This document discusses three approaches that early childhood programs can take to working with families: a parent involvement approach, a school-family partnership approach, and a family engagement approach. The family engagement approach aims to create collaborative, two-way relationships between programs and families built on mutual respect and understanding. It views both families and programs as experts and supports ongoing communication to jointly support children's learning and development.

1. CHAPTER 12
Working with Families and Communities
NAEYC Administrator Competencies Addressed in This Chapter
:
Management Knowledge and Skills
6. Family Support
·
Knowledge and application of family systems and different pare
nting styles
·
The ability to implement program practices that support familie
s of diverse cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and socio-
economic backgrounds
·
The ability to support families as valued partners in the educati
onal process
3. Staff Management and Human Relations
·
The ability to relate to staff and board members of diverse racia
l, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds
7. Marketing and Public Relations
· The ability to promote linkages with local schools
9. Oral and Written Communication
·
Knowledge of oral communication techniques, including establi
shing rapport, preparing the environment, active listening, and v
oicecontrol
·
The ability to communicate ideas effectively in a formal present
ation
Early Childhood Knowledge and Skills
6. Family and Community Relationships
·
Knowledge of the diversity of family systems, traditional, non-

2. traditional and alternative family structures, family life styles, a
nd thedynamics of family life on the development of young chil
dren
· Knowledge of socio-
cultural factors influencing contemporary families including the
impact of language, religion, poverty, race,technology, and the
media
·
Knowledge of different community resources, assistance, and su
pport available to children and families
·
Knowledge of different strategies to promote reciprocal partners
hips between home and center
·
Ability to communicate effectively with parents through written
and oral communication
·
Ability to demonstrate awareness and appreciation of different c
ultural and familial practices and customs
· Knowledge of child rearing patterns in other countries
10. Professionalism
·
Ability to make professional judgments based on the NAEYC “
Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment”
Learning Outcomes
After studying this chapter, you will be able to:
1.
Explain three approaches that programs of early care and educat
ion might take to working with families.
2.
Identify some of the benefits enjoyed by children, families, and
programs when families are engaged with the programs serving
theiryoung children.
3.
Describe some effective strategies for building trusting relations
hips with all families.

3. 4.
Identify the stakeholder groups and the kinds of expertise that s
hould be represented on programs’ advisory committees and boa
rdsof directors.
Grace’s Experience
The program that Grace directs has been an important part of th
e neighborhood for more than 20 years. She knows she is benefi
ting from thegoodwill it has earned over the years. It is respecte
d because of its tradition of high-
quality outreach projects, such as the sing-
along the childrenpresent at the senior center in the spring. The
program’s tradition of community involvement has meant that lo
cal businesses have always beenwilling to help out when asked f
or donations during the center’s annual fund-raiser.
Recent years have brought changes to the neighborhood, howeve
r. Like many communities, it is more diverse than ever before.
Grace now hearsunfamiliar languages as she runs errands before
and after school, and, for the first time, the center includes sev
eral children who are learningEnglish as their second language.
Grace is committed to maintaining the center’s important role in
the community and hopes this chapter willhelp her learn how to
develop and maintain productive relationships with all of the fa
milies who enroll their children and the neighborhoodwhere the
center makes its home.
Early childhood programs play an important role in the lives of
young children and their families. We hope this chapter will hel
p youdevelop a greater appreciation for the ways that families, p
rograms of early care and education, and communities can join f
orces to addresssome of the disparities created by race and class
and increase all young children’s access to opportunities that w
ill enhance their chancesfor success in school and beyond.
These linkages are essential—
neither families nor programs for young children exist in a vacu
um. The coordinated interface among home,school, and commun
ity creates an essential network of support that each child deser
ves (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). Program administrators,teachers, a

4. nd caregivers who spend their days with young children have th
e opportunity to create and nurture relationships with familiesth
at link them to their community’s educational opportunities; the
se include not only schools and child development centers, but a
lsolibraries, museums, and afterschool and summer programs th
at can create rich learning opportunities for all. It is our goal to
help you takethe lead in strengthening connections between you
r early childhood program and the families and communities yo
u serve (Weiss, 2014).
Even as you work to engage families with their children’s schoo
ling, they should frequently be reminded that they know their ch
ildren bestand play the most important role in their lives. Childr
en’s relationships in quality programs of early care and educatio
n can last throughouttheir early years, but the relationships betw
een children and families last a lifetime. Not surprisingly, the q
uality of these lastingrelationships is a stronger predictor of chil
dren’s development than the quantity and quality of care in earl
y childhood programs (NICHDEarly Child Care Research Netwo
rk, 1997). This is why it is so important in both the short and lo
ng term for early childhood educators toshare insights about chi
ldren’s growth and development with their families and to be su
re they have appropriate expectations for their
learning and behavior.
12.1 EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS’ LONG HISTORY O
F PARTNERING WITH FAMILIES
The field’s earliest leaders recognized that families were childre
n’s first and most influential teachers. Beginning with the pione
eringprograms of the early 1900s, early childhood educators hav
e embraced their responsibility to support families’ efforts to en
hance andensure children’s physical, social, emotional, and cog
nitive well-being.
In spite of the fact that families face different challenges today
than they did more than a century ago, many of the issues they c
onfrontremain the same. Families and early childhood professio

5. nals continue to work together with one shared goal—
to give all childrenopportunities to pursue their dreams and to a
chieve success.
Collaboration: A Crucial Element of Quality Programming
Opportunities for programs, families, and communities to work t
ogether have long been a crucial component of quality early chil
dhoodprogramming (Larner, 1996; Raab & Dunst, 1997). The th
eoretical foundation for this three-
way collaboration is based on Vygotsky’ssociocultural theory (
Vygotsky, 1978) and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theor
y of human development (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), aswell as rece
nt scholarship documenting ways that families’ participation in
their children’s education predicts their success in school andbe
yond (Weiss, 2014).
The extensive body of research demonstrating the importance of
creating school/family partnerships led the first President Bush
and thenation’s governors to identify parental1 participation as
the 8th National Education Goal and called on schools to “prom
ote partnershipsthat will increase parental involvement in promo
ting the social, emotional and academic growth of children” (Go
als 2000: Educate AmericaAct, 1994). The authors of the groun
dbreaking book Eager to Learn also emphasized the contribution
s that schools that partner withfamilies can make to children’s f
utures and recommend that “all early childhood programs build
alliances with parents to cultivate mutuallyreinforcing environm
ents for children at home and in early childhood programs” (Bo
wman, Donovan, & Burns, 2001, p. 318). Theimportance of invo
lving families in their children’s programs of early care and edu
cation is also illustrated by the wide array of professionalguidel
ines that have long included creating partnerships with families
as a key component of quality:
·
Head Start Performance Standards (Administration for Children
and Families [ACF], 2015)
·
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NA

6. EYC) Early Childhood Program Accreditation Criteria (NAEYC
, 2014),including the Program Administration Core Competenci
es
·
NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct (NAEYC, 2011a) and its Supp
lement for Program Administrators (NAEYC, 2011b)
·
These influential NAEYC position statements, some of which ar
e over 20 years old: Developmentally Appropriate Practice (NA
EYC,2009), Linguistic and Cultural Diversity (NAEYC, 1995),
Violence in the Lives of Children (NAEYC, 1993) and Early Ch
ildhood Inclusion, ajoint position statement of the Division for
Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children
and NAEYC (DEC/NAEYC,2009)
·
NAEYC’s Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparati
on Programs (NAEYC, 2009), which guide the curriculum offer
ed tostudents enrolled in associate, bachelor’s, and graduate deg
ree programs
· Infant/Toddler, Early Childhood, and School-
Age Environment Rating Scales (Harms, Clifford, & Cryer, 201
5; Harms, Cryer, & Clifford,2006; Harms, Jacobs, & White, 199
5), which are widely used measures of program quality
Application Activity
The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct (NAEYC, 2011a) (see Ap
pendix 2) and its Supplement for Early Childhood Program Adm
inistrators(NAEYC, 2011b) (see Appendix 3) provide guidance f
or programs striving to develop and maintain strong collaborati
ve relationshipswith families and communities. Working in grou
ps, discuss a difficult situation you have encountered while wor
king with families.Identify the core values involved in this situa
tion and the ideals and principles in the NAEYC Code and Admi
nistrators’ Supplementthat guide your ethical decision making.
Describe a defensible course of action that is true to these ethic
al principles.
Three Approaches to Working with Families

7. It will always be true that families are their children’s first and
most important teachers; however, today’s families often rely o
n outsideresources such as early childhood programs and school
s to help them care for and educate their young children. Bronfe
nbrenner’secological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Br
onfenbrenner, 2004) provides a framework for understanding ho
w important it is thatfamilies and programs of early care and ed
ucation develop strong and harmonious partnerships to support c
hildren’s learning, growth, anddevelopment.
Children’s family members should be warmly welcomed whenev
er they visit the center.
David Kostelnik/Pearson Education
Involving families in children’s early childhood experiences enh
ances the program’s effectiveness, is particularly important for
childrenfrom low-
income families who have encountered racial or ethnic barriers t
o their success, and has long-
lasting benefits for children andtheir families (Weiss, 2014). Fo
r example, evidence demonstrates that when families are engage
d in their children’s early schoolexperiences, children come to s
chool ready to learn (Harvard Family Research Project, 2014), a
dapt to school more successfully (Tan &Goldberg, 2009), and ar
e more likely to do well academically (Reynolds, Magnuson, &
Ou, 2010). Furthermore, when families are engagedduring the e
arly childhood years, there is a greater likelihood that they will
remain involved during their children’s elementary andsecondar
y school careers (Henrich & Blackman-
Jones, 2006). Efforts to engage families in children’s early chil
dhood experiences havebecome an even higher priority in recent
years because of schools’ commitment to serving the increasing
ly diverse populations they arewelcoming into their midst and to
ensuring all children’s success (Derman-
Sparks, LeeKeenan, & Nimmo, 2015; Halgunseth, Peterson, Star
k,& Moodie, 2009).
It is interesting to think about how recommended approaches to

