your family in a reciprocal, strengths-based, individualized, and participatory manner? Provide specific evidence to support your conclusion.
-My teachers and school staff engage my family in an individualized manner because they asked my parents how I was doing at home, they shared my grades with my parents during school meetings, and suggested what to do to make me do much better in some classes.
3. How can infant teachers engage families with babies in ways that are reciprocal, strengths-based, individualized, and participatory? List specific ideas that no one has mentioned yet!
-Create a breakfast club each week or different families activities
-Include all family members in your communication
-Create a welcoming environment
-Offer a variety of options for family member to visit their child’s classroom
-Celebrate children’s culture
Daniela — Thanks for your comment in this module. You connected the reading from this activity into your comment. Inviting families, rather than forcing families, is a key component of engaging families. Thinking about individualized engagement as based on the schedule (as you wrote), interest & skills of a family, I wonder, did your teachers engage your family based on their schedule, interests & skills? You list many ideas to engage families; I wonder, what can be done to engage families on in an individuated, reciprocal, participatory, & strengths-based way?
1.Why should family engagement be reciprocal, strengths-based, individualized, and participatory? In your response, explain what the terms mean in your own words.
-Family engagement should be reciprocal because it shows that you’re building a relationship based on communication that can really benefit you as a teacher and benefit the parent’s as well.
-Family engagement should be strengths-based because family members share different points of view and situations as the families may have different living situations. I think it would be great for families to share some ideas with teachers about strengths.
-Family engagement should be individualized because we should be able to uphold families by giving various choices or tolerating their information sources which may fluctuated contingent upon their timetables.
-Family engagement should be participatory because It is vital to establish a comprehensive homeroom climate in which families feel great, welcome, and willing to take part in various exercises, just as making relationship with the study hall local area, so they can make obligations of trust.
2.Did your teachers and school staff (pre-K through grade 12) engage your family in a reciprocal, strengths-based, individualized, and participatory manner? Provide specific evidence to support your conclusion. Yes, My teachers were always communicating with my mom at pick up and during school conferences and events. They always approached my mom to let her know what I was improving on and what I was struggling with.
3.How can infant teachers engage families with babies in ways that are reciprocal, strengths-based, individualized, and participatory? List specific ideas that no one has mentioned yet!
– Home visits to understand where the families are coming from so we can help benefit their Childs learning needs.
-communication
– Having parents come to the classroom to participate in a class activity. (parents day)
– Incorporating a culture day for children
– Keeping in contact with families by calls, emails or reports when picked up at drop off or school conferences.
Selanie — Thanks for your comment in this activity. Family engagement should be individualized, reciprocal, strengths-based and participatory; I wonder, what do each of those terms means in relation to family engagement? It’s wonder that your teachers were communicating with your mom; I wonder, how did the teacher work to involve your mom in decisions about the school that were unique/ specific to her; based on the strengths she brings to decision making about the school, based on ways she was interested & able to participate in decision making; and involved the teachers & your mom sharing information together to make decisions about the school? You listed some great activities to have families involved in; I wonder, how can you have families make decisions about the school and or participate in ways that are outside of what you list? I wonder, how does your comment connect to the reading in this activity?
1-Family engagement is a very important part of childhood education, having the family and school staff work together is very to a child. Family engagement should b reciprocal because it will show families that you as a teacher are just as dedicated to a child’s education as they are. Strengths based is also very important because it focuses on the strengths of a family . we need to focus on the families abilities.Working around a families strengths will encourage them. Every family is different so its important to treat them as individuals. That lets them know that we as teachers are observant and present.Its important to allow parents to participate and join class room activities.You want the family to feel welcomed in a classroom. This can help build a stronger relationship.
2-My teachers were not really engaged they basically followed a plan. They didn’t try to communicate with families. Every one was treated the same there wasn’t a time where they said well maybe we an try this way to see if it will benefit the child. There goal was t follow the lesson plan.
3-Teachers can communicate with families to come to a common ground. Teachers can also try and be flexible when it comes to dealing with parents. Patients is also key some families will ignore the teachers suggestions but just assuring the family that you have the childs best interest.
Brittney — Thanks for your comment in this activity. Your language of “common ground” is powerful imagery; I wonder, is there a difference between shared ground & common ground? Most teachers and school staff in the US do not engage engage families, rather they involve families (Halgunseth, 2009). I wonder, what a child’s education would look like if families were engaged?
1)Why should family engagement be reciprocal, strengths-based, individualized, and participatory? In your response, explain what the terms mean in your own words.
Families engagement should be reciprocal because it’s important for both ends met and get to know each other for the child benefit. Also shows that the teacher cares enough to get to know the parents so they’re able to see the effort, as well as the parents giving their input back.
Families engagement should be strengths-based because you get to learn and see things from different perspective able to comprehend more.
families engagement should be individualized so they’re able to see we can work with their time schedule, oralek, Nemeth & Ramsey (2019) states “The family may resist your suggestions, discount the information you provide and prefer to make decisions about their child based on only their own experiences. In these instances, you may need to be persistent and try different approaches, while continuing to support the child and engage the family” meaning learning each family likes, dislikes and etc.
2)Did your teachers and school staff (pre-K through grade 12) engage your family in a reciprocal, strengths-based, individualized, and participatory manner? Provide specific evidence to support your conclusion.
From what I remember my teachers and school staff from pre-k through grade 12 the engagement stop once I reached 5th grade. Like I mentioned once their was one teacher called Mr.G who would talk to her daily and let her know my grades and etc.
3)How can infant teachers engage families with babies in ways that are reciprocal, strengths-based, individualized, and participatory? List specific ideas that no one has mentioned yet!
The way infants teachers can engage with families with babies in ways that are reciprocal, being patient with them and able open to meeting with them on their schedule, making phone calls, emails, text,
1. Family engagement should be reciprocal because it benefits everyone. By partnering with teachers, information sharing, and skill building techniques will improve the child’s learning. A strength-based program will include the family’s input, where the teachers are able to see the value, this adds to the program. Individualized and participatory family engagement allows many options for the parents to be involved with their child’s learning program.
2. My teachers and school staff did engage my family in reciprocal and strength-based care. It was individualized in many ways and my parents were entitled encouraged to participate in many ways: P.T.A meetings, field trips and show and tell as well.
3. Infant teachers can engage families in many ways that are reciprocal, strength-based, individualized, and participatory by tailoring their learning program specifically to that child and their family. They can do so by listening to different routines (ex: singing songs, walking in the grass) they engage in and putting it into practice.