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Weekly Module 6: Family Engagement in Action Readings Post

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In this module you will:

  • Identify how to engage families in programming
  • Evaluate practices that engage families
  • Analyze practices that engaging families

After reading Koralek, Nemeth, & Ramsey (2019) answer the following questions:

  1. Summarize the main idea, key details and what you learned from this reading in 4-6 sentences, in your own words.  Use key terms and vocabulary from the text.
  2. What quote(s) was most meaningful to you? (identify the page number) Why?
  3. How does this reading connect to your personal experience?
  4. How does continuity of care promote family engagement?
  5. In your own words, explain how the family engagement in Samantha Ellwood’s OR Dee Dee Parker’s program was:
  6. Reciprocal
  7. Strengths-based
  8. Individualized
  9. Participatory 
  10. How will this reading help you become a better infant/ toddler professional?

Respond to 2 other posts!

Koralek-Nemeth-Ramsey-2019

44 Comments

  1. Family engagement happens throughout the year and not just certain times. Family engagement is reciprocal, strength based, individualized, and participatory. It involves actions. When facing challenges with family engagement, teachers should remain patient and persistent.

    What quote(s) was most meaningful to you? (identify the page number) Why? “There are times when a teacher’s family engagement efforts do not lead to immediate success.” [page 45] For me this is a reality check. Not all families will want to collaborate with teachers but that shouldn’t be looked as defeat.

    How does this reading connect to your personal experience? As a parent myself, I understand the importance of having family engagement. When spaces were created for parents at my child’s school I felt welcomed.

    How does continuity of care promote family engagement? Having the same teacher throughout a child school year can help the family become familiar with the teacher. It also helps them build a strong lasting relationship with families.

    In your own words, explain how the family engagement in Samantha Ellwood’s OR Dee Dee Parker’s program was:

    Reciprocal- Families, and teachers put all their ideas together to make decisions together.

    Strengths-based- Families expressed their ideas and participated in Parent coffee hour

    Individualized- If Families were not able attend Parent coffee hour other opportunities was made so parents could get involved.

    Participatory- The outcome of Parent coffee hour was other family engagement opportunities such as Jumper starter and monthly meetings.

    How will this reading help you become a better infant/ toddler professional? I plan to create a family corner where families can relax, enjoy treats, and communicate with other families. I also plan to be persistent when faced with difficult challenges.

    • Deb — You make a good point, with the quote your chose. Sometimes it takes time to develop trust with families, to form relationships with families, and to engage families in group programming. How does your child’s school create space for you? Tell me more! The idea of a “family corner” sounds amazing, what would that look like (besides relaxing & have treats)? Tell me more!

    • Hey Deborah good job on answering all the questions and I agree with you on making a family corner so that families can communicate and relax with other families.

    • Deb, I like the quote you chose and how you explained it! As an infant/toddler professional, it is important to create an environment with some fun which kids like the most. Communication is the key!!! Good job

    • I agree with you Deb, as a parent I can relate and understand the importance of being engage and a space where we as parents can give our feedback, opinions and ideas.

  2. 1. Summarize the main idea, key details and what you learned from this reading in 4-6 sentences, in your own words. Use key terms and vocabulary from the text. – The reading talks about the importance and the criteria involved in engaging families in not only the child’s development but also in building a friendly environment for the child. It is not only a policy or a concept that families have to follow, instead it involves action and consistency. The families should themselves be interested and excited about engaging themselves. Every teacher has their own way of engaging families. Some seek help in making decisions whereas some engage themselves in physically making an environment for children.

    2. What quote(s) was most meaningful to you? (identify the page number) Why? – The quote that was most meaningful to me was – “Family stories can be an entry to understand what makes each family unique” (page 41). With time, when teachers gradually get comfortable with individual families and visa versa, the families and even children talk about what goes within their own family. This helps the teachers differentiate and help plan the curriculum for children basing it on knowledge that families and children provide them with. When I was a kid too, the things that I told and shared with my teachers helped them understand me and family in a more vivid way. Example – an occasion I celebrate with my family, or any childhood stories my parents had which helped my teachers know us better.

