Adrienne Tullos

Babs Crane

ECD 108

December 1, 2016

Family Engagement Plan

The family I was assigned is a Caucasian family made up of a mother,

father, and two children. The mother, Jana, works full-time, and her job

requires her to travel and be away from home. She enjoys her job, is paid

very well, but misses her children. The father, Ted, has the responsibility of

caring for their two children. In fact, Teds friends refer to him as Mr. Mom.

They have a boy in first grade, and a toddler, Emma. Ted works part-time as

a plumber, but for the most part, his focus is on the children. He does not

plan on returning to full time work until the children are older. The children

are able to talk to their mom each night, and seem to be well-adjusted to

having just Dad at home during most the week. According to The Pew

Research Centers social and demographic trends project, there has been a

dramatic decline in the percentage of stay-at-home mothers since the 1960s.

Pew also states, And while about three-quarters of the public say having

more women in the workplace has made it harder for parents to raise

children, a majority (67%) say this has made it easier for families to live

comfortably.

Emma is developing like an average three-year-old, except for a few

language, and fine motor development skills. She enjoys copying

movements, separates easily from Mom and Dad, shows a wide range of

emotions, can follow simple instructions, runs easily, climbs well, and can

ride a tricycle. As I mentioned, she struggles with fine motor movements.

Emma has difficulty dressing herself, holding and using scissors, and holding

her own eating utensils. She also struggles with pronunciation. Her family is

knowledgeable on what she is trying to communicate, but it is difficult for

others to understand.

Ted attempts to work on Emmas fine motor skills at home by

incorporating activities that use scissors, hole punchers, sewing, and other

related tools. He also encourages Emma to name items, for language

development, but will repeat her words using the correct pronunciation.

Emma becomes easily frustrated when she cant succeed at these activities,

which discourages Ted, and he allows her to move on to something else.

Emmas mother knows she struggles, so in the little time Jana has at home,

she tries her best to work with Emma on these developmental milestones.

Ted, on the other hand, would much rather have the family go out to the

movies, park, or library when they have time together as a family. This

seems to correspond with their parenting styles. They are both supportive of

their children, obviously, but Jana is not as easily disheartened as Ted is

when the children become frustrated. On the other hand, Ted oversees

discipline in the family, but he doesnt really have a choice since he is the

one caring for them for most of the week.

 I believe this familys largest barrier would be time and logistics. Ted is

the only one available, for the most part, and must juggle a part-time gig,

plus caring for two children. This could potentially affect communication with

the childrens teachers, making appointments in a timely manner, and many

other activities. Although it may seem like Ted being a single parent for the

most part is a barrier, it is also a strength. Since the wife, Jana, has a high-

paying job, the family doesnt struggle financially. Thus, leaving Ted the

opportunity to watch his children learn and grow every day.

To engage families, the teacher can provide a variety of strategies. Invite

the family to spend some time in the classroom to see what, and how, Emma

is learning. Since we are aware of the logistics barrier for the mom, Jana, we

can at least see if the father is available to do this. If not, the teacher needs

to reach out to Ted and set up a meeting time that is convenient for him. You

could also organize a family night. This is a great way to get to know the

families of the other children in Emmas classroom in a relaxed and informal

environment. This also helps families get to know and network with each

other. Also, send home weekly or monthly newsletters. This will ensure that

families of children in your classroom are informed about whats going on in

the classroom. This is especially helpful for Jana, who is not at home daily, to

be able to hear everything the child/teacher may mention. Finally, Invite Ted

to be a chaperone on any field trip, or volunteer in the classroom. This

presents an opportunity to make the special event memorable for both the

parent and Emma. Ask which days/events would work best with his schedule.
For an activity that engages the family, but is specific to Emmas

development, Ted and Jana can incorporate fun ways to work on her fine

motor and language skills. For example, create a Play Dough Creation

Station, which promotes fine motor development when the child

manipulates the play dough, picks other small materials to add to their play

dough creation, and when they place the items on the play dough. For

language, they can be encouraged to talk to Emma as much as possible. Ask

how their day was, about their friends, what they see when youre outside

together, and so on. This will increase Emmas vocabulary, and significantly

improve her pronunciations.

Another great family engagement strategy for families is sending home

activities that support childrens learning and development. I chose a

Friendship Book, because it can be fun for families and children, works on

language skills, fine motor skills, and social skills. The teacher will send home

a bag with materials with one child each week. The bag will include a journal,

which has a designated page for each child to decorate, scissors, glue,

crayons, construction paper, pom poms, pipe cleaners, stickers, and specific

questions/answers the child should include on their page. An information

page will also be sent home with the child describing the activity, and

explaining how it promotes growth and development. As Emma glues, sticks,

and draws on her page, she is practicing fine motor movements. As Emma

discusses what she is doing, and the answers for her favorite things, then

she is practicing language skills. Finally, as each child looks at their own
page, plus the other childrens pages, they are developing social skills. The

Friendship Book will be accessible to children in the classroom once all

children have completed their pages. Finally, this activity is great for families,

like Emmas, who may not have time on their side. All materials are provided,

which saves families time and money. Also, each child has a whole week to

complete their page, so families can work on it when it is convenient for

them. Its engaging, promotes learning, and best of all, it builds community

within the family, and within the classroom.

 Bibliography

Employment Characteristics of Families Summary. (2016). Retrieved

November 30, 2016, from http://www.bls.gov/news.release/famee.nr0.htm

Hart, H. A., & Gilbert, J. L. (n.d.). Encourage Family Engagement at Home.

Retrieved November 30, 2016.

Important Milestones: Your Child By Three Years. (2016). Retrieved November

30, 2016, from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-
3yr.html

Keyser, J. (2006). From Parents to Partners: Building a Family-Centered Early

Childhood Program. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.

Overcoming the Barriers for Strong Parent and Family Engagement. (n.d.).

Parker, K., & Livingston, G. (2016). 6 facts about American fathers. Retrieved
November 30, 2016, from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-
tank/2016/06/16/fathers-day-facts/

The American Family Today. (2015). Retrieved November 30, 2016, from
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2015/12/17/1-the-american-family-today/