THE I MPORTANCE OF THE PARENT AND SCHOOL

CONNECTI ON FOR THE OPTI MUM GROWTH AND

DEVELOPMENT OF CHI LDREN.
BY: SHONTA CHANEY

Mission Statement


I will empower myself with knowledge,
except change, demonstrate love and
respect, and with the community I will
advocate for families to best serve every
child entrusted into my care and guidance.
As IDEA states I will ensure that
children with disabilities receive a high
quality, free and appropriate education.


Lincoln Elementary School is located in Gilbert, Arizona. Gilbert is a relatively large
city with a strong sense of family and community. We serve children from Pre-K
through sixth grade. We understand that children go through different periods of
development.
The text states children
in the early childhood
stage are age 2-6 years
old they have become
longer and leaner, motor
skills are refined, and
children become more
self-controlled and self-
sufficient.
The text states children
in the middle childhood
age 6-11 years old learn
about the wider world
and master new
responsibilities that
increasingly resemble
those they will perform
as adults.
As a child development
professional, I wear
many hats. I will strive
to provide a safe and
healthy environment for
my children. I will
organize activities and
implement curricula
that stimulates
childrens physical,
emotional, intellectual,
and social growth, while
at the same time is age
appropriate. I will
recruit parent
volunteers to work with
children and program
planning. My overall
objective is to be able to
relate well with my
children and families.
A childs academic progress
depends not just on activities
that take place in the
classroom but also on parent
involvement in school life
and on the extent to which
academic learning is carried
over into the home (Gershoff
& Aber, 2006).

Urie Bronfrenbrenner, a
noted psychologist, stated
that environment shapes a
childs development. He
proposed an ecological
model that describes
environment as multilayered
from the setting in which a
person participates such as
family, school, church, and
teams, relationships with in
these groups, and
experiences in other social
settings such as media,
neighbors, and social
agencies to shared beliefs
and values of ones culture
(Bronfenbrenner, 1979).

Epsteins six types of
Involvement

The framework of six
types of involvement
helps educators develop
more comprehensive
programs of school-
family-community
partnerships.

Each type of
involvement includes
many different practices
of partnership. Each
type has particular
challenges that must be
met in order to involve
all families, and each
type requires
redefinitions of some
basic principles of
involvement. Finally,
each type leads to
different results for
students, families, and
teachers
TYPE 1--PARENTING
Assist families with parenting and child-rearing
skills, understanding child and adolescent
development, and setting home conditions that
support children as students at each age and grade
level. Assist schools in understanding families.
Influences a childs learning and development by
Giving children awareness of family supervision and caring
Contributing to a childs sense of competence and self worth.
Developing of positive personal qualities, habits, beliefs,
values, taught by the family (Barge, J., & Loges, W., 2003).

TYPE 2--COMMUNICATING
Communicate with families about school programs
and student progress through effective school-to-
home and home-to-school communications.
Influences a childs learning and development by
Benefiting when there is a unified approach and awareness
about their education.
Developing better sensitivity to the respective roles of school
and home and the expectations each has of the other (Barge,
J., & Loges, W., 2003).

TYPE 3--VOLUNTEERING
Improve recruitment, training, work, and schedules
to involve families as volunteers and audiences at the
school or in other locations to support students and
school programs.
Influences a childs learning and development by
Gaining skills in communicating with adults
Increasing awareness of skills and talents from a variety of
adults
Developing greater understanding between generations
Receiving more individual attention (Barge, J., & Loges, W.,
2003).

TYPE 4--LEARNING AT HOME
Involve families with their children in learning
activities at home, including homework and other
curriculum-linked activities and decisions.
Influences a childs learning and development by
Improving communication with parents
Causing higher achievement
Increasing motivation and commitment to school studies
Increasing more support from parents in educational decisions
(Epstein, J., 2008).

TYPE 5--DECISION MAKING
Include families as participants in school decisions,
governance, and advocacy through PTA/PTO, school
councils, committees, and other parent
organizations.
Influences a childs learning and development by
Making them aware of the representation of parents in school
decisions.
Helping them understanding that their rights are protected.
Incorporating benefits linked to policies enacted by parent
organizations and experienced by students (Epstein, J., 2008).

TYPE 6--COLLABORATING WITH THE
COMMUNITY
Coordinate resources and services for families, students,
and the school with businesses, agencies, and other
groups, and provide services to the community.
Influences a childs learning and development by
Increasing skills and talents through enriched curricular and
curricular experiences.
Making them aware of careers and options for future education and
work.
Incorporating pride in community and in personal service to the
community.
Adding specific benefits linked to programs, services, resources and
opportunities that connect students with the community (Epstein, J.,
2008).
Here at Lincoln Elementary we support second
language learners
The key to helping
second language learners
is to provide a
supportive,
nonthreatening, and
language-rich
environment. Language
emerges naturally in
such an environment.
Home school and community connection
Connections among the home,
school, and community create
continuity and ease transitions
for young children and their
families. These connections
should exist at the beginning of
a childs life and should
continue throughout early
childhood (through age eight).
Home, school, and community
partnerships support
continuity. Partnerships are
central in a small number of
demonstration programs that
have successfully provided
continuity and smoothed
transitions during early
childhood.

Diversity training and the
necessary self-reflection and
persistent engagement with
arising issues that follow can
result in equitable education
opportunities for students
and significant personal and
professional growth for
educators.
Educators who understand
culture can help students
develop a positive self-
concept by providing
knowledge about the
histories, cultures, and
contributions of diverse
groups. Thus, schooling has
the potential to lay the
foundation for eliminating all
forms of discrimination and
intolerance.
References
Barge, J., & Loges, W. (2003). Parent, student, and teacher
perceptions of parental involvement. Journal of Applied
Communication Research, 31(2), 140-163.

Berk, L. E. (2013).Child development. (9th ed.). Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson.

Epstein, J. (2008). Improving family and community
involvement in secondary schools. Education Digest, 73(6), 9-
12.

Epstein, J.L., Coates, L., Salinas, K.C., Sanders, .G., & Simon,
B.S. (1997). School, Family, and Community Partnerships:
Your Handbook for Action. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin
Press.


Questions