    3. How does this reading connect to your personal experience? – It connects to my personal experience as with me, my teachers always made it a point to talk to my parents when they came to drop and pick me up from the centre. They had their own conversations about how I was doing at school and what I did at home. The activities involved, the way I behaved in both the settings etc. This is one reason that I could relate as I believe that making the families feel engaged does help in a child’s development as it did with me.

    4. How does continuity of care promote family engagement? – Continuity of care promotes family engagement as it impacts in the child’s initial transition of out-of-home care. Families are engaged as they are there to help the teachers to best meet the child’s needs by providing knowledge and things that their child needs or wants.

    5. In your own words, explain how the family engagement in Samantha Ellwood’s OR Dee Dee Parker’s program was: (De De Parker)

    Reciprocal – Both the teachers and family members discuss and form relationship with one another for the child’s development both at home and in the centre, during the Parent Coffee Hour. This gives both a chance to give positive and not so positive feedback which would benefit the child.

    Strengths-based – Family members shared their expertise and about their child’s interest to benefit the child as well as the program.

    Individualized – Families would have come up with a day, which best suited each of their schedule to find out time to come meet with the staff at the centre. Each individual family came up with their own option which they all combined and came up with the discussion day – which was Friday here.

    Participatory – Families and the teachers were equally involved and felt comfortable in discussing about the child – both positive and weak points about the child.

    6. How will this reading help you become a better infant/ toddler professional? – This reading will help me become a better infant/toddler professional as I will arrange events like movie nights, coffee dates etc to know families better. I would also be prepared to give them feedback and would expect the same from them as well.

  3. 1. The main idea of the article is to personalize a bond between teacher student and parent. Creating activity’s in an effort to involve parents in their children’s learning development while also showing the parent that the teacher care for the student.

    2. “A first step after a child and family enroll in the program is to get to know the family’s needs, hopes, interests, and expectations for their child’s time with you”. I found this quote to be important because when you sign your child up for a program its good for staff to get to know what benefits the child, see what you can do to make the child and family feel more comfortable also to try to add in some of the things that the families would be interested in having their child learn.

    3. As a parent I enjoyed when my child’s school would invite parents into participating for certain activities. One activity I had partaken in was when we got to plant flowers with our children and I got to show my child what to do along with conversing with other parents and staff.

    4. A child with the same teacher with a certain amount of time which can result in a consistent relationship between teachers and children for the length of enrollment in the early childhood program. It also engages the families in the Childs transition to out of home care and have a partnership with the teachers to figure out the Childs needs.

    5. Ideas put together by families and teachers to create decisions for the children.

    6. Families being able to express their own ideas and to participate

    7. If families could not attend parent coffee hour, other opportunities were set so that they could be involved.

    8. Other family engagements such as monthly meetings and jumper starter.

    9. It would help me to do my best in involving families in children activities, and setting up meetings with families to learn more about the family and child and see what we can do to better educate the child.

  4. 1.Family engagement consist on educators interacting with individual families and members of the family involving them in their child’s development process throughout the year. this process is Reciprocal as both educator and family interchange information, skills and strategies. Have a strength-based relationship where the educator is able to see with an strength-based perspective the abilities of the family members.Individualized as families are able to choose the program that better meets their child’s needs (schedules, strategies, etc) and is also participatory, in a way that parents are able to interact with other parents and family members and are able to support each other building a community.

    2. One of the strategies that the article suggests in order to create family engagement: ” Celebrate children’s cultures. Invite families to share their traditions and aspects of their cultures with the class”. This strategy in particular stroke me the most because I think in order to establish a bond educator-family educator-child is is crucial to have a basic knowledge of their cultural background so that they can have a better relationship.

    3. As a former Early Childhood Education teacher I can utilize the information acquired from this article in a way that now i have a better understanding on how I should establish relationships with the families and how should I approach even when I don’t find success in the first try.

    4. When a family gets to engage with a program, specially establishing a relationship with an educator this creates a stronger bond between the child and the educator creating a stronger development process for the child.

