Introduction
Parent’s active involvement in the educational process of their child is priceless. Together, parents and teachers can share knowledge and resources that will make certain the individual needs of the student are being met within the best learning environment. Collaborative efforts from parents, educators and the school ensure a positive and rewarding experience for the student. Parents should in no way feel that they are being left out of the educational decisions; therefore, educators have an obligation that encourages parental participation. Furthermore, promoting a collaborated working relationship between school and parents has shown to reduce the achievement gap, especially among diverse learners. Parental participation has shown to be positively related to student’s educational performance (McWayne, Hampton, Fantuzzo, Cohen, & Sekino, 2004) and according to Eamon (2002), may mediate the effects of poverty, parents’ educational attainment, and race/ethnicity on achievement.
As educators begin to understand the various culturally diverse backgrounds that make up the public school system within the United States, they are gaining knowledge on individual perceptions and effective ways to develop relationships while meeting the diverse needs of each student and their families. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the importance of including parents, families, and caregivers of culturally diverse backgrounds in the educational process of their child. I will include successful practices myself and administrators have implemented to promote the parent and school partnership, and discuss some reasons why I believe some parents still do not feel comfortable participating in the school environment. Also, ...
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...n, M. K. (2002). Effects of poverty on mathematics and reading achievement of young adolescents. Journal of Early Adolescence, 22, 49–74.
Hoover-Dempsey, K., Walker, J., Sandler, H., Whetsel, D., Green, C., Wilkins, A., & Closson, K. (2005). Why do parents become involved? Research findings and implications. The Elementary School Journal, 106(2), 105–130.
Manning, L. & Baruth. L. (2009). Multicultural education of children and adolescents (5th Ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
McWayne, C., Hampton, V., Fantuzzo, J., Cohen, H. L., & Sekino, Y. (2004). A multi-variate examination of parent involvement and the social and academic competencies of urban kindergarten children. Psychology in the Schools, 41, 363–377.
Wright, K., Stegelin, D.A., & Hartle, L. (2007). Building family, school, and community partnerships (3rd Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Robles de Melendez, W. (2010). Teaching Young Children in Multicultural Classrooms: Issues, Concepts, and Strategies (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Richards, H., V., Brown, A., F., Forde, T., B. (2006). Addressing diversity in schools: culturally responsive pedagogy. Retreived March 30th 2014from http://www.nccrest.org/Briefs/Diversity_Brief.pdf
Effective partnerships between families and school emerge from a mutual trust, respect and understanding of each other’s values and goals. By maintaining such partnerships, we create a healthy environment for children to develop. All families have something unique to offer and educators need to recognize this and make the most of it by incorporating all families into the school community.
Manning, L. & Baruth. L. (2009). Multicultural education of children and adolescents (5th Ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Parents, defined as a person who is a parental figure in this instance, who are involved in their children’s education are examined to determine the benefits of a partnership between parents and the school. Evidence determines parent involvement enhances positive attributes in the child and school climate. Students are dependent on the relationship between home and school and this research explores how to foster that relationship (i.e. administration involvement, parent-teacher communication, and community groups), impact of parent-child discussions, what variables (i.e. race and socioeconomic) influence the relationship, and example models of parent involvement.
As a mean to supporting family engagement and child’s learning, it is crucial that programs implement strategies for developing partnerships with families. But do the children benefit from effective family engagement? Family engagement pertains to all young children across ethnic backgrounds and early childhood education programs. Parents from diverse backgrounds, when given direction, can become more engaged with their children. Family Engagement is important for young children’s skill. The skills include literacy, cognitive, math, and social development. When the families engage in their children’s education with the help of other educator’s assistance, this supports the early childhood learning, which is a very critical part to success
Manning, L.M. & Barruth, L.G. (2009). Multicultural education of children and adolescents (5th edition). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
It is very important that schools and other education programs support family engagement in the child’s learning process. This review will examine the literature surrounding parental involvement in early childhood education specifically those looking at all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Many times, teachers will make the mistake of pre-judging families from different cultures and misunderstand their communication styles and value systems. In order to prevent such misunderstandings, teachers should not be afraid to step outside of their own culture bubble in an effort to comprehend differences between their own culture and these parents. When interacting with parents, teachers should also embrace the commonalities between the cultures. Everyone deals with work, school, relationships, communication, and life in general. I am a Black man, going to school, raising a family and working, just like one of my friends, who is a Native-American. Often times, the things we see as divisions can actually bring us
Bauch, P. A., Vietze, P., & Morris, V. (1973). What makes the difference in parental participation? Childhood Education, 50, 47-53.
