Part 1Children’s families play a critical role in their language.docx

Part 1
Children’s families play a critical role in their language and
literacy development. It is important for early childhood
teachers to establish connections with each child’s family unit
and parental figures so that the lines of communication and
mutual respect are strong (Otto, 2014, p. 382). There are so
many different ways to communicate with the families of a new
preschooler.
Ms. Shelley: Good morning, I am so excited that we have a new
friend playing with us today.
Khloe’s mom: I hope it goes well I am really nervous about
how she will do being away from me.
Ms. Shelley: I’m sure it will be a little tough at first but we
will all slide right into the routine if we let Khloe see we have
positive attitudes about it.
Khloe’s mom: I am trying, is it okay if I call and check on her
later today?
Ms. Shelley: well sure you can you have all my numbers don’t
you?
Khloe’s mom: yes I do. I also wanted to ask you if she will be
doing daily lessons or if they will just play most of the time.
Ms. Shelley: yes mam we do circle time, exercise time, story
time and ‘class’ time each day along with a lot of free play.
You will be able to follow along with our lessons either by
looking at the website or the newsletter that is mailed out. Both
will include our weekly themes, words to the finger plays and
items needed for crafts. I can also make you a copy of our
circle time cd so you can learn the songs and know what Khloe
is singing.
Khloe’s mom: oh okay that sounds cool. You know she is going
to throw a fit when I leave right? Should I just go while she
isn’t looking?
Ms. Shelley: she might be upset for a few minutes but as the
general rule they all calm down after about ten minutes or so.

And no please don’t sneak out. We need to make sure you tell
Khloe every morning that you are leaving and where you are
going and when you will be back. It is also very important that
if you tell Khloe ok ‘one more kiss’, that is only one more kiss
and then you leave, otherwise you might get manipulated into a
zillion kisses.
Khloe’s mom: ok well let’s get this over with ……Khloe come
here honey mommas going to work.
Part 2
Ethics statement for Broseley Preschool and Daycare
New situations and change can at times be unsettling for all of
us. For children it might be their first experience of separation
from the parents or care givers at home. It is common for even
the most outgoing child to be anxious the first day of school.
As a team it is our job to recognize that children need to be
supported by teachers, peers, community, family and
society. Communications are very important to us. When I
accept a new family into the center we like to be sure that we
can openly share concerns or questions that arise. If we can
work together then your child can feel secure in knowing they
have two families who love them very much. We grow to love
each child that is in our care and treasure the chance to be a part
of their lives. It is important that there is a similar childcare
philosophy between us. I will respect and help all students
excel. I will motivate students with new and inventive
applications. I will provide a safe and caring environment for
my students to learn in. I will communicate with my students
about my expectations and goals for them. I will communicate
to families about accomplishments as well as concerns I might
have regarding the children.
References:
Otto, B. (2014). Language Development in Early Childhood
Education (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Education.

CHAPTER 14 FOSTERINGLANGUAGE DEVELOPMENTTHR
OUGH SCHOOL–HOMECONNECTIONS
It was a special day at the child–parent center. Today was a
parent read-aloud day. Parents were invited to come to their
child’s preschool to read storybooks to the children. On this
particular day, five parents came. When they entered the room,
they were enthusiastically greeted by the children, and each also
received a special greeting from his or her own child. A few
minutes later, the children had selected the books they wanted
to have read and grouped themselves around each parent reader.
For the next half hour, the five parents (along with the two
teachers) read stories to the children.
Opportunities for parents to participate in their child’s
classroom, such as the read-aloud program described in the
opening vignette, are just one of the ways to foster and
encourage language development through school–home
connections.
Children’s families play a critical role in their language and
literacy development. It is important for early childhood
teachers to establish connections with each child’s family unit
and parental figures so that the lines of communication and
mutual respect are strong. The “teacher provides the bridge
from school to home” (McCaleb, 1997, p. 191). In this chapter,
specific strategies and approaches for enhancing school–home
connections will be described. Through your implementation of
these strategies and approaches, you will encourage parents and
family members to support and facilitate the language
development of their children.
The ways in which teachers invite and engage parents in
communicating with them and the school are critical to
establishing positive connections. When teachers want to
develop connections with children’s homes, they must
acknowledge and anticipate the diversity of the family units that
may be involved rather than assume that all children come from
families that are nuclear and traditional in membership. For

some children, the family unit is composed of their birth parents
and siblings. Other children’s family units may be composed of
one parent and/or one or more extended family members. Other
children may live with their grandparents or with adoptive
families. Still other children are in foster care. For the purpose
of this chapter, the term parent will refer to a primary caregiver
of a child, with the understanding that this primary caregiver
may be a birth parent, a stepparent, a foster parent, an adoptive
parent, or an aunt, an uncle, or a grandparent who has assumed
the parental role for the child. The primary caregiver role may
also be shared between two parents or other family unit adults.
GOALS FOR ESTABLISHING SCHOOL–HOME
CONNECTIONS
Establishing positive school–home connections has the potential
to significantly facilitate children’s language development and
other areas of development. Teachers should keep four general
goals in mind when establishing school–home connections:
· 1. Increasing the teacher’s/school’s awareness and
understanding of the child’s home/family environment
· 2. Establishing a learning community
· 3. Increasing parents’ awareness of their role in their child’s
language and literacy development
· 4. Increasing parents’ awareness of the classroom’s curriculum
Each of these goals contributes to the strength of school–home
connections (Lilly & Green, 2004).
382383Increasing the Teacher’s/School’s Awareness and
Understanding of the Home Environment
Children benefit from being able to make smooth transitions
each day between home and school. The key to strong school–
home relations, according to Vandergrift and Green (1992), is to
know the parents well and to have a wide variety of options for
parental involvement. When there are distinct cultural and
linguistic differences between the home and the school or when
a family experiences specific stresses (e.g., poverty,
unemployment, divorce), children’s ability to transition
smoothly between home and school may be impaired. By