8. involving families in their children’s education have shifted ove
r the years.For many years, parent involvement programs were s
een as the best way for schools to reach out to their students’ fa
milies. Thisapproach has been described as being a one-
way school-to-
family relationship, led by teachers who guide families’ efforts
to support theirchildren’s learning and development (Summer &
Summer, 2014). The success of parent involvement efforts is m
ost often measured by howoften parents volunteer in their child’
s classroom or contact their child’s teacher; or by the number of
parents who plan and participate infund-
raising projects, field trips, and class parties (Halgunseth, Peter
son, Stark, & Moodie, 2009). Parent involvement programs ofte
n expectfamilies to respond to teachers’ requests by fitting their
participation into the school’s existing programs (Summer & S
ummer, 2014). Thisapproach is now viewed as taking a deficit p
erspective because it fails to take into account families’ work sc
hedules, family responsibilities,economic constraints, or other b
arriers that may make direct involvement impractical if not imp
ossible (Souto-Manning & Swick, 2006).
Another popular approach to working with families is one that c
reates school/family partnerships (Halgunseth, Peterson, Stark,
&Moodie, 2009). This approach focuses on ways that families a
nd schools can work together on projects and initiatives that are
meaningfuland beneficial to both. These are some of the ways s
chools reach out to the families and the communities they serve:
·
Parent education. Early childhood programs assist families in th
eir efforts to create healthy homes that support children’s physi
cal,emotional, and cognitive development.
· School-to-home and home-to-
school communication. Teachers and caregivers use strategies s
uch as newsletters, conferences, phonecalls, text messages, and
email to create and maintain lines of communication between sc
hool and home.
·

9. Participation. Early childhood programs work to develop effecti
ve strategies to recruit and involve families as classroom volunt
eersand to involve them in schoolwide special events.
·
Learning at home. Early childhood programs advise families ab
out how they can create home environments that are conducive t
olearning and support children’s school success.
·
Decision making. Families are invited to participate in the progr
am’s decision making and governance through vehicles such as t
hecenter’s parent–
teacher organization (PTO) or school advisory council. Some fa
milies may become involved in advocacy activitiestargeting dec
ision-
making bodies outside of the program. They may, for example,
attend meetings of the advisory committee thatoversees child ca
re licensing, the school board or another body that oversees the
program’s operations.
· Community outreach. Early childhood programs and parent–
teacher groups can engage community members and businesses i
n theeducation of young children by soliciting their financial or
in-kind support (Epstein et al., 2002).
A third model of working with families is a family engagement
approach that strives to create a collaborative “ongoing, recipro
cal,strengths-
based partnership between families and their children’s early ch
ildhood education programs” (Halgunseth, Peterson, Stark, &M
oodie, 2009, p. 3). This approach builds on the strengths of chil
dren’s extended circle of caregivers, which can include parents,
grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles, friends, and neighbors.
The family engagement model honors America’s increased dive
rsity andintegrates the perspectives, strengths, and needs of all
children and families, their communities, and the programs that
serve them. Theseare some of the characteristics of the family e
ngagement approach:
·

10. Relationships linking children’s homes with their program of ea
rly care and education are respectful and designed to build trust.
· Ongoing, timely, and consistent two-
way communication about children’s in-school and out-of-
school experiences is initiated by bothfamilies and program pers
onnel. Programs are, to the greatest extent possible, responsive t
o the linguistic traditions of all families andare sensitive that so
me adults have low levels of literacy.
·
Both families and program personnel are viewed as experts. Fa
mily members share their knowledge by supporting classroom in
quiryand instruction, volunteering, and by participating in schoo
l events.
·
Teachers and caregivers learn about the homes and communities
of the children in their care and use this information to buildcu
rriculum, to inform instruction, and to support the program’s go
als.
·
Programs and families create goals for children collaboratively.
Families strive to create a home environment that extends learni
ngand helps their children achieve those goals.
·
Programs ensure that collaborative relationships with families a
re sustained by providing teachers and administrators with ongo
ingprofessional development. They are expected to enhance thei
r knowledge and hone their skills in supporting collaboration wi
thfamilies and communities (Halgunseth, Peterson, Stark, & Mo
odie, 2009).
Innovative programs implementing a family engagement approa
ch to working with families “represent a vision of family, schoo
l, andcommunity engagement as a shared responsibility and a co
ntinuous process that occurs wherever children learn and throug
hout theirdevelopment into young adults” (National Family, Sch
ool, and Community Engagement Working Group, 2010, p. 2). T
he competitive federalRace to the Top Early Learning Challenge

11. Grant program incentivized projects that put the spotlight on th
e importance of familyengagement by requiring states that recei
ved these federal monies to create comprehensive plans for enga
ging and supporting families(Harvard Family Research Project,
2012).
Some of the most important outcomes of well-
developed family engagement initiatives are their success reachi
ng traditionally hard-to-
engage families, thereby increasing children’s chances for succe
ss in school and beyond; their success supporting and reinforcin
g theefforts of those families already engaged; and by initiatives
designed to empower parent leaders to transform schools. Succ
ess stories comefrom low-
performing schools, including those in low-
income communities where many families’ home language is no
t English and families’educational attainment is low, in addition
to those where professional families are financially comfortabl
e and have, themselves, hadsuccessful school careers (National
Family, School, and Community Engagement Working Group, 2
010).
Teachers and families can strengthen their relationships when th
ey spend informal times together.
David Kostelnik/Pearson Education
12.2 BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF WORKING WITH FA
MILIES
It is now a generally accepted fact that children benefit when th
eir families are interested and involved in their school experienc
es. However,in spite of influential position statements; standard
s for teacher preparation; criteria for accreditation of early child
hood programs; and, insome instances, legislation requiring fam
ily–
school collaboration, the fact remains that early childhood educ
ators are apt to describeworking with families as the most dema
nding part of their job (Gibbs, 2005). Your responsibility as a p

12. rogram administrator includescreating the expectation that all st
aff cultivate positive relationships with families; nurturing a ce
nter culture that welcomes and embracesfamilies as partners in
your important work; and providing logistical support, such as
making your center available during nontraditionalevening and
weekend hours for events that engage teachers and families in w
orking together on behalf of the community’s children(Summer
& Summer 2014).
Threefold Benefits of Family–School Collaboration
Children, families, and programs of early care and education all
benefit when the home and child care program work in harmony
. Whenthey work together, children and families are supported,
benefiting from their shared purpose. If the home and school are
at odds,however, viewing each other with suspicion or casting
blame, then children’s optimal development is in jeopardy. Succ
essful partnershipsbegin with a desire to work together toward a
common goal. But collaboration is not easy and does not come
naturally. Adults must work todevelop trusting relationships and
have patience to overcome the inevitable challenges along the
way. When the connections between thehome and school are str
ong, children, families, schools and child care programs, and co
mmunities benefit, accomplishing more than anycould do if eac
h was acting alone.
Benefits for Children:
Whichever approach to working with families described earlier i
s embraced by your program, you can be assured that children ar
e at atremendous advantage when program personnel are intenti
onal about partnering with families (Daniel, 2009), when famili
es and teachersagree on what they expect children will learn and
be able to do, and when they agree on how to help children achi
eve those goals (Powell &Gerde, 2006). When operating from th
ese shared understandings, functioning as an extended family, e
arly childhood programs are at theirbest (Caldwell, 1985). Thes
e are some ways children are likely to benefit from these collab
orative efforts:
·

13. Recent demographic changes mean many children entering early
care and education are immigrants, finding their way in a newc
ulture with an unfamiliar language (Adair & Barraza, 2014; Kir
mani & Leung, 2008). Furthermore, in some instances, these cha
ngeshave impacted families’ economic stability, interrupting an
d undermining the relationships essential for families’ healthy p
sychologicaldevelopment (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 1998; Hal
gunseth, Peterson, Stark, & Moodie, 2009; Lee & Burkam, 2002
). Children benefitwhen child care programs, schools, and comm
unities provide support during these kinds of family transitions
and periods of stress.
·
Family involvement and engagement can motivate children to w
ork harder, enhance cognitive development, improve behavior, b
oostacademic achievement, support emotional development, and
increase language and problem-
solving skills. It can also decrease thechances that children will
misbehave, be referred into special education classes, be retaine
d, or eventually drop out of school (Henrich& Blackman-
Jones, 2006; Pena, 2000; Reynolds, Magnuson, & Ou, 2010; We
strich & Strobel, 2013).
·
Schools that engage the families of young children in their child
ren’s learning report improved student attendance (Dubay & Hol
la,2015).
·
When centers and families collaborate, they are more likely to s
uccessfully advocate for the evaluation of children with suspect
eddisabilities and to secure special services when they are neede
d to enhance children’s chances for success (Croft, 2010; Pena,
2000).
·
When children see their families and school personnel work tog
ether toward shared goals they are proud and are more likely tod
evelop a positive self-
image and to bring positive dispositions to their own social relat

14. ionships (Marcon, 1994; Westrich & Strobel,2013).
Benefits for Families:
Families benefit when they take advantage of opportunities to p
articipate in their children’s early childhood educational experie
nces. Theseare some of the benefits family members can enjoy:
·
Participation in their young child’s classroom and school can en
hance family members’ feelings of self-
worth, their English proficiency,and their leadership skills. It al
so makes them better informed about their children’s school and
their experiences while they are awayfrom home (Bermudez &
Marquez, 1996; Westrich & Strobel, 2013).
·
Family members benefit from observing teachers’ interactions w
ith young children. These classroom observations can increase t
heirknowledge of child development and give them opportunitie
s to see guidance techniques that are appropriate and effective
withyoung children. Family members who have spent time in th
eir young children’s classrooms have been shown to apply this k
nowledgeto interactions with their children in the home (Keyser
, 2006).
·
When family members interact with children in an early childho
od setting, they are likely to gain confidence in their own abilit
y tonurture and educate their children (Epstein, 2001; Powell, 1
989).
·
Families who have a trusting and respectful relationship with th
eir child’s teacher can leave their child with confidence. They k
nowthey have a caring partner with whom to share the joys and
challenges of parenthood and appreciate being acknowledged as
beingtheir child’s first and most important teacher (Keyser, 200
6).
·
Family members involved in targeted programs in their children
’s schools have been shown to better understand their communit