Parent involvement affects all aspects of a child’s education. Parents must be involved as teachers, learners, supporters, and advocates of their child’s learning (Hopkings). Studies show that kids who know that their parents are involved and interested tend to take more responsibility for their own learning and behavior. Schoolwork and grades improve. Work habits improve. Less work is handed in late. Fewer referrals for behavior problems are made. Attendance increases, and fewer kids show up late for class (Hopkings). With all this information documented it shows the true importance of parent involvement in education. The more involved the parents are, the better off each child will be. So when you become a parent, get involved in your child’s education!
Telling your child's hobbies, pets, as well as learning difficulties and strengths will provide for a more intimate school year (Spencer, 2001). One of the ways in which parents play a critical role in their children?s social development is by encouraging their interactions with other youth (Updegraff, 2001). If children are able to work in group settings, this will not only help the child get along with other students, but it will also lessen the amount of disruptions in class thereby making it easier for the teacher to teach (Barbour, 1997). Parents need to stress the importance of little things your child can do to smooth the teacher?s day and help himself learn, such as listening when classmates answer questions, writing his name on assignments, and keeping his desk and work area tidy (Spencer, 2001). Parents can help your children avoid interrupting. Teachers love enthusiasm but yelling out too often will cause unneeded disruptions. Explain the good times to speak, such as when the teacher is inviting questions and the not so good times, such as when the teacher is talking to another student or giving directions (Spencer, 2001). Practicing these classroom manners will help with less disruptions and a better teaching and learning environment. Parental involvement promotes emotional growth of a child. The attachment between a child and parent is a long-lasting, emotional, learned response. It is the attachment in a parent and child relationship that forms the basis for a child to trust or not to trust their environment (Gestwicki, 2000). This proper attachment is essential for a child to trust other adults, such as their teachers and also to trust other students and make friends.
To conclude, my research shows a clear link between parental involvement and children performing better in school. Children who's parents are involved in their education are showing better performance and are achieving higher grades. They also show better behaviour, more enthusiasm, ambition and higher levels of engagement. compared with children who's parent are not involved in their education. My research also shows that parental involvement has great benefits for both children and parents in many ways, so much so that the most effective schools are those who encouraged parents to be involved.
Parent involvement is one of the most influential aspects of student motivation. The parents are the initial teachers of the child before the child goes to school and encounters education through a teacher. If a parent is completely engaged in the learning process with a child, there can be growth between the child and the parent simultaneously. The parents set an example for the child, so that the child understands that help is in the classroom and at home. Alma Wright, a first and second grade teacher, believes that parents in the classroom are a good way to stimulate children. She says, “Their active participation is a positive influence. The school is open for parents to share their talents and motivate their children” (Drew, Olds, and Olds, 1974, p. 71).
The concepts included in providing a more diverse, multicultural education are requiring teachers to review their own issues and prejudices while expanding their knowledge of the many cultures that make up the classroom. These efforts help the educator recognize the various individual and cultural differences of each student, as well as gain an understanding on how these differences impact the learning process. The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon individual and cultural difference research and why diverse students struggle to succeed in school. Furthermore, I will share some instructional approaches I could implement in the classroom to accommodate diverse students. Finally, I will discuss the responsibility of educators in addressing the issue of how our o...