becoming more familiar with the issues that your children’s
families face, you can more effectively address the needs of
children in transitioning between home and school each day.
Children must see their school and teacher as valuing and
respecting their home and family culture. Children’s self-
concepts are influenced by their perceptions that the larger
society values and respects their home cultures. When there are
significant differences in language and literacy between home
and school, the school needs to concentrate more on bringing
families into a closer relationship with the school (Diamond &
Moore, 1995). Benefits of this closer relationship with families
include children’s stronger sense of self-identity and worth
(Allen & Marotz, 1999; Lim, 2012).
Teachers’ understanding of children’s home/family cultural
environment may be reflected in their implicit judgments of
parents’ levels of competence as parents (Elicker, Noppe,
Noppe, & Fortner-Wood, 1997). Teachers need to avoid making
culturally or economically biased judgments of parental
competence based on a lack of understanding of the child’s
cultural–social home environment. They need to keep the lines
of communication open and avoid stereotypic judgments.
Teachers need to be respectful of the values and traditions of
the families in which their students live and “guard against
cultural and class arrogance” (Salinger, 1996, p. 71). Teachers
should also avoid assuming that homogeneity exists among
families of similar cultural or linguistic backgrounds because
variations among families are likely to exist (Piper, 1993;
Tutwiler, 2012).
When effective school–home communication is fostered, parents
and teachers become partners in meeting the educational needs
of children. To develop a partnership with parents, teachers
must create effective ways of communicating with the family
from the first day of attendance. School systems must develop
ways to continually involve families in the life of the school in
a wide variety of activities of varying participation.Establishing

a Learning Community
One way for you to involve families is to focus on developing a
learning community. This learning community is manifested in
your early childhood classroom and in the nature of the
relationships you establish with children’s parents and
homes. Learning communities are characterized by mutual
respect, cooperation, collaboration, and frequent, effective
communication.
383384Mutual respect.
One aspect of a learning community is mutual respect. Parents
need to be assured that their children’s teachers are
knowledgeable and compassionate. Teachers need to see parents
as competent and need to understand their cultural perspectives.
When there is frequent respectful communication with parents
and when communication serves to inform parents of activities
in their children’s classrooms, parents are more likely to see
their children’s teachers as competent and welcoming. The
availability of a translator to facilitate communication with
parents who do not speak English is also an indication that the
school respects and accepts the family’s home language. In
learning community classrooms, children are treated with
respect and are encouraged to treat each other with respect.
Two important aspects of showing mutual respect involve
observing confidentiality regarding family information and
active listening. Confidentiality should be observed with respect
to personal information about family relationships and other
family matters (Cataldo, 1983). Such information should not be
communicated to other staff or to other parents unless there are
justifiable professional reasons for sharing the information.
Actively listening to parents involves listening closely to what
they are saying and observing their nonverbal cues for
additional meaning. According to Wilson, Douville-Watson, and
Watson (1995), “Active listening involves objectively listening,
in a non-defensive way, for the deeper message [of the parent]”
and responding by giving feedback to the parent that clarifies
the parent’s message rather than judging or criticizing what the

parent just communicated (p. 46). Through a teacher’s active
listening, parents feel that their opinions, ideas, and values are
respected.Cooperation and collaboration.
Learning community classrooms emphasize learning activities
that occur in small groups (McCaleb, 1997). In these groups,
children learn how to share, how to focus on common goals, and
how to contribute to the learning task. This type of activity is
not developmentally appropriate (or manageable) in infant and
toddler classrooms or, to a certain extent, even in preschool
classrooms. However, early childhood teachers who view
cooperation and collaboration as a long-term goal for children’s
development can begin to encourage cooperation and
collaboration through encouraging sharing and showing
empathy and concern for each other.
When a partnership is created between the school/teacher and
parents, one result is often a mutual sharing of educational
goals for the children. Teachers become aware of specific
learning goals parents might have for their children and vice
versa. This partnership between school and home does not
develop overnight or even after a few months. It is a result of
long-term efforts in establishing and maintaining
communication between school and home. The school–home
relationships established when children are first enrolled in day
care, preschool, or kindergarten programs may set the tone and
expectations of the parents involved for years to come. Parents
who feel welcomed into their children’s first schools and who
experience positive communicative relationships with their
children’s first teachers are more likely to continue to be more
involved in their children’s education.Frequent communication.
Learning communities are characterized by frequent and
effective communication. In the classroom, this means that the
teacher and the children engage in frequent informal
conversations as well as instructional, more formal dialogue
that occurs during teacher-directed activities. The learning
community that encompasses school–home connections also has
regular, frequent communication with parents. It is important