15. yschools and the important role they play in their children’s edu
cation, become motivated to encourage their children to stay in
school,and acquire ways to help their children learn both in sch
ool and at home (Keyser, 2006; National Family, School, and C
ommunityWorking Group, 2010).
·
When family members participate in their children’s programs, t
hey often form friendships and create networks of mutual suppo
rt.These friendships may present adults with educational or emp
loyment opportunities and have the potential to give the familie
s ofchildren with and without disabilities opportunities to enjoy
their children together (Derman-
Sparks & Edwards, 2010; Epstein, 2001; Powell, 1989).
Benefits for Programs:
Early childhood programs also benefit from family engagement.
These are some of the ways:
·
When families help program personnel understand their family’s
makeup and culture, caregivers and teachers are likely to moree
ffectively incorporate aspects of children’s home cultures into t
he classroom. They are likely to become more empathetic and to
bebetter able to appreciate families’ strengths (Derman-
Sparks & Edwards, 2010; Gonzalez-Mena, 2008; Gonzalez-
Mena, 2010).
·
Family members who are involved and engaged in the program a
re more likely to understand its rationale, curriculum, and teachi
ngstrategies. Designers of model programs launched in the 1960
s found that participating parents had a unique ability to explain
theprogram’s services to other parents—
they were advocates who helped the program build credibility in
their community.
·
Family members volunteering in the classroom create a smaller
adult–
child ratio, and more children can benefit from adults’ one-on-

16. one attention for activities such as lap reading. They can ease th
e teacher’s workload; can reduce discipline issues; and may mak
e itpossible for the teacher to plan activities, such as cooking or
special crafts, that require an extra pair of adult hands (Gonzal
ez-Mena,2010; Westrich & Strobel, 2013).
·
Family members can serve as classroom resources. Their special
talents and interests can make valuable contributions when chil
drenare studying particular hobbies, such as playing a musical i
nstrument or gardening. They can also help teachers when childr
en havequestions about occupations, such as being a truck drive
r, a veterinarian, or a mail carrier (Gonzalez-Mena, 2010).
·
Program directors and teachers often view family involvement a
nd engagement as a sign of respect. It enhances staff morale and
improves school unity (Epstein, 2001; Souto-
Manning, 2010; Westrich & Strobel, 2013) and can motivate sta
ff to initiate partnershipsin return.
·
Involved family members are likely to become the program’s bi
ggest boosters. This kind of positive publicity can increase enro
llmentand help promote the program’s reputation and support th
roughout the community (National Family, School, and Commu
nityWorking Group, 2010).
·
Family members can serve as program decision makers. This co
ntribution will be discussed later in this chapter.
Members of children’s families can make valuable contributions
to their classrooms.
Paul Jenkins/Pearson Education
·
Family involvement and engagement can make it possible for th
e center to comply with program requirements. For example, He
adStart Performance Standards mandate that local advisory boar
ds have parent representatives and that parents serve in the class

17. roomas paid employees, volunteers, and observers. Additionally
, federal guidelines established for programs serving children wi
thdisabilities require parents to participate in developing Family
Service Plans (FSPs) or their children’s Individual Education P
lans(IEP). If parents fail to “buy in” to these programs, program
s will not be able to meet their legislative mandates.
In spite of evidence that family involvement benefits children, f
amilies, and the programs that serve them, the fact remains that
not allfamilies are actively involved in their young children’s pr
ograms of early care and education. One reason might be that pr
ograms have notbeen successful in making all families feel welc
ome. Is the building accessible and easy to navigate? Are progra
m materials printed in alanguage all families can read? Do progr
am personnel communicate with families in their native languag
e? Does the center and itsemployees successfully reflect an appr
eciation and respect for all cultures (Derman-
Sparks & Edwards, 2010; Kirmani & Leung, 2008)?Does the pro
gram assure families that there many ways to support children’s
learning and to contribute to the school community andreflect t
heir belief that all families can make important contributions to
the program’s success (Westrich & Strobel, 2013)? Programpers
onnel also need to appreciate that families who are in crisis bec
ause of illness, homelessness, or another stress-
producing situation arelikely to be less engaged and less involve
d because they lack emotional or physical reserves. They may n
eed time and your understandinguntil their family is again on an
even keel and has emotional energy, time, and resources to bec
ome involved (Swick & Williams, 2006).
These trends highlight the fact that not all programs are doing a
good job of meeting the needs of all families. They should chall
enge thosecommitted to family engagement and involvement to
reach out in innovative ways that are likely to involve these har
d-to-
reach populationsso all children can reap the benefits of robust f
amily involvement. It is important to remember, however, that
while some families maychoose not to be involved (Bromer &

18. Weaver, 2014; Sciarra, Lynch, Adams, & Dorsey, 2016), the pro
grams serving their children should beencouraged to suggest wa
ys the center might make engagement in their children’s educati
onal experiences more feasible and attractive.
Application Activity
Describe an activity that will give families an opportunity to be
come engaged in your center. Identify how children, families, a
nd thecenter might work together in planning the activity and ho
w each might benefit. Consider how you can increase the likelih
ood thatthis activity will appeal to traditionally hard-to-
reach populations.
Challenges to Family Involvement
Differences Can Create Barriers to Family–
School Collaboration:
Families and program staff will likely bring different values and
beliefs to their interactions with young children. These differen
ces reflectthe influences of their culture, family, and personal e
xperiences and can lead to very different expectations about car
egiving, children’sbehavior and development, and the role of fa
milies in the center’s day-to-
day operations (Powell & Gerde, 2006; Souto-Manning, 2010).
Early childhood educators have a responsibility to understand th
ese differences and to work to eliminate the barriers they can cr
eate. Somelikely sources of difference you may encounter in yo
ur work follow in the next sections.
FAMILY STRUCTURE.
The children you serve are likely to have varied family structure
s. Your program will probably include children who come from
traditionalnuclear families made up of a mother, a father, and th
eir children. But America’s increasingly diverse population mea
ns the children youwork with are also likely to come from lovin
g nontraditional families. You may work with children whose pa
rents are gay, lesbian, bisexual,or transgendered; children whos
e parents are single, either by choice, as the result of death or di
vorce, a parent’s deployment, or aparent’s incarceration; grandp
arents who are children’s primary caregivers; blended families t

19. hat combine parents’ children from previousrelationships; childr
en living with foster parents; and children who have been adopt
ed into forever homes. As the program’s director, youwill set th
e tone for how the center and its teachers work with all the fami
lies you serve. It is your responsibility to clearly send the messa
gethat all children should feel proud of their family. Consider w
hat changes your center might make to be inclusive and welcomi
ng to allfamilies and ensure that all family structures are positiv
ely portrayed in classroom discussions, in books and classroom
displays, and arewarmly welcomed into the class community (Pe
ixoto da Silva, 2014). When you model inclusive, respectful atti
tudes about all families it ismore likely that they will feel suppo
rted and be more apt to fully participate in school-
sponsored events and activities (Derman-
Sparks &Edwards, 2010).
Teachers who have not had prior training or mentoring about the
importance of respecting all families may feel uncomfortable in
cludingreferences to gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender lifest
yles in the classroom. Begin by modifying your center’s forms a
nd regularnewsletters, replacing questions about, and references
to, children’s mothers and fathers with parents or families, and
in some casesreferring to adults’ partners instead of their husba
nds or wives (Peixoto da Silva, 2014). Also be mindful of how y
ou refer to the adults inchildren’s lives. Referring to them as “y
our grown-
ups” can be one way to show respect for all family structures, as
can finding out whatchildren call the significant adults in their
lives and using those terms when referring to them (Scully, Bar
bour, & Roberts-
King, 2015). Thinkabout the center’s traditions and routines. If
each class has traditionally had a room mother, change that job
description to describe theclass’s room parent. Consider celebra
ting Family Day (officially designated as the third Monday in F
ebruary in some states and Canadianprovinces) instead of Mothe
r’s or Father’s Day, and adapting finger plays and songs to inclu
de references to families with two dads or twomoms (Bower &

20. Klecka, 2009; Clay, 2004; Peixoto da Silva, 2014).
It is also the case that many early childhood educators have not
had training that guides them in welcoming families formed by
adoption(Meese, 2012). There can, for example, be issues aroun
d asking to see children’s birth certificates as part of the registr
ation process. Whilebirth certificates of children whose adoptio
ns have been finalized list the names of their forever parents, so
metimes children are legallyadopted by just one of their parents.
What’s more, before the June 2015 Supreme Court decision leg
alizing same-
sex marriages in everystate, both parents’ names may not have b
een listed when children had two moms or two dads (Fox, 2014)
. Program handbooks orregistration forms might also be uninten
tionally unwelcoming to families formed by adoption. Think ab
out how you can include questionsthat help you get to know all
the families you serve, while giving families the opportunity to
share their children’s special circumstances.Asking question suc
h as, “Who are the important people in your child’s life?” and “
What can you tell us about your family that will help usget to k
now you and care for your child?” would give families opportun
ities to provide you useful background information about theirc
hildren and family (Fox, 2014).
Also be careful to use the word adoption only in the context of a
way to form loving, forever families. When the word is used in
other ways,such as to “adopt a highway,” or “adopt a grandpare
nt” at the local senior center, it trivializes adoption and can be c
onfusing to children andupsetting to families (Fox, 2014). Reme
mber as well that children who have been adopted may not have
pictures from when they werebabies, so an activity that asks the
m for those pictures may be uncomfortable. Refer to the website
s listed at the end of this chapter foradditional information abou
t how to make your program welcoming to children who are ado
pted.
Recent years have also seen an increase in the number of grandp
arents who have become young children’s primary guardians, of
ten as aresult of a family crisis of one sort or another (Murphey,