    5. The relationship is reciprocal as both the family and the educator interchange strategies and information in order to help the child develop.

    Strength-based as the family engages in the coffee hour creating a community.

    Individualized as the program would create a way that works for the families that cannot attend the coffee hour, engaging with the family in an individualized way.

    Participatory as the families have opportunities such as Jumper starter and monthly meetings.

    6.This reading will help me become a great professional, I have learned how important it is to engage with the child’s family in order to be able to create a relationship where we can interchange information, skills an strategies that lead us to help children succeed in their development processes.

  5. 1. In the article by Koralek, Nemeth & Ramsey (2019) talked about the importance of family engagement. This means that they take actions and it becomes reciprocal where both teacher and family are getting to know each other well and thoroughly. Also, this means adjusting the care of the child to the needs of the child for the best kind of care they can receive in the program. Being patient and persistent when parents don’t consider suggestions and always keep an open line for them when they need it. This includes counting men into the care of the children, sometimes the men involved in the care of the children feel left out or feel awkward being in a group directed towards the women that care for the young. Finally, creating a space where families can feel comfortable to speak about problems that persist or they are worried about the care of their young, this can help the family feel like their voice matters and can ultimately feel comfortable in making decisions for the care of the children in the program.
    2. A quote that was meaningful to me was found in page 1 where it states, “Family engagement is..Reciprocal…strength-based…individualized…participatory” because it helped me see that family engagement does not include one thing, its a ray of things that connect to each other and help families engage in multiple ways.
    3. This reading connects to my personal experience because my father was more involved in my care both at home but at school as well and the page that talked about counting men in really help me see that many father figures are the ones raising the children and making a project where it is not gender-based but for both sex helps the men feel less uncomfortable being included.
    4. Continuity of care promotes family engagement because it is teaching and giving care practices. This also includes that a child can have the same teacher continuously until he finishes the program.
    5. The family engagement of Samantha Ellwood’s was:
    6.Reciprocal in which they learned that many families were not earning enough money to meet ends, leaving many families to have tight schedules where they can’t afford to lose a job they already have. This can be hard in which parents may not be able to attend workshops so the program had to figure out how they can help them.
    7.Strengths-based in which the program had families that had both parents, single parents, dual parents, and families that care for children of their family members. This leads to different point of views and ideas from different situations.
    8. Individualized in which the program help give transportation and child care for the families that do not have the needs and money to be able to use transportation or have someone care for their children. Also for single mothers as the ones most in needs, were provided the services that would help them.
    9. Participatory in which the members of the parent council guide the staff and help plan projects for the program that will ultimately benefit everyone.
    10. This reading will help me become a better infant/toddler professional in that it helps me see that family engagement is very important to be able to have families on the same page as me but also have trust with one another and be able to communicate and where families can communicate with me comfortably.

  6. 1.The article spoke about the importance of family engagement. Family engagement consist on educators interacting with individual families and members of the family involving them in their child’s development process throughout the year.The main idea of the article is to personalize a bond between teacher student and parent.

    2. A quote I found to be meaningful was “Family stories can be an entry to understand what makes each family unique” (page 41). Everything takes a bit of time, and with time families and teachers will et comfortable with each other to share things about the child so that certain things can be either changed or done for the benefit of the child.

    3.The reading does not necessarily connect to my personal experience.

    4. Continuity can support family engagement because establishing a relationship with an educator this creates a stronger bond between the child and the educator creating a stronger development process for the child.

    5. It is basically idea put together by families and teachers for the benefit of the child.

    6. They learned that families were having a hard time whether it be with work schedules or money. Parents may not be able to attend workshops so the program has to figure out a way to help and support them.

    7. Programs with different family dynamic leads to different points of views and ideas.

    8.The program provides services for families that may need the little extra help because they can’t afford it.

    9. family engagement opportunities such as Jumper starter and monthly meetings.