that the communication occur not only from teacher to parent
but also from parent to teacher.Increasing Parents’ Awareness
of Their Role
While most parents understand their role in supporting and
caring for their children’s physical and emotional development
and well-being, they may not be fully aware of their potential
role in their children’s intellectual and language development.
Research studies have found a strong relation between the
language and literacy activities engaged in at home and
children’s subsequent emergent literacy behaviors
(Baghban, 1984; Bergin, Lancy, & Draper, 1994; Heath, 1983;
Jordan, Snow, & Porche, 2000; Nord, Lennon, Liu, &
Chandler, 1999; Taylor,1983; Teale, 1986). There is evidence
that parents should begin reading to their children in early
infancy. Allison and Watson (1994) reported that “the earlier a
parent began reading to their child, the higher the child’s
emergent reading level was at the end of kindergarten” (p. 68).
In their research, Allison and Watson noted that some parents
began reading to their children at birth.
Teachers can facilitate increasing parents’ awareness by sharing
with parents the importance of talking with their children,
listening to them, reading to them, and reading with them.
Teachers should also encourage parents to enhance children’s
conceptual development through activities at home and in the
community. Additional suggestions for supporting parent–child
activities will be introduced in a later section of this
chapter.Increasing Parents’ Awareness of Classroom Curriculum
According to Piper (1993), “parents who understand what the
teacher is doing and why are more likely to be supportive of
what happens in the classroom” (p. 298). Teachers can enhance
this awareness by communicating regularly with parents through
informal conversations, open houses, and newsletters. Specific
suggestions for these activities will be included in a later
section of this chapter.FACTORS INFLUENCING
FAMILY/PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT
In addition to being aware of the characteristics of effective

school–home relationships, teachers need to understand specific
factors that may influence whether a family or parent decides to
become involved in school–home connections. Figure
14.1 summarizes four factors that influence family/parental
involvement.
385386FIGURE 14.1 Factors Influencing Family/Parental
Involvement
Parents’ Own Experiences in School
Parents’ memories of their experiences in school often have an
impact on their level of comfort in attending school events and
teacher conferences and in participating in their child’s
classroom (Coleman & Churchill, 1997; Jalongo &
Isenberg, 2004; MacDonald, 2012). If their past experiences as
a student were positive, they are more likely to feel comfortable
at their children’s school and in monitoring their child’s
schoolwork at home. Parents who did not experience success
when they were in school may avoid contact with their child’s
teacher and school administrators because they associate school
with negative feelings of failure, inadequacy, or low self-
esteem. They may feel unable to help their children with their
homework. When required to come to school for a conference,
these parents may be defensive and uncommunicative.
Particularly if the parents lack literacy or language
competencies, it may be difficult for them to facilitate the
necessary language and literacy competencies for their
children’s development. In these instances, the classroom
teacher needs to focus on welcoming these parents so that they
feel comfortable in the school.
It may be necessary to provide for someone to act as a translator
for parent conferences with non-English-speaking parents;
however, the translator should not be an older child in the
family or an older student because that places both parents and
the student–translator in a difficult situation. The teacher needs
to help parents understand in what ways they can help their
children at home, even if they are limited in their own language

and literacy competencies.
While parents who have been successful in school usually have
a positive orientation to school–home connections, they may
also have unrealistically high expectations for their children’s
achievement, placing pressure on their children to perform, be
“above average,” and even be “gifted.” In these instances, the
classroom teacher needs to share with parents developmentally
appropriate expectations and emphasize the importance of
facilitating children’s enthusiasm for learning and their
curiosity rather than simply their performance of rote
information or attainment of high achievement.Cultural
Diversity
As cultural diversity increases in classrooms, teachers become
more aware of the different cultural orientations that influence
parents’ involvement in their children’s education and
interactions with teachers. Differences between home culture
and 386387school may become evident in several areas, such as
holiday celebrations, discipline, timelines, or interpersonal
mannerisms such as handshaking or touching (Jalongo &
Isenberg, 2004). In some cultures, the school and its teachers
are highly regarded as the experts; this orientation may
discourage parents from “interfering” with teachers because
education is thought to be the sole responsibility of the school.
Parents with this orientation may also feel that all learning, or
“schoolwork,” should be done at school, under the supervision
of the teacher. In these situations, teachers need to work more
closely with parents so they understand the school curriculum
and their role in enhancing their child’s learning at home.
Teachers should clearly establish the learning community
partnership with parents in this regard rather than send parents
the message that they must be “instructed” by the school and
teacher as to what they need to do as parents.
Participation by parents of different cultures in school–home
relationships is also influenced by the parents’ perception of the
school’s and teacher’s attitude toward their home language or
dialect. Specifically, is the home language or dialect viewed as

a deficit or as an asset? Will the school and their children’s
teachers pressure their children to assimilate mainstream
American (i.e., White, middle class) culture (Piper, 1993)?
Parents’ participation is also influenced by their perception of
how the school and teacher respond to instances of racism that
may occur, in the form of name calling, bullying, or social
rejection.
Parents’ Work Obligations
The work schedule of parents and family obligations may make
it difficult or impossible for parents to be available for daytime
classroom visits and conferences. Thus, teachers should not
assume that the parents’ absence at a conference or classroom
visit means that the parents are not interested in the educational
progress of their children. It may mean that they are just unable
to leave work at the scheduled time or have responsibilities for
caring for other family members. The classroom teacher should
provide parents with alternative times or ways to conference
about their children’s progress or to visit the classroom.Parents’
Perceptions of Available Opportunities for Involvement
Parents’ decisions to be involved in their children’s school are
related to their own perception of the available opportunities to
become involved (Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler, 1997; Hornby &
Lafaele, 2011). If the only opportunities for involvement
conflict with their work schedule or if the opportunities require
a substantial time commitment, parents may decide that such
involvement is not possible. Parents’ perceptions of their own
capabilities and talents are also a factor. For example, if their
child’s teacher is asking for parents to come to class to read
stories to the whole class, some parents may not see themselves
as having the literacy and speaking skills needed to feel
comfortable in this role. For these reasons, teachers must offer a
wide range of opportunities for parents to participate in school–
home connections.
387388OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPATION AND
INVOLVEMENT
All opportunities for participation and involvement contribute