21. Cooper, & Forry, 2013). These families are likely to have faced
stresses such asthose caused by a parent’s incarceration, substa
nce abuse, child abuse, abandonment, death or mental illness (Pi
nazo-
Hernandis &Tomplins, 2009). Grandparents are also likely to be
adjusting to their new role as parents again and may be in the
midst of navigatingthrough any number of agencies as they plan
for supporting their grandchildren financially, find suitable hou
sing, and care for children’sphysical and emotional health (Bail
ey, Letiecq, & Porterfield, 2009; Cox, 2009). They often need p
articular kinds of outreach if they are to beinvolved and engage
d in their grandchildren’s early care and education (Birckmayer,
Cohen, Jensen, & Variano, 2005).
Some family structures have been shown to create stresses that
make parental program involvement particularly difficult or put
children’sphysical, social, and emotional development at risk. F
or example, single mothers and mothers living with partners wh
o are not the child’sfather are more likely to live in stressful cir
cumstances and are less likely to be involved in their children’s
early educational experiences(Cooper, 2010). Other families fac
e stress when a parent is deployed by the military, when a famil
y member is incarcerated, or when theyface a serious illness. Sk
illful teachers can support and successfully boost the self-
confidence of adult family members encountering thesekinds of
stressful circumstances by offering a compassionate ear, by havi
ng realistic expectations about their availability to be involved,
andby suggesting opportunities to participate that give them an
experience with success while benefiting the school community.
SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS.
Children from affluent families are more likely to enjoy academ
ic success than children living in poverty, and their families are
more likely tobe involved in their early education (Cooper, 201
0). Low-
income families face many barriers that can make participating i
n their children’sschool difficult. Parents may hesitate to be inv
olved because they are not confident that they are dressed appro

22. priately to come to school,may believe that because their own e
ducation was limited they have little to offer, or may even be e
mbarrassed because they are unable toread (Kersey & Masterson
, 2009). Low-
wage workers are also more likely to have inflexible work hours
or to have jobs that require themto be at work in the early morn
ing, late at night, or on weekends. In addition, they may lack ac
cess to reliable transportation. These work-
related responsibilities may make it impossible for them to parti
cipate in events at their child’s school and may also make sched
ulingconferences with teachers difficult (Cooper, 2010).
CULTURAL DIVERSITY.
Culture reflects families’ beliefs, values, and ways of interactin
g. Children are enculturated by their families’ day-to-
day interactions. Theyare their family’s investment in the future
and are being prepared to perpetuate their culture (Christian, 20
06; Gonzalez-
Mena, 2008).Identifying culturally determined values and ways
of interacting helps you understand the families with whom you
work.
One framework for developing this understanding is to consider
the differences between low-context and high-
context cultural patterns. In low-
context cultures, the individual is valued over the group, indepe
ndence of individuals is a virtue, individuals are encouraged to
assertthemselves, individual achievement is valued, and commu
nication is verbal and precise. These characteristics usually desc
ribe WesternEuropeans and members of the mainstream, domina
nt U.S. culture.
By contrast, in high-
context groups, interdependence, as shown by reliance on the ex
tended family and the community, is valued;achievement within
cooperative groups is encouraged and rewarded; contributions t
o the group are prized; and language is likely toinclude many no
nverbal and contextual cues. These characteristics are likely to
describe individuals raised in Asian, Southern European,Latino,

23. African American, and Native American traditions (Hall, 1977)
.
Child-
rearing practices, particularly beliefs about “the right way” for
children to sleep, eat, be toilet trained, and play, reflect cultural
lydetermined expectations. In low-
context cultures, for example, even very young children sleep al
one; they are encouraged to feedthemselves at a young age, eve
n if that means Cheerios are thrown on the floor or feeding is a
messy affair. Toilet training begins whenchildren are able to get
themselves into the bathroom and handle their clothes independ
ently. Solitary play is encouraged by creatingsettings with enou
gh toys, including duplicates of popular selections, so that child
ren have access to what they want when they want it.
Children reared in high-
context cultures, on the other hand, are likely to sleep in the fa
mily bed at least during infancy, and with theirparents or siblin
gs throughout the early childhood years; are often fed by adults
until they are about age 4 (because this is seen as a way tofoster
interdependence); may be toilet trained during infancy (in part
because their families are likely to believe children should alwa
ys beheld, which gives the caregiver the opportunity to learn the
subtle signals indicating they are about to eliminate); and socia
l play may be anecessity because toys are limited and sharing is
viewed as a natural way of interacting (Freeman, 1998; Gonzale
z-Mena, 2008).
When teachers and caregivers share the culture and language of
the families they serve, home values are reinforced and the trans
ition toschool is likely to be a smooth and comfortable process.
Significant differences between families’ and caregivers’ cultur
al backgrounds may,however, create a mismatch between famili
es’ expectations and the program’s goals, curriculum content, a
dults’ interactional styles, andteaching strategies. This incongru
ity may mean that children’s and families’ strengths and compet
encies go unrecognized. Families from thenon-
dominant culture may feel overwhelmed, isolated, and alienated

24. (García, Coll, & Magnuson, 2000; Keyser, 2006; Kirmani & Leu
ng, 2008; Nagel & Wells, 2009).
Early childhood educators have an important responsibility to br
idge these cultural gaps when they occur. Culturally competent
programsinvest the time and energy needed to develop trusting r
elationships with all the families they serve (Kirmaini & Leung,
2008). They might,for example, invite families to share artifact
s and stories from their culture, infuse the cultural values and pr
actices of all participatingfamilies into their routines and progra
mming, and include children’s home language in the classroom (
Nagel & Wells, 2009). Culturallycompetent programs are able t
o negotiate cultural differences with families to help all childre
n succeed at home and in out-of-home settings(Gonzalez-
Mena, 2008).
LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY.
A child’s home language is the language of nurture, emotion, an
d care. It is a child’s link to her extended family, her family’s p
ast, and herfamily’s traditions. As America becomes more diver
se, it is increasingly likely that you will work with recent immig
rants whose families’home language is not English, and it is mo
re important than ever to find strategies for working with lingui
stically diverse children andfamilies (Adair & Barraza, 2014).
If your center includes families who are English language learne
rs, it is essential to translate program materials so that all partic
ipants haveaccess to the information they need. Interpreters are
also important so that caregivers and teachers have the opportun
ity to learn fromtheir children’s families, and families can benef
it from teachers’ and caregivers’ insights about their children’s
learning, growth, anddevelopment and receive advice about how
to enhance their children’s experiences (Adair & Barraza, 2014
). One way to reduce potentiallanguage barriers is identify mem
bers of the community who may be able to provide translation s
ervices and to help out as interpretersduring family conferences.
They can help teachers and classmates learn words and phrases
in children’s home language to create a morewelcoming environ
ment (Adair & Barraza, 2014). Another option is to use compute

25. r software to translate school–home and home–
schoolcommunications (Kirmani, 2007). When you use translati
on software, however, you need to be aware of its limitations, s
uch as inaccuracieswith verb tense or other grammatical constru
ctions. In addition, the software cannot capture nuances or accur
ately translate figures ofspeech.
The most important contribution an early childhood educator ca
n make to families whose home language is not English is to sup
port theiruse of this language of emotion and nurture while, at t
he same time, preparing their children for success in the English
-
speaking settingsthey will encounter during their school years a
nd beyond (Kirmani, 2007).
Tension between Families and Center Personnel Can Make Coll
aboration Difficult:
Collaborative efforts may also be difficult when home–
school relationships are characterized by tension or conflict. So
me family membersmay feel inhibited or even inferior around st
aff members because of their family’s structure, cultural or ling
uistic differences, or because oftheir own limited or unhappy sc
hool experiences (Christian, 2006). When communication with s
taff members is difficult, these feelings areeven more pronounce
d.
Early childhood educators who lack respect for all families may
respond negatively to differences. They may also be apt to disc
ount whatfamilies do for their children. Their attitudes may mak
e it unlikely that the families most in need of their help navigati
ng their child’seducational setting will get the support they nee
d (Souto-Manning, 2010; Swick & Williams, 2006).
Conflicts may also arise over curriculum content and teaching st
rategies. Families may expect early childhood experiences to be
structuredand academic, while the field’s accepted best practice
s put the emphasis on hands-
on authentic experiences, an integrated curriculum, andinstructi
on based on teachers’ understanding of children’s developmenta
l needs. Although both families and teachers want children toac

26. hieve, conflicts can emerge about differences of opinion about a
ppropriate academic goals (Gonzalez-
Mena, 2008; Kostelnik, Soderman, &Whiren, 2007).
Family members and staff also bring particular perspectives and
needs to their relationships. Stress may result if family member
s expectstaff to be sympathetic when they bring a mildly ill chil
d to school because they were not able to arrange alternative ba
ckup care, tounderstand that the bus can be unpredictable and m
ay make them late for afternoon pickup, and to be accommodati
ng when they are notable to pay tuition the first of the month w
hen it comes due (Galinsky, 1988). From their perspective, staff
members expect families toappreciate how physically and emoti
onally exhausting it can be to care for a group of active young c
hildren, to respect that they need toleave work on time so they c
an meet their own family and personal obligations, and to recog
nize how important it is that tuition paymentsbe made on schedu
le so the center can meet its payroll and other financial obligati
ons. These conflicting needs and expectations canundermine oth
erwise healthy and productive relationships.
The attitudes of program staff and families toward collaboration
itself may also interfere with their working together. The famil
y’s right tomake decisions about the education of their children
may be difficult for some staff members to accept, particularly i
f cultural differenceslead the teacher to believe parents are not a
dequately caring for their children (Christian, 2006). What’s mo
re, family members’ critiquingof the program’s curriculum or pe
dagogy may be seen as meddling, and professionals may resist c
hange based on the opinions ofnonprofessionals. These are some
reasons why, before the 1960s, working with parents usually to
ok the form of parent education—
theschool communicated to parents, but parents were not seen as
partners and were not involved in programmatic decision makin
g.
Interestingly, teachers’ relationships with the families of the chi
ldren they are working with are apt to change as teachers becom
e moreexperienced. In the early stages of her professional life, a

