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…

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;…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

Preschool and kindergarten classes in the United States are entering a time of unprecedented diversity and demographic transformation. Teachers must plan and implement a curriculum that reflects, supports, and values the varieties of cultural backgrounds, religious affiliations, socioeconomic classes, and language groups that children represent.…

The research is clear that a family's involvement in their child's early education improves outcomes in areas such as the child's language, self-help, social, and motor skills. The more frequent the contact between home and school, the more the child benefits. While traditional forms of home-school partnerships (for example, parents participating…

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…

The author describes a parent art program, how it works, and ways to implement it. She emphasizes the strengths of parent programs as a way to support and enrich existing arts education, not as a replacement. Hansen describes the art kit--the adult's teaching resource--and the basic four-part process: presentation, demonstration, an art activity,…

Family involvement is an essential factor in U.S. schools, especially in the education of young children. The parents' role is critical in early childhood education, because moving from home to school is a major transition for children and families. Research supports the benefits of family involvement for children's future academic achievement,…

In this article, the author presents a discussion regarding the sharing of decision making regarding curriculum in preschool. The preschool where she teaches is housed in a diverse, faith-based elementary school in the heart of Grand Rapids, Michigan, a midsize, midwestern city. It offers full-day, half-day, and two-and-a-half-hour preschool…