toward strong school–home connections. The wider the range of
opportunities, the more likely a greater number of parents will
be able to fit some school involvement into their busy
schedules.Types of Interaction in School–Home Connections
School–home connections involve three types of interactions.
The first type is social participation of parents at the school
through informal conversations with teachers, visiting the
classroom, attending school events, or a combination of these.
The second type of interaction occurs when parents engage in
at-home learning activities that support the school curriculum.
The third type of interaction occurs when parents participate in
classroom activities, assisting the teacher in conducting specific
learning experiences.
These types of interactions represent a continuum of involving
parents from minimal involvement in social events to at-home
activities supporting the curriculum and their child’s learning to
direct and active involvement in classroom learning activities.
While this is a continuum, teachers should avoid expecting or
assuming that involvement of parents in the classroom learning
activities is the ultimate goal of establishing school–home
connections. Instead, the main goal of establishing positive
school–home connections is the enhanced learning and
development of children. Furthermore, longitudinal research
suggests that individualized connections—one-on-one
relationships between the teacher and parent—may be more
beneficial than focusing only on establishing parent
involvement through group activities of parents (Seitz &
Apfel, 1994; Seitz, Rosenbaum, & Apfel, 1985, cited in
Powell, 1998).
ENCOURAGING PARENTS TO COME TO SCHOOL
When parents are encouraged to visit the school or classroom,
they become more familiar with their children’s teachers and
the classroom curriculum.Informal Conversations and Social
Events
The initial step in creating a partnership with parents is to
encourage parents to come to the school and to attend school

events. At early childhood centers and most kindergarten
classrooms, teachers and parents are in daily contact as parents
bring their children into the school and pick them up at the end
of the day. In these daily contacts, teachers can communicate in
an informal way with parents, sharing information with parents
about their children, the curriculum, and other important news.
388389
A teacher’s greetings to parents should be enthusiastic and
friendly but brief because the teacher must usually greet many
individuals. These brief conversations with parents are a good
time to mention classroom projects or other events. When time
permits, a teacher can also mention the purpose of such
activities so that the parents are aware of the educational value
or focus in the activities and can continue the focus at home.
For example, “Today, we’re taking the children on a walk to the
park. We’re going to be talking about color words.” Parents
might then talk with their children at home (or on the way
home) about different colors.
If it is necessary to discuss a child’s problematic behavior or
developmental issues, it is important to set up a private
conference. It is inappropriate to discuss a child’s personal
situation within hearing of other parents or school personnel
who may be nearby. In this way, you are showing parents that
you respect their family’s and child’s privacy.
Parent–teacher rapport is also enhanced when teachers can
provide the opportunity for parents to visit the classroom for a
longer time. This may take the form of a parents’ day or
parents’ night where parents participate in learning activities
with their children. Such participation is critical to parents’
understanding of the process of learning and their child’s active
involvement in classroom learning activities. During these
classroom visits, there are no “conferences” regarding student
performance or development because the purpose of the
classroom visit is simply to become more familiar with the
curriculum, the children’s daily activities, and their child’s
teachers. Some early childhood classrooms call these events

“Bring Your Family to School,” with the children serving as
“tour guides” for their guests.
Other school events, such as student performances in music or
drama, provide ways in which parents can be encouraged to
come to school and be part of the school community. To
encourage parent attendance, it is important that these events be
held when parents are not working and that all members of the
family and extended family be made welcome.
When teachers greet parents from families in which English is
not the primary language, they must keep in mind that face-to-
face communication may be the most difficult form of
communication for these parents. Face-to-face communication
requires that a response be formulated quickly, which in turn
requires a high level of language fluency (Tabors, 1997). Thus,
teachers should carefully word their questions and comments to
parents to facilitate comprehension and encourage conversation.
Teachers who take the time to learn the social greetings of
another language, such as “Hello. How are you?” and “I’m glad
to see you,” enhance their rapport with parents. Parents who
speak a different language will see the teacher’s willingness to
learn some of their language as an indication that their language
and culture are accepted and valued. (See Appendix for basic
greetings and expressions in different languages.)
Open Houses
The purpose of a school’s open house is for all classrooms to
share with parents the activities and content of the curriculum.
Some open houses involve only classroom displays; others
include a short, formal presentation by the classroom teacher on
the 389390rationale or purpose of various aspects of the
curriculum. Teachers should focus on explaining the process of
learning as well as the products that come from the processes.
At this time, teachers can also emphasize the role that language
contributes to lifelong learning and the role of oral language in
the development of literacy competencies.
Open houses are not a time to focus on the specific difficulties
of individual children. The focus of teacher–parent

