1 Parent Presentation Misty McGregor ECE497L Child Development Capstone Course Katherine Palichuk June 22, 2015

2 Lincoln Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization Pre-K Development Presentation Home of the Gators

3 Period of Development Focusing on Pre-K, we will address children ages 4-5. During this period of development children should meet several milestones including:  Standing on one foot, swinging, climbing  Copy triangles and other geometric patterns  Print some letters  Speak sentences of more than five words  Say name and address  Count ten or more objects  Name at least four colors  Be able to distinguish fantasy from reality (healthychildren.org, 2015)

4 Role of Child Development Professional It is my privilege as your child’s teacher, to ensure that your child gets the best quality education possible. It is our goal to work diligently with your child to prepare them for kindergarten by helping them reach all of their developmental milestones and goals. It is also our goal that each child receive the same quality education regardless of any special needs that they may have, and to provide each child with a clean, safe, and educational environment for them to grow and learn. It is also our goal to work with families and the community to extend learning beyond the classroom, and help provide the best quality of life for your child.

5 Main Ideas of this Presentation:  How to create and sustain partnerships with families and the community.  How these partnerships influence the learning and development of children.

6 How to Create and Sustain Partnerships with Families:  Family and school staff members need time to get to know one another, plan how they will work together to increase student learning, and carry out their plans.  Communication is the foundation. Plan strategies that accommodate the varied language and cultural needs as well as lifestyles and work schedules of school staff and families.  There is no “one size fits all” approach to partnerships. Build on what works well. Begin the school-family partnership by identifying, with families, the strengths, interests, and needs of families, students, and the school staff, and design strategies that respond to identified strengths, interests, and needs. (United States Department of Education, 1997)  Make sure to reassess the partnership periodically, this will allow school staff and parents to address any new needs or concerns they may have so that adjustments can be made in the best interest of the child.

7 How to Create and Sustain Partnerships with the Community:  The school should reach out to the community to find organizations and businesses that can make a positive difference in a child’s life. Examples: YMCA, Social Services, art programs, and youth museums.  Communication is key to make sure that all parties involved have the same goals and guidelines to achieve those goals.  The school needs to allow opportunities for volunteers to come into the school, both parents and community members/organizations, to share time, knowledge, and resources that can be beneficial to the school program and the students.

8 How these partnerships influence the learning and development of children: Parent, family, and community involvement in education correlates with higher academic performance and school improvement. When schools, parents, families, and communities work together to support learning, students tend to earn higher grades, attend school more regularly, stay in school longer, and enroll in higher level programs. The evidence holds true for students at both elementary and secondary level, regardless of the parent’s education, family income, or background- and the research shows parent involvement affects minority students’ academic achievement across all races (NEA, 2008).

9 Bronfenbrenner’s Mesosystem The Mesosystem encompasses connections between Microsystems, such as home, school, neighborhood, and child care center (Berk, 2013). Example: A child’s academic progress depends not just on activities that take place in classrooms but also on parent involvement in school life and on the extent to which academic learning is carried over into the home (Berk, 2013).

10 Epstein’s Types of Involvement: Joyce Epstein of Johns Hopkins University has developed a framework for defining six different types of parent involvement. This framework assists educators in developing school and family partnership programs. "There are many reasons for developing school, family, and community partnerships," she writes. "The main reason to create such partnerships is to help all youngsters succeed in school and in later life.“ (San Diego State University, 2015)

11 Epstein’s Types of Involvement Parenting: Parenting: Help all families establish home environments to support children as students. By doing this parents and teachers can work on the same level helping children stay on track with lessons and helping to meet milestones. It is important for the community to set up family support programs to assist families with health, nutrition, and other services. The school can work with parents with educational programs such as GED classes and family literacy programs (San Diego State University, 2015).

12 Epstein’s Types of Involvement Communicating: Communicating: Design effective forms of school-to-home and home-to-school communications about school programs and children’s progress. This not only keeps parents informed but allows them to see what areas they can be working with the child on at home. Teachers should have conferences with every parent at least once a year. And make sure regular communication is kept through notices, memos, phone calls, newsletters, and other communications (San Diego State University, 2015).

13 Epstein’s Types of Involvement Volunteering: Volunteering: This is recruiting and organizing parent help and support. Parents can volunteer in the classroom or for field trips or community activities, this allows them to help with their child’s development by being a part of the process. The school can send out annual postcard surveys to parents to identify all available talents, times, and locations of volunteers. (San Diego State University, 2015)

14 Epstein’s Types of Involvement Learning at Home: Learning at Home: Provide information and ideas to families about how to help students at home with homework and other curriculum-related activities, decisions, and planning. Families should be encouraged by the school to participate in setting student goals. Families should be given information on required skills for students in all subjects and areas. (San Diego State University, 2015).

15 Epstein’s Types of Involvement Decision Making: Decision Making: Include parents in school decisions, developing parent leaders and representatives. Parent leaders and representatives help relay to the school facility any concerns they have about programs and activities. The school should have active PTA/PTO or parent organizations, advisory councils, or committees for parent leadership and participation.

16 Epstein’s Types of Involvement Collaborating with Community: Collaborating with Community: Identify and integrate resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning and development. Families should be given information for students and families on community health, cultural, recreational, social support, and other programs or services. Perform service to the community by students, families, and schools. For example: recycling, art, music, drama, and other activities possibly for the elderly and others. (San Diego State University, 2015).

17 Conclusion: The old proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” has never been more true. Having the school work with parents and the community, allows for more opportunities for children to grow, learn, development, and meet milestones. We look forward to working with you to enhance your child’s future and education.

18 References: Berk, L. E. (2013).Child development. (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Healthychildren.org. (2015). Developmental Milestones: 4 to 5 year olds. Retrieved from: stages/preschool/Pages/Developmental-Milestones-4-to-5- Year-Olds.aspx National Education Association. (2008). Parent, Family, Community Involvement in Education. Retrieved from: San Diego State University. (2015). Parent Involvement. Retrieved from: United States Department of Education. (1997). Family Involvement in Children’s Education. Retrieved from: www2.ed.gov/pubs/FamInvolve/execsumm.html