    10. After reading, you learn how important family engagement is. It has taught me ways to communicate as well as things I can do to help with the involvement of families

  7. The main idea of this reading is about, teachers and families building good relationship to help support children. This reading also discusses the importance of family engagement with teachers and how keeping families involved with decision making helps support their child’s education. Parents know their child the best, so it’s important that teachers build trusting relationships with families. Also, this reading talks about, how involving men/fathers is just as important. Many times, fathers are left out of relationships with their child’s teachers and sometimes teachers and administrators forget to communicate and keep fathers engaged in their child’s education. Furthermore, this article gives ways to keep families engage like having breakfast club and asking families to come in to celebrate their background and cultures. Finally, never forgetting to offer support to families.
    The most meaningful quote to be is “When families are able to visit and see their child’s classroom in action, they often become more confident in supporting their child’s learning – now and in the future” (50). This quote is the most meaningful to me because as a mom I can totally relate. My daughters’ school has kept me engage and always kept my involved with her education by invited me into her classroom to see her work, or simply for breakfast and story time. This has made me feel confident and makes me want to continue to support my child’s education, and also makes me want to support her teachers as well. I can stay through the consistent engagement and involvement; I have built much trust with her teachers.
    Dee Dee Parker program showed participatory when they decided to purchase a coffee maker to hold parent coffee hour, having donuts and pastries for families, this also showed individualization for each parent, giving them the opportunity to communicate and hold conversations with the staff on their own time. Dee Dee’s program showed Reciprocal and showed that they were a strength-based program by creating the Jumpstarter council which is a group including family members, teachers and administrators. They all would meet monthly and they actually took this idea from a parent involved in the coffee family meeting group. They also invited guest from the community and organizations into the school for families to connect with, This was for families to learn about the services that were offered in their community.
    The on thing I could take away from this reading is understand how to make other cultures apart of my teaching. Talking about other cultures can be hard, especially if not educated of different cultures and background and for the thought of me having to speak on other cultures and backgrounds when not really being aware of how things are on in their world was a little scary but through this article I learn it doesn’t have to be. I learn they’re many ways of doing this without offending families, like invited them into the classroom to speak about their own culture. This ensures that you as a teacher won’t miscommunicated the wrong information about one’s background or culture. This will help keep families engage all while educating others of different cultures and backgrounds.

  8. Yes Vaishnavi, I like that you mention being able to give feedback as a part of something you learned. I didn’t think about that, I agree this reading does gives ways to help give and receive feedback, good Point!.

  10. The reading talks about the importance of family engagement and building a friendly environment for the child. Families should be consistent and want to learn about their child’s future and be interested. Some make decisions and some engage to physically make an environment for them.

    “One way to communicate that families are a priority in your program is to designate a comfortable gathering place where families can meet and socialize with each other.”(49) Its so important for families to feel comfortable to chat about their child because of its respect. It shows how important their growth is to their families.

    How does this reading connect to your personal experience? Working with kids and having their siblings or child with me shows how important it is to communicate because it makes their parents feel more at ease that their child is in good hands.

    Continuity promotes family engagement because it serves a foundation for relationships which in family engagement there has to be a good relationship for this experience to go smoothly and professionally This allows families to help with the process of a child being out of home and socializing with the world and kids around them.
    Reciprocal families and teacher put their ideas together to physically make an environment for them
    Strengths-based parent coffee hour to allow parents and teachers to have a good relationship
    Individualized providing other opportunities to meet up if they are unable to make certain meeting you give other options to show your care that they should be involved.
    Participatory Monthly meeting
    How will this reading help you become a better infant/ toddler professional? This will help me become a better teacher because now i can better have

  12. 1). The article by Koralek, Nemeth & Ramsey (2019) mainly focuses on the importance of family engagement. Meaning both educators and families work together to exchange information, skills, and teaching strategies in order to benefit the child and their educational needs. Every family and every program is different and they work differently with the child. Every program has a different way of getting families engaged in their children’s education.

    2). A quote that was most meaningful to me was “When families are able to visit and see their child’s classroom in action, they often become more confident in supporting their child’s learning- now and in the future”. (Page 50) this quote stood out to me because every family should be involved in their Childs education because it gives them a support system where they feel that they have someone who supports them.