conversations should be on the positive aspects of children’s
participation in the classroom. Any children’s work that is
displayed should not have grades or evaluative comments or
marks. Many teachers have found that parents enjoy having a
guest book to sign and being given the opportunity to leave a
note for their child in the child’s cubby or desk. Children are
delighted to find a note from their parents the following day.
Some schools encourage children to attend the open house with
their parents and serve as guides, explaining the displayed
schoolwork and activity centers. To facilitate this experience,
open houses may be scheduled to give each family time and
space to see all aspects of the learning environment.Conferences
Several times a year, teachers set up specific times to meet with
parents to discuss their children’s progress. At the initial
conference, teachers should focus on establishing positive
rapport with the parents as this first meeting sets the tone for
future communication (Diss & Buckley, 2005). In addition,
teachers should encourage parents to do most of the talking at
this first conference. This will give teachers a chance to learn
parents’ perspectives on school and their child.
If parents do not understand English sufficiently, a translator
must be present. If possible, the translator should be another
educator and not an older student or older sibling in the family
because confidentiality is an issue in conducting individual
conferences (Swiniarski, Breitborde, & Murphy, 1999).
During subsequent conferences, teachers share with parents
descriptions of students’ performance or examples of their
work, explaining how the work was evaluated. The focus is on
children’s strengths and achievements, along with areas in
which growth and development are needed. Parents should be
asked for their interpretations of what teachers shared with them
and how it corresponds with their children’s behavior and
performance at home. Teachers then need to describe to parents
what they can do at home to enhance their children’s learning,
keeping in mind that parents may have time constraints or may
be limited in their own literacy and language skills. Teachers

should not overwhelm parents with extensive lists of what
should be done at home but should instead focus on a few
possible activities that parents and their children can engage in,
such as those described in this chapter, in the section “At-Home
Learning Activities,” and in Figure 14.2. If a parent requests
additional information, the teacher should conscientiously
follow up the conference by contacting the parent with the
requested information.
When a teacher is concerned about the learning difficulties a
child may have, an important first step is to document those
situations through the use of anecdotal 390391records and work
samples or other informal, performance-based measures. Before
approaching parents with a request for further testing or
referral, the teacher should also ask other teachers in similar
classrooms or support professionals to unobtrusively observe
the child’s learning interactions in the classroom. The
classroom teacher should also consider possible curricular or
program modifications to determine whether that alone might
address the learning difficulty.
FIGURE 14.2 Tips for Parents in Supporting Children’s
Learning at Home
Other Ways of Communicating with Parents
In addition to face-to-face contact with parents as they visit
your classroom and school for open house, conferences, and
special events, you can also communicate with parents via
newsletters, home visits, and telephone calls or
email.Newsletters.
The purpose of sending home a biweekly or bimonthly
newsletter is to share with parents news from your classroom or
school. A newsletter may contain information about school
policies and upcoming events and an overview of curriculum
and general child development (Bundy, 1991). Newsletters
should be kept short, only one or two pages, and be reader
friendly. DeMelendez and Ostertag (1997) offered four
guidelines:

· 1. Use simple, clear language
· 2. Avoid using figurative language when parents represent
different linguistic or cultural backgrounds
· 3. Use attractive, colorful paper
· 4. Organize the newsletter with clear headlines and sections
The tone of the newsletter should be conversational rather than
academic. It is also useful to consider using a bulleted format
instead of paragraphs. Professional jargon should be avoided.
Form letters from commercially prepared curricula or books
should also be avoided because such letters are impersonal and
will not enhance school–home communication. When
newsletters focus on upcoming curriculum or related events,
parents are encouraged to reinforce the curriculum through their
family’s visits to the local library, area museums, or other
family activities, such as picking apples, traveling, and doing
home projects. In linguistically diverse classrooms, newsletters
should be made available in other languages for homes in which
English is not read.
Newsletters should be shared with children in the classroom
prior to being sent home (Salinger, 1996). This sharing offers
several benefits. Children become aware of the basic
information in the newsletter so they know why it is being sent
home. This also encourages the older children to read or
“emergent read” the newsletter. Children are also more likely to
encourage their parents to read the newsletter if they know what
information it contains.Home visits.
Some early childhood programs have found home visits a
beneficial way to establish school–home connections
(Bundy, 1991; Diss & Buckley, 2005; Wolfgang &
Wolfgang, 1992). Others have experienced resistance from
families who considered such visits an invasion of privacy
(Maxim, 1993). Successful home visits focus on the opportunity
for the teacher to introduce herself to the child and parent in the
familiar surroundings of the family home. The visit should last
only 15 to 20 minutes and, if possible, should be scheduled

within the two-week period prior to the child’s first attendance
in the school/center. The visit should clearly focus on becoming
socially acquainted with the child and parent. No personal
questions should be asked of the parent about the family or the
child. Instead, the teacher should share with the child and
parent information about herself or her classroom and planned
learning activities, such as “We’re going to read stories about
animals and then plan our trip to the zoo.”Telephone calls and
email.
Teachers need to let parents know how to contact them at the
school. Many school systems have phone-message or email
systems that allow parents to leave messages for their teachers,
indicating the best time to reach them. It is important for
teachers, then, to respond to parents’ questions or messages as
promptly as possible. Teachers may make introductory
telephone calls to parents early in the school year to establish
communication with each family (Berger, 2004). These calls
should be short and positive, focusing on introducing the
teacher and classroom curriculum. While sending return email
messages may be a very convenient way of responding to
parents, face-to-face conversations or live telephone
conversations are more effective when an extended conversation
or dialogue is needed.
When teachers contact parents who may not be fluent in
English, they need to realize that phone conversations may be a
difficult form of communication for the parent. This is because
the entire communication takes place auditorily and lacks the
comprehension-enhancing nonverbal communication that takes
place face to face, involving gestures, facial expression, body
language, and other aspects of the conversational context.
Telephone conversations also involve an instant response, which
requires a higher level of language fluency. For this reason,
teachers may find face-to-face conversations more effective
with parents whose primary language is not English. In
addition, it is much easier to include the services of a translator
in a face-to-face conversation than in a telephone conversation.

