It is important for teachers to engage families in ways that develop a positive link between home and school. Using family literacy packs can create such a link. Originally designed for K-grade 2, the packs have been successfully adapted for young children of all ages. Early childhood teachers send children home with these packs, which include…

Early childhood professionals can build partnerships with families that allow them together to guide the learning and development of the children whose lives they share. In this article, the author shares a system of indicators in professional practice that might be helpful in building partnerships with families that enable the full effectiveness…

Parents' involvement in their children's education influences the children's educational success and is regarded as best practice in early childhood. A critical component in increasing parental involvement is effective collaboration between teacher and family. This involves being friendly, honest, and clear; listening and providing information;…

This article considers the story of 3-year-old Mia and her mother's request that teachers keep Mia away from messy projects. It offers an opportunity to apply the Code, with a special emphasis on its 2011 reaffirmation and update. This revision has sharpened the focus on the importance of nurturing two-way communication between teachers/caregivers…

The words "routine" and "ritual" are sometimes used interchangeably. Yet there are some important differences. Routines are repeated, predictable events that provide a foundation for the daily tasks in a child's life. Teachers can create a predictable routine in early childhood settings for infants and toddlers, and they can individualize those…

When parents are involved in school, their children's achievement improves. Children make friends more easily and are more successful learners. Children whose families participate in school activities stay in school longer and take more advanced classes. But the greatest benefit to children of a successful home-school partnership is that children…

Early childhood professionals know that good fathering has a profound impact on children. Research confirms that when fathers are involved in the lives of their children, positive outcomes can be expected; when fathers are not involved in their children's lives, more negative outcomes can be seen. Fathers can play an integral role as attachment…

Cooperative learning (CL) structures allow students to excel academically and succeed in interpersonal skills. However, during parent-teacher conferences, several parents express doubt about the effectiveness of cooperative learning techniques with children who have been identified as gifted learners (based on teachers' recommendations, followed…

In many child care programs, father involvement is still not on a par with that of mothers. For these programs, "parent" typically means "mother". There are a host of possible reasons for this difference, including fathers' work schedules, a belief that child care is a mother's domain, and fathers feeling unwelcome or out of place in the child…

In Paraguay conditions for rural children living in poverty are often difficult. At least 14% of children age 5 years and younger show moderate to severe physical stunting (UNICEF 2009). More than half of the children in primary school have repeated at least one grade by the time they complete the sixth grade. Rural families living in poverty, who…

From an early age, young children, when given the opportunity, demonstrate their interest and enthusiasm for writing. Toddlers spontaneously pick up pencils and crayons to make marks on paper, walls, and floors. Preschoolers' scribbles are indications of their growing understanding of how print and story work. Their oral stories are often…

Math is everywhere! Mathematics is "a way of describing the world--a way of thinking, knowing, and problem-solving" (Virginia's Early Childhood Development Alignment Project 2008, 83). Infants and toddlers are natural mathematicians. Even without adult support, infants and toddlers use math concepts to make sense of their world. An important role…

Families' involvement in their children's science learning at home has numerous benefits, especially when they support children's self-initiated investigations. In a position statement on parental involvement in science education, the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA 2009) stresses the role of parents in the daily reinforcement of…

This article begins with vignettes illustrating some of the concerns that parents have about relationships in child care. It may be helpful for teachers, students, and directors to reflect on the feelings of parents about relationships in child care. It may also be helpful for parents to recognize the universality of common questions of parents.…

A growing body of national research confirms that significant levels of learning and growth occur during early childhood, and that it is important, from a public policy perspective, to increase access to quality programs and services that support the development of skills and attitudes children need to succeed. Clearly, no one-size-fits-all…