27. novice teacher is apt to view families from a deficit perspective
. Her approach maybe authoritarian or paternalistic, and she ma
y focus on “rescuing” the children she is working with because
she thinks their families are notproviding for them adequately (
Gonzalez-
Mena, 2009). With experience, teachers develop an awareness o
f the importance of workingcollaboratively with families, and c
ollaboration becomes easier.
Similarly, family members’ attitudes and actions can undermine
collaboration. Sometimes families constantly call attention to t
he program’sshortcomings or are resistant and unwilling to wor
k with the school. Some families habitually abuse the teacher’s t
ime or challenge theteacher’s expertise. These behaviors create
understandable resistance and resentment on the part of early ch
ildhood professionals and cancreate barriers to effective collabo
ration (Kraft & Snell, 1980).
These observations point to the important responsibility of the p
rogram administrator to lead novice teachers to see families as p
artners,to coach experienced teachers who may resist families’ i
nvolvement or lack the skills to effectively encourage family en
gagement, and tohelp families acknowledge teachers’ expertise
and caring.
Teachers Are Often Not Well Prepared to Work with Families:
Beginning teachers often feel ill prepared to work effectively wi
th families (Bromer & Weaver, 2014; Feeney & Sysko, 1986; Fr
eeman &Knopf, 2007). This remains the case even though stand
ards of professional preparation include the expectation that tea
chers view familiesas partners, and that they build strong school
–
home relationships to enhance children’s chances for school suc
cess.
Preservice teacher preparation programs should work to provide
students with increased authentic opportunities to work collabo
rativelywith families (Baumgartner & Buchanan, 2010; Freeman
& Knopf, 2007), and in-
service teachers should have opportunities to participatein profe

28. ssional development designed to enhance their ability to elicit f
amilies’ engagement in their young children’s education (Brown
,Knoche, Edwards, & Sheridan, 2009). In-
service staff development, including coaching and mentoring, sh
ould be designed to help staffbecome sensitive to all families’ n
eeds and to develop their abilities to communicate effectively ac
ross cultures, even when they have toengage in difficult convers
ations (Croft, 2010; Galinsky, 1987; Powell, 1989).
Meeting the Challenges of Collaboration
Although directors and staff members may experience challenge
s in working with families, it is likely that these problems can b
e overcomewhen the center intentionally embraces a family eng
agement approach. Professionals must develop an understanding
of the sources ofthese differences and show as much acceptance
for differing family views as they do for differences in children
.
Program personnel need to have positive attitudes toward worki
ng with families, including families whose structure, culture, la
nguage, orethnicity is different from their own. They also need
support in developing skills for working with diverse families a
nd may need coachingand mentoring as they practice translating
these skills into practice (Baumgartner & Buchanan, 2010). Ma
ny programs are changing theirapproach to working with familie
s. Whereas in the past, parents were expected to take the initiati
ve to participate in their children’s earlyeducation, families and
schools are now more apt to work together to identify program n
eeds as well as community resources to meetthose needs and co
ntribute to children’s success (Halgunseth, Peterson, Stark, & M
oodie, 2009). See Figure 12.1 Characteristics ofPrograms Comm
itted to Family Engagement for a summary of the concepts, skill
s, and attitudes teachers need to bring to their work withfamilie
s.
Figure 12.1
Characteristics of Programs Committed to Family Engagement
Sources: Based on Bromer & Weaver, 2014; Henrich & Blackma

29. n-Jones, 2006; Souto-Manning & Swick, 2006.
When teachers master these concepts and skills and adopt these
attitudes it is more likely they will be prepared to work successf
ully withall families.
It is also essential that the program creates realistic expectation
s for family involvement (Epstein, 2001). All families will not
want, or beable to, participate in every kind of activity. They ne
ed opportunities to be involved in many ways (Gonzalez-
Mena, 2010; Souto-
Manning,2010). The challenge is to be flexible and willing to ta
ilor opportunities to become involved so that there are options t
hat fit all families’available time, expertise, and resources.
And remember, that involving families can be a developmental
process for programs of early care and education (Epstein, 2001
). Programscommitted to making family engagement an integral
part of the program’s offerings should develop specific goals an
d objectives to measuretheir success (Daniel, 2009; Gonzalez-
Mena, 2010). The following strategies will help you build colla
borative relationships with families:
·
Develop a genuine understanding of, and a respect for, diversity
· Develop strategies that support effective two-
way communication with all the families you serve
· Learn what the families you serve want for their children
·
Learn how local agencies and organizations are involved with fa
milies and network with them to meet the needs of the families
youserve
·
Evaluate your program’s family engagement program to measur
e its success. (Christian, 2007; Daniel, 2009; Gonzalez-
Mena, 2010)
Professionals need to learn to work with “difficult” families just
as they work with “difficult” children. It is important to remem
ber that allfamilies care deeply about their children. They are li
kely to feel bewildered, vulnerable, and sensitive about problem

30. s their children mightbe having at school. If you develop a posit
ive relationship with families, you will have a storehouse of goo
d will that will make it easier forthem to accept concerns you m
ight have about children’s academic progress; physical, emotion
al, or cognitive development; or behavior(Boutte, Keepler, Tyle
r, & Terry, 1992). When teachers and caregivers have empathy f
or what families are feeling, even “difficult” families canbecom
e allies working together on children’s behalf.
12.3 CREATING TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL FA
MILIES
Most families want to be involved in their children’s program of
early care and education, but they rely on program personnel to
show themhow (Daniel, 1996; Epstein & Sanders, 1998). They
feel welcome when the program’s climate is an inclusive one th
at shows respect,empathy, and an interest in meeting families’ p
articular needs, and are more likely to be engaged if they believ
e the invitation for theirparticipation is sincere (Bang, 2009).
One way a program shows its commitment to inclusion is by hav
ing men and women who represent the diversity of the communi
ty on itsstaff. Other ways are having artifacts and furnishings th
at reflect the cultural backgrounds, linguistic traditions, and fa
mily structures ofparticipating families. Many families apprecia
te being invited into children’s classrooms to help with special
projects; read to or sing withchildren; share information about t
heir occupations and hobbies, favorite foods and celebrations, a
nd perhaps their traditional dress ortreasured artifacts from their
homes. Programs also demonstrate a commitment to family eng
agement by being responsive to families’needs, particularly thos
e of families new to the community. Recent immigrants might b
enefit, in particular, from English as a SecondLanguage (ESL) c
lasses, help understanding how your center and its classrooms a
re organized, and explanations of how your communities’public
school system operates (Bang, 2009; Gonzalez-
Mena, 2010; Kirmani & Leung, 2008; Nagel & Wells, 2009).
Helping Families Become Acquainted with Your Program

31. Families are often anxious about enrolling their children in prog
rams of early care and education for the first time. Directors can
helpreduce their fears and address their concerns by being avail
able to answer their questions and by providing them opportunit
ies to learnmore about what their children will experience while
they are in their care.
The Family’s Initial Contact with the Center:
For child care programs with continuous enrollment, a family’s
first contact may be a telephone conversation, and their first vis
it is often totour the center and perhaps to register their child. T
hese are important times of first impressions for the family and
staff alike.
When meeting a family for the first time a director should provi
de an overview of the program’s core values, mission and vision
; adescription of essential policies; and application/enrollment f
orms. She should invite families to ask questions about the cent
er and whattheir children will experiences while in its care. This
visit might also include an intake interview during which the di
rector makesobservations and asks questions to learn about the c
hild and his family (Hanhan, 2003).
An observant director can use this opportunity to learn about th
e relationship between the parent and the child, how the child re
acts tonew situations, how the parent feels about enrolling his c
hild in your program, the child’s personal history, and the paren
t’s opinions aboutthe child’s strengths and weaknesses.
If at all possible, the parent and child should be invited to obser
ve in the child’s potential classroom; to meet the classroom’s te
acher(s);and, if appropriate, to participate in classroom activitie
s. Observation and participation give the parent and child time t
o becomecomfortable in the setting and give teachers an opportu
nity to begin to form a relationship with the child and his family
.
Spring or Fall Orientation:
Prospective families often visit the center for a tour. This is a g
ood opportunity to begin to develop a trusting relationship.

32. Suzanne Clouzeau/Pearson Education
Many early childhood programs that follow a school-
year calendar have an orientation meeting for families whose ch
ildren are preparingto enroll for the first time. This meeting can
be offered in the late spring or just before the start of school in
the fall. Its purpose is toprovide an overview of the program’s
core values and mission, the services it offers, and essential poli
cies and procedures. When you arethe director, you can take thi
s opportunity to discourage families from taking an academic “s
uperbaby” approach that may extinguishchildren’s love of learni
ng; and to describe how families can contribute to their children
’s learning and development with hands-
onactivities they can do at home, such as sorting the clean laund
ry or helping with meal preparations. Families benefit from kno
wing howthese hands-
on activities, which mirror the program’s approach to curriculu
m, align with what we know about how young children learnbest
. This is also a good time to encourage families to include a stor
y in their child’s bedtime routine. In addition to sharing informa
tionabout their center, this meeting is also an excellent opportun
ity for directors to begin to establish trusting and cooperative re
lationshipsbetween families and center personnel.
These guidelines can help you ensure that this orientation makes
families enthusiastic about their children’s participation:
1.
Select the dates and times carefully. You may want to offer fam
ilies the option of daytime or evening meetings with dates both i
n thelate spring and early fall. Evenings meetings should begin
early enough for families to be home before their children’s usu
al bedtime.Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays evenings are
usually the best, but consider other community events, such as
Wednesday nightchurch services, before setting an evening date
.
2.
Send invitations with an RSVP to give you the opportunity to fo
llow up by telephone or email with families who do not respond.