AT-HOME LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Parents’ conversations with their children from birth on
significantly affect their children’s development of language, as
do their literacy-related interactions with their children at home
and in their community (Pappano, 2008). While teachers may
encourage parents to engage in specific at-home learning
activities with their children, it is important that parents not be
overwhelmed with a long list of “should do” activities. Much of
the success of at-home activities depends on the parent’s
appropriate selection and implementation of the activities. If a
given activity is not developmentally appropriate for the child,
it will not benefit the child and may even negatively impact
future learning or development. A relaxed, playful atmosphere
is critical for at-home activities. Teachers also need to
recognize the importance of including extended family members
in opportunities for at-home activities (Au, 1993).
The focus of this section will be on the general ways in which
parents can be encouraged to facilitate language and literacy
development throughout the early childhood years. These
general ways involve three basic communicative processes:
conversations, modeling, and collaborative sharing. In each of
these processes, parents are focusing on their children’s
individual zone of proximal development and providing the
supportive scaffolding needed for development. (See Figure
14.3 for a list of recommended resources that provide more
specific activities and experiences.)Conversations
Parents of young children can facilitate their children’s
language development through the informal conversations that
occur each day while doing errands or while riding in the car or
on a bus (Nardi, 1992–93) or while engaged in activities at
home, such as gardening, preparing food, eating together, or
caring for a pet. Storybook sharing provides not only
opportunity to develop an awareness of books but a context for
talking about illustrations and using language to share ideas and
stories. These conversations provide critical experiences for
children in learning how to communicate. Researchers have

documented connection between parents’ conversations with
their young children and later emergent reading and writing
(Hart & Risley, 1995). Through the patterns of interaction, such
as eye contact and shared reference, verbal mapping,
questioning, linguistic scaffolding, mediation, adult-to-child
speech, children’s language development is facilitated and
encouraged. Children benefit from these conversational
opportunities at home because the conversational topics are
based on prior experiences shared with family members, and
conversations can be longer and involve more “turns” than
conversations in a classroom setting.FIGURE
14.3 Recommended References for At-Home Language/Literacy
Activities
Conversations in non-native-English-speaking families.
Cultural factors sometimes influence parents’ conversations
with young children. The “good behavior” standard in some
cultures does not encourage children to initiate conversations or
to ask questions (Pappano, 2008). Parents may also be
concerned that their children learn English and speak only
English when talking with them; however, because the parents
are not fluent in English, their language interactions are limited
in vocabulary and complex grammar (Espinosa, 2008). Instead,
parents should provide opportunities for their children to
continue to develop competencies using their home language in
singing, reading, telling stories, and conducting conversations
in their everyday activities. A strong foundation in their first
language provides a foundation for learning a second
language.Suggestions for parents.
When you are talking with parents about the importance of
engaging their children in conversations, you need to take into
consideration the developmental level of the children’s
language (e.g., the one-word stage, the telegraphic stage) and
the interaction strategies that are most appropriate for that
developmental level. Some basic ideas for parents in enhancing
conversations with their children include the following:

Conversations about books and shared reading enhance
children’s developing language competencies.
· • Start a conversation with your child by establishing eye
contact and shared reference.
· • Wait for your child to take a turn, responding to what you
have said.
· • Listen actively and patiently as your child talks or responds
nonverbally.
· • Use language that your child will comprehend.
· • Respond to your child’s questions and interests.
· • Use gestures and pointing to add meaning to your speech.
· • Encourage child-initiated conversations by responding to
your child’s spontaneous comments and questions.
Top of Form
Modeling
Parents show children how language is used every day as
children accompany them on their errands and around their
homes (Hannon, 1992). For example, children may see their
parents using oral language to ask for information, to tell
stories, to 395396make appointments, or to find and purchase
particular products. Similarly, children see their parents using
print in the environment as they engage in reading to locate
information in the telephone book, place an order at a
restaurant, worship in religious ceremonies, locate a particular
store in a shopping mall, follow a recipe, or assemble a
bookshelf. When parents use writing, they are showing their
children the way to produce written messages. Children may see
their parents paying a bill by writing a check, writing a message
in a greeting card, filling out a job application, using a word
processing program on a computer, or making a shopping lis
When parents include their young children in literacy-related
events, they are modeling ways of interacting with written
language.Collaborative Sharing

When parents and children collaborate in a particular activity, a
supportive scaffold is often created that provides further
facilitation of language development. For example, when
parents share storybooks with their children, children can be
encouraged to participate in the story reading at their own level,
perhaps through conversations about the illustrations, echo
reading, or pretend reading. Sharing cooking tasks while
following a recipe demonstrates the value of written language.
Shared tasks also provide an opportunity for parent and child to
engage in focused conversations on the task at hand, whether it
be planting a garden, cleaning out a cupboard, washing a car, or
making the list for weekly grocery shopping. While the shared
task needs to be developmentally appropriate for the child, the
critical aspect is the sharing and joint focus of the conversation
between parent and child.
In two areas of family life, the collaborative sharing process
may not always occur: watching television and using a
computer. Both activities can be engaged in individually and
inherently foster verbal passivity. Without parental monitoring,
these activities can gradually dominate home life. Some parents
find that watching television is an easy way to occupy young
children’s attention. This is dangerous because television is not
interactive. Similarly, in some homes, using the computer may
be an individual activity. This is especially true in homes where
parents have provided a computer for their child’s room.
However, parents can facilitate language development at home
through encouraging a more interactive approach to television
watching and computer use in several ways.
Shared tasks, such as carving a pumpkin, provide rich
opportunities for conversation and vocabulary development.
Parents can use the many informative and entertaining programs
on television as the focus of extended conversations and related
activities. A particular television program might be followed up
with a trip to the library or a museum, along with reading or