    3). This reading connects to my personal experience because growing up my mother was always involved in my education and doing so made me more comfortable around my teachers because I knew that my mother had a bond with them. When families have a bond and are involved in the Child’s education the child feels safe, comfortable and they are able to learn better.

    4). Continuity of care promotes family engagement
    When students spend most of their time in school you become close to your teachers and create a bond in which every parent wants nothing more than leaving their child with someone who they can trust and know that once they leave their children will be well taken care of. This promotes family engagement because when parents see that teachers have a good relationship with their child and the Childs needs are being fulfilled then it creates a bond with families and teachers as well.

    5).In your own words, explain how the family engagement in Samantha Ellwood’s OR Dee Dee Parker’s program was: (De De Parker)

    Reciprocal – Everyone works together in making a decision based on what’s based on the child.

    Strengths-based- Families are engaged in bettering the program that benefits their child.

    Individualized – the program is able to work with the families and the time when it is a convent with them which will get the families involved.

    Participatory- when families have many opportunities to get engaged and join a meeting such as a jumper starter and other meetings.

    10). This reading helps me become a better infant/ toddler professional because it taught me the importance of family engagement and how it should be done. Every educator should make sure they create an environment where children feel safe and families feel involved in their Childs education. As a future educator, I will make sure I respect each family’s expectation and each Childs needs by making sure I create ways in which families are able to speak their opinion and be involved. I want to make sure we all work as one in helping the children’s education and what’s best for their development.

  14. The reading talks about the importance of the bond between the child, caregiver and the parent of the child. It speaks about the engaging activities that can be included to help the child’s development for the future. It consist of consistency and interaction.
    A quote that was meaningful to mean was , “Family story’s can be entry to understand what makes each family unique” (page 41) . It is meaningful to me because i know that it’s true that people act certain ways in left and do certain things in general based on the things that they have been through in the past.
    This reading connects to my person experience because as I grew up and even now my parents make sure to stay active in my educations. I feel like from them doing this it allowed me to do my best at learning and feeling as comfortable as possible.
    Continuity of care promotes family engagement because building a relationship with the child and the caregiver will created a better learning development especially because it’s allows the child to become as comfortable as possible, which is the best environment to learn in.
    Dee Dee Parker’s
    Reciprocal- Its an act of team work for what’s best for the child.
    strengths- Families get to actually better the program by telling them things that he are doing good and things that can be fixed
    Individualized- families will automatically be included when the staff members work with them one on one.
    Participatory- families get to actually participate in the activities that are provided to their child as well.

  15. Summarize the main idea, key details and what you learned from this reading in 4-6 sentences, in your own words. Use key terms and vocabulary from the text. The reading talks about how important family engagement is with care givers and families,This reading also spoke about how teachers should always remain patient.
    What quote(s) was most meaningful to you? (identify the page number) Why? The quote that was most meaningful to me was “Learning about the relationship between the child and the family member and what this person does to support the child’s development and learning”(P11). This quote meant the most to me because it is important to know how the family deals with the child.
    How does this reading connect to your personal experience? This reading can connect back to my personal experience because growing up my mom was always engaged in what activities that was going on and for that she had a good relationships with all of my teachers.
    How does continuity of care promote family engagement? community of care can promote family engagement because the Family, teacher and child can build a bond.
    In your own words, explain how the family engagement in Samantha Ellwood’s OR Dee Dee Parker’s program was:
    Reciprocal- Teacher and family communicate very well.
    Strengths-based- Family members engage very well with the teacher and also share their thoughts
    Individualized= Setting a schedule thats good for the teacher and caregiver.
    Participatory -When parents and teachers communicate the parent or teacher would not feel left out
    How will this reading help you become a better infant/ toddler professional?This will help me become a better infant/toddler professional because it is important to always have a good relationships with family

  17. The main idea of the article is to form a bond between the teacher child and parent. Having an effort to involve parents in their children’s learning while also letting the parent see how the teacher cares for the student and a insight on how the teacher is when they arent there

    As a kid my mom was always involved in my school meeting the teachers going on trips or sitting in the classroom to observe the teacher and students.