33. 3. Consider this outline for your presentation:
a.
Begin on time with a warm welcome and your sincere thanks for
coming.
b.
Introduce yourself and other center personnel. Show the picture
s of any staff not able to attend in person.
c.
Indicate that the purpose of this meeting is to provide an overvi
ew of your program and to prepare for the coming school year.
d.
Very briefly describe your background, summarize the program’
s history, and express confidence and enthusiasm for the year ah
ead.
e.
Share the program’s core values and mission. A good way to ill
ustrate them is to describe how children’s typical activities alig
n with theprogram’s values and goals. For example, if you tell f
amilies that classrooms for 3- and 4-year-
olds provide water play at least once aweek, you have an opport
unity to explain how this activity supports your goals of enhanci
ng language development, fine-
motor skills,and foundational understandings of mathematics an
d science. A slide show with photographs of children actively e
ngaged in typicalclassroom activities is an effective way to help
families understand how you support children’s learning, growt
h, and development andhow their children’s days will be structu
red.
f.
Remind families that they can help their children get the most o
ut of each day by providing a healthy diet and observing a regul
arbedtime.
g.
Briefly describe how you handle meals and snacks, traffic patter
ns and drop-
off and pickup routines, supplies children need, how youcollect

34. fees, and other essential policies.
h.
Describe how your program helps families and teachers commun
icate regularly and encourage families to stay in touch with thei
rchild’s teachers.
i.
Remind families that a curriculum meeting will be planned once
school has begun in the fall. That will provide them with more
specificsabout the program’s day-to-
day operations and will give them the opportunity to visit their
children’s classrooms and to meet theirteachers.
j. Have a short question-and-
answer period, but remind families that individual questions sho
uld be addressed on a one-on-one basis.
This meeting should last no longer than an hour. When it is foll
owed by a time for socializing, families have an opportunity to
visit with oneanother and with center personnel. This is a good t
ime to offer a tour of the facility—
families always appreciate seeing where their childrenwill spen
d their days.
Curriculum Meeting and Open House:
You should schedule a curriculum meeting a few weeks after the
beginning of the school year. Plan to share center-
wide information withthe large group, and then provide time for
families to visit their children’s classrooms. It may be appropri
ate to combine the curriculummeeting with an evening open hou
se, being sensitive to the schedules and flexibility of the familie
s you serve. The following guidelines willhelp you be successfu
l:
1.
Select a date during the first weeks of school. Just as was the ca
se when planning the orientation meeting, you may find families
wouldappreciate both daytime and evening options. It would be
appropriate to offer a daytime curriculum meeting for families
unable toattend an evening open house/curriculum meeting.
2.

35. Send invitations with an RSVP to give you the opportunity to fo
llow up by telephone or email with families who do not respond.
Theinvitation should request that families bring the current fam
ily handbook with them to the meeting.
3.
An evening meeting that includes a simple family supper and ch
ild care would almost certainly ensure a good turnout.
4. Consider this outline for your presentation:
a.
Begin on time with a warm welcome and your sincere thanks for
coming. Share your enthusiasm for the coming year.
b.
Introduce yourself and other program personnel. Show pictures
of any staff not able to attend in person.
c.
Indicate that the purpose of this meeting is to share information
about your program and the year ahead. Welcome short question
s ifsomething you will be going over needs clarification, remind
ing families that you are available for one-on-
one conversations in personor via telephone or email.
d.
Share the program’s core values and mission and briefly describ
e how the program “walks the walk” as well as “talks the talk.”
e.
Restate the program’s commitment to engaging children’s famili
es and communicating with them regularly.
f.
Review the program’s policies. Point out any that are new or ha
ve been changed. Families should refer to their handbooks forsp
ecifics.
g.
Remind families about the center’s calendar, noting days the ce
nter will be closed or will dismiss early.
h.
Describe any enrichment activities like gymnastics or music cla
sses that you will be offering onsite.

36. i.
Remind families to help their children get the most out of each
day by providing a healthy diet and observing a regular bedtime
.
j.
Encourage families to call or, if appropriate, email you or their
child’s teacher anytime they have a question or comment about t
heirchild or the program.
k.
Questions from the large group should be addressed throughout
the meeting. You can ask if there are any questions at the end of
yourpresentation, but remind families that you want to leave ti
me for them to visit their children’s classroom and meet with th
eir teachers.
l.
Thank everyone for coming before you direct them to children’s
classrooms.
Figure 12.2
Sample Curriculum Meeting/Open House Invitation
Ask teachers to arrange their classrooms so families will know
how their children spend their days. They should describe the cl
assroom’sdaily schedule, arrange materials and equipment as th
ey would for children to use them, and display documentation of
what children havelearned. They should describe the center’s a
pproach to curriculum and illustrate, for example, what children
learn when playing withblocks, at the water or sand table, in th
e dramatic play center, or when they are using art materials in c
reative ways. Figure 12.2 is a SampleCurriculum Meeting/Open
House Invitation. It includes all the information families will ne
ed to feel welcomed to this event, and makes itclear that they wi
ll be home in time for children’s bedtimes.
Some families will have children in more than one classroom an
d do not want to miss out on the opportunity to visit each of the
m. This isanother way a daytime curriculum meeting can help y
ou accommodate all families’ needs. Although classroom visits

37. will be different whenthere are children present, you should be
able to free up lead teachers long enough for them to meet briefl
y with families to give them anoverview of their classroom and
get to know them better.
A Better Way
Grace’s center has always held its beginning-of-the-
year orientation at 7:00 p.m. on the Tuesday after Labor Day, an
d the openhouse/curriculum meeting four weeks later, at 7:00 p.
m. on a Tuesday in early October. Families are used to this routi
ne. It lets them havedinner with their children, and be home in t
ime for most children’s bedtime. This works well for teachers a
nd their families as well. Grace wasready to schedule these meet
ings at their usual times. She did not want to change routines to
o much as she assumed the center’s leadership.
As Grace looked over the information sheets families had submi
tted with their children’s applications, she was glad to see many
families newto the program. She also noticed that many of thes
e families’ names suggested they might be new arrivals in the c
ommunity. Class lists had,for the first time, Hispanic names, su
ch as Garcia, Ortez, and Quiñones as well as Asian names, such
as Zhaˉng, Joeng, and Uoˉng, which shewould come to learn we
re of Mandarin, Cantonese, and Vietnamese origin. These obser
vations made her realize that she needed to reach outto these fa
milies to be certain they were well informed about the program
and had all the information they needed to fit in.
Grace decided she would need to find help in the community to
translate essential information for families learning English as t
heir secondlanguage and to arrange for translators at orientation
and curriculum meetings. She set out to find these resources an
d made thecommitment to have translators attend orientation ses
sions scheduled in the morning, lunchtime, and evening, adding
additional times to becertain that all families would be able to a
ttend. It was harder to change the schedule of classroom open h
ouses, but she believed that she wasmaking progress by offering
several options for orientation and would work toward options
for curriculum meetings and classroom openhouses as well—

38. but that might have to wait for next year.
Home Visits:
Home visits are another way to orient children and families to y
our program. They have a long history in early care and educati
on and arean extremely valuable way for your program’s person
nel to learn more about the children and families you serve. Wh
en teachers visit achild’s home, they gain invaluable insights int
o the child’s community, home, and family and lay a foundation
for the creation of positiverelationships among children, famili
es, and the program. Visits to children’s homes are particularly
valuable in settings where the majorityof program personnel co
me from cultural backgrounds, and perhaps language traditions,
that differ from those of the children and familieswith whom the
y work. In these instances, home visits have been demonstrated
to make teachers more compassionate and empathetic; inshort, t
hey are more successful working with diverse populations (Lin
& Bates, 2010).
Home visits contribute to the creation of a quality program of ea
rly care and education in these additional ways:
·
Professionals are appreciated for caring enough about the child t
o visit his family.
·
Family members are likely to be more comfortable in their own
homes than at the program site. They may provide more informa
tionand discuss more of their concerns in this familiar setting.
·
Transitions into care are often easier for children whose teacher
s have visited them in their homes before their first day of scho
ol.
·
Home visits can give teachers opportunities to explain the progr
am’s goals and to conduct an intake interview. They may also pr
esentopportunities to share information about child development
and developmentally appropriate expectations.
·

39. Family members might become more engaged with their childre
n’s learning and with school activities after meeting with their c
hild’steacher in their home (Lin & Bates, 2010).
Home visits must always be prearranged so they can be planned
for a time that is convenient for the family and the teacher. Mak
e everyeffort to provide a translator if the teacher and family do
not speak the same language. The teacher should confirm the ap
pointment a dayin advance to be certain the previously schedule
d time is still convenient. It may be advisable for teachers to ma
ke home visits in pairs orfor the director to join the classroom t
eacher, particularly if there are concerns about the neighborhoo
d’s safety or if teachers areunfamiliar with the area.
Home visits should last no more than 1 hour. The first 5 to 10 m
inutes should be devoted to greetings and give teachers, family
members,and the child the opportunity to become acquainted. T
he school visitor should then plan a 20- to 30-
minute activity to do with the child inthe child’s room or anothe
r quiet place suggested by the family. That leaves 15 to 20 minu
tes for adult conversation when the teacher canlearn more about
the family, share information about the program, and answer qu
estions. It is good to have a parting ritual, such as taking aphoto
graph to display in the classroom on the first day of school or of
fering the child a small gift to support learning at home, such as
apencil, an inexpensive book, or a box of crayons (Johnston &
Mermin, 1994; Keyser, 2006).
It is possible that not all families will be comfortable inviting th
eir child’s teacher into their home. When this is the case, the tea
cher mightsuggest meeting at a nearby park, community center,
or family-friendly fast-
food restaurant where they can have the same kinds of informali
nteractions with the child and the family while learning about th
e child’s family and community. Teachers often feel unprepared
to visittheir students’ homes. They are likely to welcome staff
development on strategies to ensure successful home visits, for t
hey require carefulplanning and preparation (Lin & Bates, 2010)
.