writing activities. By monitoring what children are watching
and even watching television with them, parents can use
television as a starting point for a wide range of language-
facilitating activities.
Parents can encourage a more interactive approach to using a
computer by purchasing software that encourages joint
participation of two or more people and by locating the
computer in the room where family members gather for shared
activities. Similarly, parents can facilitate language
development by engaging their children in conversations based
on information obtained through the software or through
Internet sites. Related reading and writing activities can focus
on a topic initially explored via the computer.
Not all parents can respond to teachers’ encouragements to
engage in at-home learning activities. Although computer use at
home is increasing, many families do not have access to
computers at home due to financial limitations or personal
choice. Likewise, in some homes, few literacy-related materials
are present. Allington and Cunningham (1996) reminded
teachers that “all parents cannot read to their children” (p. 5),
and some may struggle daily to physically care for their
children in providing sufficient food, clothing, and housing.
Allington and Cunningham also contended that the school
curriculum needs to be developed and implemented in such a
way that, when parental education and resources are lacking,
children will not be placed further at risk. Thus, while at-home
learning activities can facilitate language development, teachers
need to acknowledge the realities some parents face and take
them into consideration when developing the classroom
curriculum and establishing school–home connections.IN-
CLASS PARTICIPATION
Benefits from parents’ in-class participation include the
parents’ learning about classroom activities and the teacher’s
receiving some assistance in conducting activities. In some
instances, the presence of their parents increases children’s
feelings of social confidence and comfort in the classroom

(Tabors, 1997).
In some respects, in-class participation by parents is the highest
level of parent involvement because it may involve a significant
commitment in terms of time and talent. That said, teachers
should avoid selectively paying more attention to parents who
participate in classroom activities. Parents are quick to pick up
on verbal and nonverbal cues that reflect a sense of respect,
favoritism, or lack of respect from the teacher. With the
increasing demands of work and other commitments, teachers
may find few parents who are able to become involved in
classroom activities. For those parents who can make the
commitment to participate in their child’s classroom learning
activities, a wide variety of potential ways to become involved
are available.
When encouraging parents to become involved, teachers need to
share with parents the following types of information regarding
their involvement: frequency of participation, opportunity for
orientation and specialized training, special
talents 398399needed, and specific responsibilities. Some
teachers have found it valuable to prepare brief descriptions of
the specific volunteer assignments and to plan for volunteer
orientations and training (Pryor, 1995).
Parents who make a commitment to participate in classroom
activities on a regular basis, such as one or more times a week,
might be invited to assist students in one of the classroom
learning centers, work with individual students at the classroom
computer, assist the librarian in helping students locate
storybooks, and read books to children as they visit the library
area.
Parents who are limited to participating in the classroom
activities on an occasional basis might be invited to assist with
a holiday party, chaperone a class field trip, assist with class
plays or puppet shows, give a book talk, demonstrate a
particular craft or skill, or read stories to children on an
individual or group basis.CHARACTERISTICS OF
SUCCESSFUL PARENT PROGRAMS

Parent involvement refers to the wide range of possible avenues
for participation in the school classroom, from parents attending
social events and informal parent–teacher conversations to
facilitating learning at home to becoming involved in classroom
learning activities. In contrast, parent programs involve more
specific arrangements and detailed organization. In many
instances, specific parent programs have a strong “parental
education” component and may even be mandated by the
particular early childhood program, such as federal, state, or
grant-funded programs (e.g., Head Start, Child–Parent Centers,
or EvenStart at-risk early childhood programs). Enrollment of
children in these programs may require a specific level of
involvement from their parents.
Successful programs have these characteristics in common:
· 1. A range of clearly communicated and organized
opportunities encourages parent participation and
involvement. Early in the year, parents are given information on
the ways in which they can become involved in their child’s
classroom and the opportunities they will have to participate in
social events and interactions with their child’s teacher and
school.
· 2. All levels of parent participation and involvement are
valued. Parents are welcomed warmly and respectfully, whether
to attend an open house, parent conference, or potluck supper.
· 3. Teachers are sensitive to parents’ needs and life
situations. Special events for parents and families are scheduled
to accommodate as much as possible their individual time
constraints and life situations. Translators are arranged for
parents who lack fluency in English. 399400Younger children
are welcomed, or babysitting services are provided to facilitate
parental participation or attendance at scheduled parent
meetings or conferences.
· 4. Teachers foster an atmosphere of mutual respect (Morrow &
Young, 1995; St. George, 2010). Parents are treated with
respect for their cultural background and individually as
partners in the classroom’s learning community.

· 5. Parents are part of the planning and decision-making
process (Galen, 1991; Rasinski, 1995). When possible, parents
are included in the planning and decision-making process
regarding parent involvement activities through the involvement
of the school’s parent–teacher organization, local school
council, or other parent-based group.
EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL–HOME
CONNECTIONS
One successful parent program that was implemented in an
inner-city child–parent center involved inviting parents to visit
their child’s preschool classroom once a month for an hour-long
group “read-in” (Otto & Johnson, 1996). Parents who came
selected a book from the classroom library, sat down in a child-
sized chair, and were quickly joined by one or more children
ready for the book sharing. The classroom had a large collection
of big books, which facilitated enjoyment of the parents’
reading by a group of several children. The classroom teachers
also participated in the read-in. This program incorporated a
classroom lending library and recognition for children who took
books home to share with their families. Parents took turns in
the classroom, helping to check books in and out. Some of the
parents decided that it would be good to have special book bags
for children to use and made arrangements to make a book bag
for each child. Most parents went on to personalize their child’s
book bag with additional decorations or their child’s name. The
classroom teachers noted an increased interest in taking books
home to read and also observed children’s excitement and pride
when their parents came to participate in the read-in.
Project EASE (Early Access to Success in Education; Jordan et
al., 2000) included opportunities for parents to become involved
in book-related activities with their kindergarten children at
school every week. In addition, parent education sessions were
held. Parents engaged their children at home in book sharing
activities. The purpose of this program was to increase language
and literacy interactions that would enhance language
development. Follow-up studies of the children involved in

