Jaime Dickerson ECE 497 PARENT PRESENTATION ASSIGNMENT Welcome

Jaime Dickerson ECE 497 PARENT PRESENTATION ASSIGNMENT

Welcome LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FAMILIES!!

AGENDA v Presentation’s main focus v Presenter's Introduction v Family & Community Partnerships v Mesosystem Explanation v Involvement: Epstein’s Types of Involvement v Questions, Suggestions or Concerns v References

EARLY CHILDHOOD MIDDLE CHILDHOOD Children ages 2 to 6 years: “Motor skills are refined, children become more selfcontrolled and selfsufficient, make-believe play blossoms, thought and language expand children establish ties with peers” (Berk, 2013, pgs. 56) Children ages 6 to 11 years: “Master new responsibilities, improved athletic abilities, participation in organized games with rules, mastery of fundamental reading, writing, & math, and advances in understanding the self, morality, and friendship” (Berk, 2013, p. 6).

PRESENTER’S ROLE As a child development professional, my role is to help equip and support parents/families with key elements to help enrich their child’s overall development. Also, my role is to advocate on behalf of children, families, schools and the community to establish positive partnerships amongst one another to help build and strengthen the child’s overall development.

FAMILY & COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS Ø Why? Ø “Parents who are in frequent contact with the school send a message to their child about the value of education, model constructive solutions to academic problems, and promote wise educational decisions” (Berk, 2013, p. 647).

FAMILY PARTNERSHIPS According to an Education World article, Parents and Teachers Working Together, it states, “Communication is an essential ingredient in parent involvement” (www. educationworld. com).

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS “Community supports (good schools, convenient and affordable health care and social services, libraries, and recreation centers) foster both parents’ and children’s well being” (Berk, 2013, p. 11).

CREATING & SUSTAINING PARTNERSHIPS Parents can: Ø Ø Ø “Keep tabs on their child’s progress” “Communicate often with the teachers” Ensure that the child is enrolled in challenging, well-taught classes” (Berk, 2013, p. 647).

CREATING & SUSTAINING PARTNERSHIPS Community involvement can “teach important social skills, such as cooperation, leadership, and contributing to others’ welfare. Also, children gain self-reliance, selfesteem, and community commitment” (Berk, 2013, p. 11)

URIE BRONFENHENNER Ø Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System Ø “Views the child as developing within a complex system of relationships affected by multiple levels of the surrounding environment” (Berk, 2013, p. 26).

MESOSYSTEM “This level of Bronfenhenner’s model is the connection between microsystems (home, school, nieghborhood & child care centers). Each layer of the environment joins with the others to powerfully affect development” (Berk, 2013, p. 26 -27).

EPSTIEN’S TYPES OF INVOLVEMENT Epstein’s Types of Involvement gives an overview along with suggestions on how parents and teachers can become involved in a child’s learning inside the classroom as well as at home. This source also gives practice samples, challenges that may occur and results that should be expected.

TYPE 1 : PARENTING • Influence on child’s learning & development: • • • “Awareness of family supervision; respect for parents. Positive personal qualities, habits, beliefs, and values, as taught by family. Balance between time spent on chores, on other activities, and on homework” (Epstein, J. (n. d. ). • Schools & Communities could: • Offer free Spanish and English classes to parents where the hours are convenient for the parents and dinner & child care is offered by the school during these classes.

TYPE 2: COMMUNICATING • Influence on child’s learning & development: • • • “Understanding of school policies on behavior, attendance, and other areas of student conduct. Informed decisions about courses and programs. Awareness of own role in partnerships, serving as courier and communicator” (Epstein, J. (n. d. ). • Schools & Communities could: • The local community businesses could supply agendas for each student to be used as a communication tool between parents & teachers to be sent home and returned to school each day. The parents and teachers could write/read notes to/from one another pertaining to the child.

TYPE 3: VOLUNTEERING • Influence on child’s learning & development: • • • “Skill in communicating with adults. Increased learning of skills that receive tutoring or targeted attention from volunteers. Awareness of many skills, talents, occupations, and contributions of parent and other volunteers” (Epstein, J. (n. d. ). • Schools could: • Establish a Parent Committee of Volunteers to help with Parent, Teacher & Associates Meetings, volunteering their time in the classrooms or volunteering their expertise in a certain area (ie. coaching an after school sport).

TYPE 4: LEARNING AT HOME • Influence on child’s learning & development: • • • “Gains in skills, abilities, and test scores linked to homework and classwork. Homework completion. Positive attitude toward schoolwork. View of parents as more similar to teacher and of home as more similar to school. Self-concept of ability as learner” (Epstein, J. (n. d. ). • Schools could: • Provide weekly calendars with activities parents could do with their child. Each month the children will return the forms and the classes with the most activity days completed for the month will be rewarded.

TYPE 5: DECISION MAKING • Influence on child’s learning & development: • • • “Awareness of representation of families in school decisions. Understanding that student rights are protected. Specific benefits linked to policies enacted by parent organizations and experienced by students” (Epstein, J. (n. d. ). • Schools could: • Establish an PTO/PTA organization that includes parents, faculty and community organization leaders.

TYPE 6: COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITY • Influence on child’s learning & development: • • • “Increased skills and talents through enriched curricular and extracurricular experiences. Awareness of careers and of options for future education and work. Specific benefits linked to programs, services, resources, and opportunities that connect students with community” (Epstein, J. (n. d. ). • Communities could: • The local clinic could offer free eye exams and hearing test for the children onsite at the school.

Questions, Suggestions and Concerns…

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!

REFERENCES Education World. Parents and Teachers Working Together. Retrieved form http: //www. educationworld. com/a_curr/profdev 124. shtml Berk, L. E. (2013). Child Development. (9 th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Epstein, J. (n. d. ). Epstein's framework of six types of involvement. Retrieved from http: //www. unicef. org/lac/Joyce_L. _Epstein_s_Framew ork_of_Six_Types_of_Involvement(2). pdf