    A child with the same teacher with everyday can result in a relationship between them and the child gets comfortable with them. It engages the family in the childs move from home care to school and new people.

    Teachers and families coming together to create decisions for the child.

    Families being able to share their own ideas and to participate in the school based on the well being of their child

    If families could not attend parent hour other times were made so that they could meet with the teacher.

    Other family involvment such as check ins or letters home stating how the child is doing.

    It would help me to involve families in the childrens activities/how they are learning and set up meetings about the child learn more about the child and family

  18. 1. The main idea of the article is to personalize a bond between teacher student and parent. Creating activity’s in an effort to involve parents in their children’s learning development while also showing the parent that the teacher care for the student.

    2. “A first step after a child and family enroll in the program is to get to know the family’s needs, hopes, interests, and expectations for their child’s time with you”. I found this quote to be important because when you sign your child up for a program its good for staff to get to know what benefits the child, see what you can do to make the child and family feel more comfortable also to try to add in some of the things that the families would be interested in having their child learn.

    3. Growing up my mother was very involved in my education and it made me more comfortable around my teachers because I knew that my mother had a partnership with them.(Some stronger than others). When families have a bond and are involved in their child’s education they are able to learn better because they are comfortable and they feel safe. And if they aren’t, the caregiver and parent(s) work together to make sure they are.

    4. Continuity can support family engagement because establishing a relationship with an educator this creates a stronger bond between the child and the educator creating a stronger development process for the child.

    5. It is basically idea put together by families and teachers for the benefit of the child.

    6.Reciprocal- Families, and teachers put all their ideas together to make decisions together.

    7.Strengths-based- Families expressed their ideas and participated in Parent coffee hour

    8.Individualized- If Families were not able attend Parent coffee hour other opportunities was made so parents could get involved.

    9.Participatory- The outcome of Parent coffee hour was other family engagement opportunities such as Jumper starter and monthly meetings.

    10. How will this reading help you become a better infant/ toddler professional? I learn how important family engagement is. It has taught me ways to communicate as well as things I can do to help with the involvement of families.I plan to create a zone or corner where families can relax, enjoy treats, and communicate with other families. I also plan to be persistent when faced with difficult challenges.

  19. 1. The main idea of the article is to personalize a bond between teacher student and parent. Creating activity’s in an effort to involve parents in their children’s learning development while also showing the parent that the teacher care for the student.

    2. “A first step after a child and family enroll in the program is to get to know the family’s needs, hopes, interests, and expectations for their child’s time with you”. I found this quote to be important because when you sign your child up for a program its good for staff to get to know what benefits the child, see what you can do to make the child and family feel more comfortable also to try to add in some of the things that the families would be interested in having their child learn.

    3. Growing up my mother was very involved in my education and it made me more comfortable around my teachers because I knew that my mother had a partnership with them.(Some stronger than others). When families have a bond and are involved in their child’s education they are able to learn better because they are comfortable and they feel safe. And if they aren’t, the caregiver and parent(s) work together to make sure they are.

    4. Continuity can support family engagement because establishing a relationship with an educator this creates a stronger bond between the child and the educator creating a stronger development process for the child.

    5. It is basically idea put together by families and teachers for the benefit of the child.

    6.Reciprocal- Families, and teachers put all their ideas together to make decisions together.

    7.Strengths-based- Families expressed their ideas and participated in Parent coffee hour

    8.Individualized- If Families were not able attend Parent coffee hour other opportunities was made so parents could get involved.

    9.Participatory- The outcome of Parent coffee hour was other family engagement opportunities such as jumper starter as well meetings on a certain day of each month.

    10. How will this reading help you become a better infant/ toddler professional? I learn how important family engagement is. It has taught me ways to communicate as well as things I can do to help with the involvement of families.I plan to create a zone or corner where families can relax, enjoy treats, and communicate with other families. So in that way, multiple families can converse and create partnerships.

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