Strengthening Developmentally Appropriate

Programs Through Family Engagement

By : Yanett Cristina Munguia
Changing Nature of Family Engaging in Early Education
★ Accumulated research ★ Texas Early Childhood Program Standards Comparison Tool:
indicates families http://thssco.uth.tmc.edu/ComparisonTool/Home.aspx
involvement in
children’s programs is Provides other states standards relating to other organizations.
critical to the
educational success of
children (Daniel, 2009;
LIM, 2012). ★ The notion of parents or
other family engagement
★ Resulting in the accreditation in children’s education is
standards considering
necessary components of high
not new.
quality early childhood
programs (NAEYC, 2007) for
children from birth to age five.
(Kostelnik, 2015, p. 230.)
 ★ DOD Military
Child Care and
★ Texas Rising Star Effectiveness
Provider Certification Rating and
Guidelines__ Centers improvement
System (U.S. ★ National AfterSchool
(TWC)
Department of Association-Council on
Defense). Accreditation (NAA COA).

★ Head Start/Early Head Start

Program Performance Standards

★ National Accreditation Commission

(NAC -Association for Early Learning

Sample Standards
Leaders).

(Kostelnik, 2015, p. 230.)

 Types of Family Engagement (Kostelnik, 2015, p. 230.)

★ Type 1: Parenting
★ Type 2:Communicating
★ Type 3: Volunteering
★ Type 4: Learning at Home
★ Type 5: Decision Making
★ Type 6: Collaborating with
the Community (Kostelnik, 2015, p. (Kostelnik,
2015, p. 230.)230.) (Kostelnik, 2015, p. 230.)
 ★ Assuming that programs only seek
★ Family members are families assistance for fundraising.
unsure of what to do
to become involved.
★ Family members may feel they are intruding when
visiting the program.

Barriers to Family Engagement

★ The may feel like
★ Family members may feel like they are only being asked they do not have
to do minimal tasks and may have a lot more to offer. meaningful
contributions or
skills to assist.

(Kostelnik, 2015, p. 230.)

 ★ Interests
★ Collaborative ★ Fears
engagements are ★ Eating Habits
developed when ★ Family Experiences
families and ★ Home discipline
teachers recognize
each others
importance in the
child’s life.

Effective Family Engagement

★ Memory
★ Teachers can provide family members with equally ★ Favorite Activities
useful and important information (Driscoll & Nagel, ★ Leadership
2008). ★ Interactions with
peers

(Kostelnik, 2015).
 ★ Showing you truly care about each child ★ Variety

★ Treat parents and other family members as individuals.

★ Establishing relationships
★ Intensity

Effective Strategies
★ Make a personal connection with families ★ Show genuine interest in family members by listening
carefully and responding.
★ Honor family confidentiality
★ Be courteous to family members.
★ Individualism

★ Share control with families (Kostelnik, 2015).

 Communication with Families

★ Create an email to use with the family, try to establish a

positive basis for communication by calling families and
introducing yourself.
★ Share something you have learned about the child that is
short and sweet.

★ Have consent from the family to share information and

images of the children and their work.

★ Continue seeking and reaching out to the families of

(Kostelnik, 2015).
children that are unresponsive.
 ★ Create surveys for the family to fill out, to allow you more
information about them.
★ Ask about family structure,
child rearing, family
★ Provide tips and information for parents to have access culture, and prefered
to resources at the site. methods of
communication.

Communication
★ Tailor information
to meet each
families needs
★ Collaborate with family members when it comes time to
make choices about the children’s education.

★ Family interests
★ Create more opportunities
to involve the families in
the classroom activities.

(Kostelnik, 2015).
 Ask for Families
FeedBack ★ Develop written material to display around the classroom
to demonstrate your desire to include all families in your
★ Ask families to provide their
educational school structure.
opinions on the program.
★ Maintain families informed at all
times.

(Kostelnik, 2015).
 Home- Program Communication
★ A program handbook
★ A video of program activities
★ Orientation meetings
★ Home-visits
★ Newsletters
★ Bulletin boards
★ Program visits and program observation by family
members.
★ Educational programs for families
★ Web pages
★ Social events for families
★ Articles sent home
★ Family teacher forums

Kostelnik, 2015).
★ Families and Schools Together (FAST) is a social ecological strategy universally used
to invite parents to study and attend any of the eight weekly multi-family group
sessions offered after school (Dr.Tracey, 2015).
★ The Bornlearning Academy (BLA is a school based family engagement program focused
on the notion that families are to come to the table with knowledge and skills to
support children’s learning by building on topics or skills that are already being
implemented (Jaesook 2016). The goal is to increase parents or caregivers
understanding of their in children’s education process and positive experience.
★ Approximately 40 states throughout the U.S. have created legislations in place to
promote professional development in family engagement in school districts (Ferrara
2017).
★ The essentiality of family involvement in school processing is evident due to vast
directives embedded in the federal mandates, professional standards for teachers and
administrators, parent organizers, and advocacy groups are more strict about
enforcing family involvement (Bridgie 2016).
★ Remember to end things on a positive note
★ Collaborate on future goals and strategies
★ Clarify on discusion
★ Follow up on any strategies discussed

Kostelnik, 2015).
 Source Citation
★ Bridgie A. Ford, A., Shernavaz Vakil, A., & Rachel J. Boit, A. (2016). Family engagement within inclusive settings. Emerald

group publishing limited. doi:10.1108/S0270.

★ Dr Tracey, B., & Lynn, M. (2015). A social ecological, relationship-based strategy for parent involvement: families and schools

together (FAST). Journal of children’s services, (3), 218. doi:10.1108/ JCS-07-2015-0025.

★ Ferrara, M. (2017). Understanding family engagement through the focus of the national standards for family-school

Partnerships: secondary preservice teachers’ perspectives. School Community Journal, 27(2), 145-166.

★ Jaesook L. Gilbert, A., Helene Arbouet Harte, A., & Lenore J. Kinne,a (2016). Born Learning academy: a school-based program

for strengthening families with children under age five. Emerald group publishing limited. dio:10.1108/S0270.

★ Kostelnik, M., Rupiper, M., Soderman, A., Whiren, A. (2015).

Developmentally appropriate curriculum best practices in early childhood education. New Jersey : Pearson.