40. Communicating with the Families of Enrolled Children
Frequent, timely, and effective communication between teachers
and caregivers and families is an essential characteristic of qua
lity earlycare and education. As the program director, it is impo
rtant to model effective communication strategies and create the
expectation thatprogram personnel will follow your lead. We k
now that it can be difficult to keep lines of communication open
with all families, but thebenefits are well worth the investment
s of time and energy. The suggestions that follow may help your
program communicate effectivelywith all families.
One way to ensure open lines of communication is to be consist
ently available. Frequent communication helps program personn
el andparents build trust. In fact, frequently communicating teac
hers and parents are more likely to respect each other than are t
eachers andparents who communicate infrequently (Kontos & D
unn, 1989). It is important to make an effort to match your com
munication style to thefamily’s linguistic, cultural, and educatio
nal background. Program personnel can do this by making effort
s to communicate in the family’sprimary language; to carefully
avoid educational jargon; and to be conscious of the messages s
ent by their body language and their use ofpersonal space, eye c
ontact, and touching (Gonzalez-Mena, 2008; Seplocha, 2004).
A cozy bench where children can read a book on their parent’s l
ap helps many children transition into care in the morning.
Suzanne Clouzeau/Pearson Education
Another strategy that supports open communication is to show i
nterest, respect, and caring for each child and family. Make ever
y effort tobegin every interaction with families by sharing some
thing positive about their child—
something new he has accomplished or an exampleof how he ha
s helped or shown consideration for a classmate. If you need to
discuss a problem or concern, describe the issue usinganecdotes
and specifics, listen to the family’s perspective, and respond in
a professional manner that will help you address the concerntog
ether (Kersey & Masterson, 2009; Pogoloff, 2004).

41. Directors can support staff members’ plans to communicate regu
larly with all families by encouraging and facilitating a variety
of ways forthem to stay in touch. Morning drop-
off and evening pickup times are often perfect for short check-
ins to share information about thechild’s health, eating and slee
ping routines, or significant events at home or at school. If chil
dren are present, it is important to include themin these convers
ations. In the morning, you might encourage parents to say some
thing such as, “I’m telling your teacher about the fun youhad on
the swing at the playground on Sunday”; afternoon pickup migh
t include a conversation such as, “Let’s tell your mother how m
uchyou enjoyed playing in the mud this morning, and how we ch
anged your clothes when we came in from the playground” (Key
ser, 2006).
Regular Communications:
Each classroom should include an area that welcomes families.
A bench or small couch is a perfect place for a family member t
o observe theprogram in action or to help his or her child transit
ion between home and school.
This is a good place for a bulletin board that provides families
with information about the classroom’s daily routines, resources
to expandon a recent topic of study, age-
specific information about child development, teachers’ request
s for specific kinds of help, invitations forfamilies to become in
volved, or information about upcoming special events. Families
appreciate seeing pictures of their children’s days.Digital camer
as make it possible to regularly show families some of the day’s
memorable events: a young infant’s toothless smile, some of at
oddler’s joyful first steps, a complex block structure, or the con
tribution of a special visitor (Reedy & McGrath, 2010). Familie
s alsoappreciate classroom and center-
wide newsletters and other vehicles that help them stay informe
d about their children’s experiences.
A bulletin board is a good addition to the family information ce
nter in the classroom.

42. David Kostelnik/Pearson Education
COMMUNICATING WITH THE FAMILIES OF INFANTS/TOD
DLERS.
When your center cares for very young children, families and ca
regivers must communicate daily. Families who will not see thei
r baby’sprimary caregiver at drop-
off time should be encouraged to provide a short note describin
g the baby’s overnight and early morningroutines to help the car
egiver meet her particular needs during the day. Caregivers sho
uld provide each family with a daily log describingthe child’s c
aregiving routines and other experiences. It is essential that thes
e logs include specifics about when an infant’s diaper waschang
ed, when and what she ate, when and for how long she slept, an
d other noteworthy happenings that families would appreciatekn
owing. Toddlers’ families should also be informed daily about t
heir child’s eating, sleeping, and toileting routines and what the
ir childenjoyed during the day. See Figure 12.3, A Daily Log fo
r Infants and Toddlers.
Figure 12.3
A Daily Log for Infants and Toddlers
COMMUNICATING WITH FAMILIES OF PRESCHOOLERS.
Parents of older children appreciate regular updates as well. The
se can be short notes about the day’s events or reminders about
anupcoming PTO meeting or a class trip. They can be put into c
hildren’s backpacks (perhaps in a special folder just for notes th
at teachers andfamilies write back and forth to each other) or po
sted on a class message board that families can read quickly wh
en they come to the centerin the afternoon. Sometimes teachers
want to share information about a particular child’s special acco
mplishment or thank families fortheir recent contribution to the
class. Parents are likely to prefer getting this kind of informatio
n in writing because it is impossible topredict what will be goin
g on during pickup time and whether the teacher will be able to
have a conversation with a parent about their child(Reedy & Mc
Grath, 2010).

43. TELEPHONE AND EMAIL CONVERSATIONS.
Teachers and caregivers should take the initiative to call all chil
dren’s families early in the school year and to make certain that
their firsttelephone conversation is a positive one. This first pho
ne call is a good time to be sure that you have the family’s prefe
rred phone numberand to find out what time of day is best for th
em to talk. For example, for some parents, a routine phone call f
rom their child’s teacher isappropriate during the workday, whil
e others can accept calls from the center during the workday onl
y in the case of an emergency. Ifteachers are willing to share th
eir personal phone number with families, this is a good time to i
ndicate when they would be available to talkas well.
Telephone or email conversations can be helpful for sharing inf
ormation throughout the year. Families might call the center or
email theteacher to provide insight into a recent event—
perhaps their child came home from school worried, was particu
larly excited about aclassroom activity, or is sad because a belo
ved pet is very sick. Teachers should phone or email to share go
od news, describing somethingtheir child has done successfully
or that he found particularly interesting, and families are likely
to appreciate a call or email to inquire howtheir child is if he ha
s been out of school for a few days or to congratulate the family
on the arrival of a new baby. Teachers might also thinka phone
call is the best way to alert families to issues that they are facin
g with a child or may find it helpful when a child has had a diffi
cultday. When based on the foundation of a trusting and positiv
e relationship, a telephone call might help prevent a small worry
from becominga major concern.
Even though almost everyone has a telephone and many use ema
il regularly, center personnel should be sensitive to the possibili
ty thatsome families do not have ready access to a telephone or
the Internet. Be alert for signs that these may not be the best wa
ys tocommunicate with some families, particularly those living i
n poverty. If families do not have a telephone, ask for the numb
er of a contactperson who could get an urgent message to the fa
mily in the case of an emergency, such as an accident or the nee

44. d to close the centerbecause of a sudden change in the weather.
NEWSLETTERS.
Newsletters give family members a vehicle for talking with thei
r children about program activities, can provide information abo
ut meetingtheir children’s development and learning needs at ho
me, and are a good way for staff and families to communicate.
These are good topics to include in your newsletters:
·
Announcements about the program, including dates for registrati
on, school closings, and other important events and deadlines
·
Information about quality books, music, toys, and Internet sites
and apps for children
· Community events for children and families
·
Reprints of articles from local papers, popular magazines, or pr
ofessional journals of interest to families with young children
·
Ideas for activities the family may enjoy during weekends or du
ring summer or school vacations
· Recipes from classroom cooking activities
· Words to favorite songs and finger plays
·
Updates on staff changes and profiles of center personnel and fa
milies
· Notes of appreciation to family and community volunteers
· The program’s plans for the future
Newsletters should be no more than two pages long. Make sure t
hey have a polished and professional appearance, but be careful
to avoidprofessional jargon. Proofread carefully for accuracy an
d clarity. Like all other written communication, newsletters sho
uld take families’reading level into account and should, if possi
ble, be provided in the primary language of each family. You ca
n find ideas and resources tohelp you prepare newsletter articles
in the parents’ sections of websites for early childhood professi
onal organizations such as NAEYC andZERO TO THREE. Publi

45. cations such as NAEYC’s Teaching Young Children and Exchan
ge magazine include handouts appropriate to share withfamilies.
These resources can make the task of preparing a regular newsl
etter easier. Newsletters can be copied or possibly emailed to yo
urfamilies. You might even be able to post them on your websit
e or Facebook page. You will need to determine the best strateg
y fordistributing this kind of information to the families you ser
ve.
Application Activity
Identify a topic that you think would be of interest to the famili
es of young children. Use an online or print resource to gatherin
formation on this topic that will be relevant and helpful. Write a
newsletter article that is three-
quarters to one page long on thistopic. Take care to have a frien
dly but professional tone and to avoid teachers’ jargon. Exchang
e your article with a classmate.Evaluate each other’s work using
the criteria above.
ACCIDENT REPORTS.
Accident reports are another kind of note that you sometimes ne
ed to write to families. Compose these notes carefully. Share all
therelevant facts, taking care to neither minimize the injury nor
alarm families about its severity. Consider the examples of acci
dent reports in Figure 12.4. Notice the difference in the OK and
NOT OK versions. It is important to share essential information
while avoiding being eitherdismissive or alarmist.
OTHER WAYS TO COMMUNICATE.
There are a number of other strategies that encourage communic
ation between families and center personnel. These are some ex
amples:
·
Interactive journals: In some programs, teachers and families “t
alk” by exchanging interactive journals when they are not able t
o checkin with each other daily. Email may be an appropriate co
mmunication tool if the families you serve have easy access to t
he Internet.
·