Project EASE documented significant gains in vocabulary, story
comprehension, and story sequencing.
Teachers can also collaborate with school librarians and
administrators to offer family literacy events.
Chance 2010 describes a collaborative program that
involved 400401teachers and a librarian along with strong
administrative support. This program welcomed siblings and
extended family members to daytime and evening literacy-
related activities. Storybook read-aloud techniques were
demonstrated by the teachers and librarian in two groups; one
for Spanish-speaking parents and one for English-speaking
parents. Then families participated in four different activities
some of which were closely related to the read-aloud books.
Refreshments followed. In addition, families were encouraged
to visit the school library to check out books each
Friday.SUMMARY
The classroom teacher plays a critical role in establishing and
maintaining positive school–home connections. While parent
involvement and communication may be encouraged in many
ways, each teacher needs to find out what works best for the
families represented in his classroom. Throughout these efforts,
it is important for the classroom teacher to focus on establishing
mutual respect with parents and providing an opportunity for a
wide range of activities that facilitate school–home
communication. When this is done, everyone benefits—the
children, their parents, their teachers, and the school.
Top of Form
Top of Form
Unit 9 DB – Step-by-Step Instructions / APA Info -- Please
Read BEFORE Responding -- Thanks! :o)
CE320 – Unit 9 DB – Step-by-Step Instructions / APA Info
THERE ARE TWO (2) SEPARATE COMPONENTS TOTHE
UNIT 9 DISCUSSION. PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!Part
1: Describe a care-as-worry scenario that you may experience in

the parents that release the care of their child to you. Provide
information in your scenario that describes how you will
alleviate the parents worry through strategies that promote
home to school connections. Please use references from you
research.
What does this mean? What should I do?
1. Complete all of the unit readings (textbook plus two library
articles).
2. Using information from your readings, present a
scenario(SCENE = dialogue)in which parents are reluctant to
release their child’s care to you as an EC provider.(HINT
HINT: Think first day of preschool or kindergarten!)
3. Explain to your parents how you will maintain ongoing
communication with them regarding their child and his/her
progress and any concerns that might arise. Include all the
ways they may contact you and the various strategies you will
use to communicate with them.
4. Use information from the unit readings to support your
explanations.(See Unit 9 References below)
Part 2:Compose your own ethical statement concerning the
communication between the school and home.
What does this mean? What should I do?
1. Review Chapter 14 of your textbook.
2. An ethics statement is one “that sets clear expectations and
principles to guide practice and inspire professional excellence”
(New York State Education Department [NYSED], 2011).
3. Create your own ethical statement for your future
program/classroom that will guide your school-to-home
communication practices.
4. Use information from the unit readings to support your
statements. (See Unit 9 References below)
EXAMPLES of ethics statements (NOT focused on
communication): [Click to open]
NYSED Code of EthicsNAEYC Code of Ethical ConductStudent
Parent Teacher Contract Weekly Requirements forEVERYDB:
After you have completed the reading,

and without reviewing your classmates’ responses, post your
initial response to the discussion.
Your post should be at least 200 – 250 words in
length (not including a repetition of the questions) and should
extend the discussion of the group supported by your course
materials and/or other appropriate resources (i.e., in-text
citations as illustrated by the Prof. each week, see below).
After you have submitted your initial post, take time to
review your classmates’ responses and to respond specifically
and substantially to at least two of them. Refer to the
Discussion Rubric in your Syllabus (as well as your gradebook
feedback from previous units) for specific grading explanation.
References
Manen, M. (2000). Moral Language and Pedagogical
Experience. Journal of Curriculum Studies,
32(2), 315–327.
Otto, B. (2014). Language Development in Early Childhood
Education (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Education.
Zeece, P., & Wallace, B. (2009). Books and Good Stuff: A
Strategy for Building School to Home Literacy
Connections. Early Childhood Education Journal, 37(1), 35–42.
In-text Citations as follows:
(Manen, 2000)
Direct quotations: “Yada yada yada” (Manen, 2000, p.
320).
(Otto, 2014)
Direct quotations: “That’s what I said” (Otto, 2014, p.
104).
(Zeece & Wallace,
2009)
Direct quotations: “Blah blah blah” (Zeece & Wallace,
2009, p. 40).
Ethics Statement Examples / Info(SHOULD NOT BE USED IN

YOUR RESPONSE):
References
Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Academy. (2015). Student,
Parent, Teacher Contract. Retrieved from
http://www.mhrca-
nyc.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_1173273/File/Documents/Stur
geon/student%20parent%20teacher%20contract.pdf
National Association for the Education of Young Children.
(2011). Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment.
Retrieved from
http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/image/public_policy/Ethics%2
0Position%20Statement2011_09202013update.pdf
New York State Education Department. (2015). New York State
Code of Ethics for Educators. Retrieved from
http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/resteachers/codeofethics.ht
ml#statement
Sho

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