46. Twitter and texting: It could be that Twitter, texting, and simila
r tools are good ways to quickly communicate short messages to
thefamilies you serve. These are particularly helpful ways to ge
t the word out when unexpected situations such as severe weath
er or aplumbing emergency (such as break in a water main) mak
e it necessary for you to close the center early.
Figure 12.4
OK and NOT OK Accident Reports
·
Quick notes or emails: Notes or short email messages are effecti
ve and quick ways to communicate. These are some topics that a
regood reasons to write a short note or email:
·
Families will be delighted when you ask them to give their child
a “pat on the back” for a job well done. It is always good to be
able topass on a compliment.
·
Families appreciate thanks when they lend a helping hand. Show
ing your appreciation when families support your program build
sloyalty.
·
Families enjoy a photograph of an activity their child particularl
y enjoyed. Maybe Tyrone built an extra-
tall tower in the block centeror went down the slide alone for th
e very first time. His family would appreciate a snapshot with a
n interpretive note to share thesekinds of everyday accomplishm
ents.
·
You might create “Ask Me About” badges to let families know t
heir children have accomplished a goal or reached a milestone.
Thebadges prompt families to ask children about these importan
t events (Stamp & Groves, 1994).
·
It may be appropriate to send a card or note for children’s birth
days; however, remember that not all cultural and religioustradit

47. ions celebrate birthdays by focusing attention on the “birthday c
hild.”
·
Families are likely to appreciate a note when a family member i
s ill or is facing another hardship.
·
Program website: A website can identify the program’s goals an
d can include the family handbook, enrollment forms, menus, th
ecenter’s calendar, newsletters, information about PTO projects
and events, contact information for the director, and other infor
mationyou want available to the public. While pictures of the fa
cility may be a good addition, do not post children’s pictures to
protect theirprivacy. Consider adding a password-
protected section of the website for information for participatin
g families such as eachclassroom’s activities.
·
Videos: Families are likely to appreciate videos of special event
s and they can also contribute to marketing efforts. Again, avoid
postingany recognizable photographs of children online. It may
be best to provide families DVD copies of these videos.
· Social events: Family picnics, adult–child breakfasts or going-
home snacks, and a recognition event for volunteers help famili
es connectwith each other and nurture collaborative relationship
s between families and staff. They also help build a community
within thecenter.
Regularly Scheduled Individual Conferences:
Caregivers need to plan in-depth, one-on-
one conferences with families to share specific information and
documentation about theirchildren’s growth, development, and l
earning. Individual conferences help families understand the pro
gram, learn how their child isdeveloping, and appreciate what h
e is learning.
When your center schedules conferences early in the year, famil
y members have an opportunity to help set specific learning and
behavioralgoals for their children. These conferences may also
help avoid problems later because they lay a foundation for teac

48. hers and families towork together toward agreed-
upon goals (Neilsen & Finkelstein, 1993). It is also important to
schedule conferences periodically as the yearprogresses to revi
ew progress toward agreed-
upon goals, and also to help families and children prepare to tra
nsition from one classroomto the next or on to kindergarten.
Figure 12.5 provides a sample invitation to schedule a conferen
ce. Notice the warm tone and the many options that this teacher
offers inher invitation to schedule an individual conference.
The program director is responsible for setting the stage for suc
cessful teacher–
family conferences. She is responsible for providing theequipme
nt and materials that teachers need to document children’s learn
ing, growth, and development as well as the training and on-
sitecoaching to help them conduct individual conferences that p
rovide families in-
depth information about their children while nurturinghome–
school relationships. Teachers at many centers would benefit fro
m a staff development session designed to help them prepare for
individual conferences. These guidelines will help you plan for
that training.
GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE PARENT–
TEACHER CONFERENCES
1.
Be clear about the purpose of conferencing with families. Indivi
dual conferences with children’s family help teachers learn mor
e aboutthe children and families with whom they are working. T
hey provide opportunities to share insights and documentation d
escribingchildren’s learning, growth, and development and to w
elcome family members’ questions and information related to th
eir child’sperformance and success. They help nurture the trusti
ng relationships that link families to the program personnel who
work withtheir children on a regular basis.
2.
Intentionally invite families to participate. You want to be certa
in that all families know when they can expect individual confer

49. ences tooccur and how they will be scheduled. Some programs s
chedule conferences for all children’s families at the same times
of the year. Ifthat is the case in your center, remind families w
hen those times are approaching. Other programs, particularly t
hose with year-
roundadmissions, schedule conferences throughout the year; for
example, every 6 months on the anniversary of children’s enroll
ment. Ineither case, use your family handbook and regular news
letters, as well as the program’s website and bulletin boards, to
remindfamilies how important these meetings are, to indicate th
e kinds of information teachers will share, and to ask families to
comeprepared to ask questions and share insights about their ch
ild.
Figure 12.5
Scheduling an Individual Conference
When children do not live with both parents, include the noncus
todial parent in these regularly scheduled conferences. Rememb
er,you will want to communicate with both custodial and noncus
todial parents if both are involved in the child’s life on a regula
r basis,even if that means sending home two sets of home–
school communications or mailing or emailing materials to the n
oncustodialparent who has visitation rights. It is possible that c
onferences with parents who are separated or divorced will have
to be heldseparately, but the effort is worthwhile if it helps kee
p both parents involved in supporting their child’s learning, gro
wth, anddevelopment.
3.
Scheduling conferences mindfully. Classroom teachers should d
evelop a schedule and invite families to indicate what times wo
uld fittheir needs. When a day and time have been agreed upon,
teachers should confirm the appointment a day or two in advanc
e. Somecenters close or dismiss children early on teacher confer
ence days, others arrange coverage so teachers can meet familie
s before thecenter opens in the morning, during lunch/nap time,
and in the late afternoon or early evening. It is important that te

50. achers besensitive to individual families’ needs, however, and i
ndicate their willingness to make special accommodations for th
ose who are notable to meet at the suggested times. They might
offer to meet at a local park or community center if getting tran
sportation to thecenter could be a barrier to family members’ pa
rticipation, or to have a telephone conference if that is the best
way to ensure thefamily’s participation. Each conference should
be scheduled for at least 30 minutes, and it is wise to plan for a
break betweenappointments to give teachers time to jot down n
otes and prepare for the next family. It is important that they sta
y on schedule. Thisshows their respect for family members’ tim
e and their other commitments.
4.
Preparing carefully. Teachers who have urged families to meet
with them should prepare carefully to make their conferences go
odinvestments of everyone’s time and effort. Consider sharing t
hese guidelines to ensure success:
·
Teachers should organize children’s portfolios to serve as an ou
tline for the conference, and should have copies of appropriatea
ssessment reports to give to families. They should also note any
questions they want to ask so they do not forget them.
·
Remind teachers to be clear about whether families’ enrolled ch
ild and/or other young children can be accommodated at themee
ting. More families will be able to participate if child care is pr
ovided for conferences that are not held during school hours and
if younger siblings will be allowed attend if they can play indep
endently.
·
Consider the nonverbal messages sent by the setting as well as b
y teachers’ body language. For example, tables and chairs shoul
d beadult sized so everyone can be comfortable, and teachers sh
ould sit next to parents rather than behind a desk to create anat
mosphere of cooperation and collegiality (Lawrence-
Lightfoot, 2003).

51. ·
Provide families who arrive early with a comfortable place to w
ait. It is thoughtful to have simple refreshments and appropriate
reading material handy.
5. Conducting successful conferences.
· Greet each family member cordially by name.
·
Set a positive tone by asking parents what they are particularly
enjoying about their child at this age, and, in return, share a pos
itiveanecdote that highlights the child’s successes, growth, and
development.
·
Describe the child’s learning, growth, and development by shari
ng assessments, if appropriate, and examples of the child’s activ
itiesin the classroom. Point out the child’s strengths and accomp
lishments and then note any areas of potential future growth orc
oncern.
·
Encourage family members to ask questions, and add to their ow
n perspectives about their child’s learning, growth, anddevelop
ment.
·
Develop shared goals for the coming months. What do the famil
y and the teacher hope he will learn and be able to do by the tim
e ofthe next scheduled conference? Develop strategies for worki
ng toward these goals at home and at school. Following up on th
eseplans should be the basis for the next planned conference an
d can also help guide informal day-to-day conversations.
·
If the conference has included some difficult conversations, pro
gram personnel must take care not to blame the family, avoid pu
ttingthem on the defensive, and be careful not to react argument
atively if they encounter a difference of opinion. It is possible t
he familymay blame the teacher or the program if the child is ha
ving difficulties or believe their child is simply going through a
n age-

52. typicalstage. Family members can be especially unprepared to h
ear or accept a recommendation that the child be screened for a
suspecteddevelopmental delay or disability.
·
Invite families to participate in the classroom and explore what
kinds of involvement might be most appealing and appropriate.
·
Do not make family members feel rushed; however, in fairness t
o others who are waiting, it is important to stay on time. Ifappro
priate, invite them to make another appointment to continue the
discussion.
·
Make notes on the conference to include in the child’s folder (S
eplocha, 2004).
Sometimes older preschoolers and primary-
age children are invited to participate in at least part of their fa
mily’s conference with theirteacher. This gives them opportuniti
es to reflect on their accomplishments by selecting items to desc
ribe to their families and to join insetting goals for the future (A
lasuutari, 2014).
Application Activity
Watch the video of Kayla’s parent–
teacher conference again, taking the director’s perspective. Wha
t feedback would you give Kayla’steacher? What did she do wel
l? Do you have any suggestions for how she can improve her co
nferencing skills in the future?
Specially Called Individual Conferences:
Unlike regularly scheduled individual conferences, which occur
at planned intervals, specially called parent–
teacher conferences may beinitiated by the family, teacher or ca
regiver, or the director to address a specific issue or concern. T
he most common reasons for speciallycalled conferences are cha
llenging behaviors such as biting, aggression, uncontrolled ange
r, and an unwillingness to cooperate. Concernsabout other issue
s such as separation anxiety or shyness may, however, prompt th
e child’s family or teacher to schedule a meeting todiscuss the i