Parent Presentation

Latesha Prioleau-Graves

ECE 497

Instructor Karen Foster

May 31, 2015

Lincoln Elementary School

Lincoln Elementary School is located in Gilbert, Arizona. Gilbert is a relatively large city with a strong sense of family and community. The school has a population of 765 students from PreK to sixth grade. At Lincoln Elementary School, 94% of the students are eligible for free and/or reduced lunch, and 58% of the students are second language learners. The majority of the students at Lincoln Elementary School are Hispanic (93%). Five percent of the student population is white, and 2% is American Indian.

Early Childhood – Middle Childhood

Children of the early childhood age range are full of energy and curiosity. They seem to be always on the go and at the same time are perfecting their motor skills. “They exhibit creativity and imagination in everything they do”(Marotz & Allen, 2013, p.130). Children of middle childhood are no longer younger children but not capable adults. For the most part, their behaviors are calm and peaceful and they find school enjoyable. During middle childhood, “boy’s and girl’s gender identities follow different paths” (Berk, 2013, p. 549).

Child Development Professional

TEACHER

A teacher is responsible for teaching children of all ages. A teacher has many roles, responsibilities, and challenges yet teaching is a rewarding career. The main role is to facilitate learning and to provide children with the necessary tools to succeed in school and life. A teacher is responsible for creating lesson plans that supports learning while focusing on the students’ age and interest.

Presentation Purpose

The purpose of this presentation is to provide students and families with resources to become better connected as a whole in the community.

“To promote student growth and school success at every grade and age, well thought out parent-community-school partnerships, linked to school improvement goals, are needed in every community” (csos.jhu.ed).

Mesosystem

A child's development is affected by their social relationships and the world around them.

The mesosystem consists of the interactions between the different parts of a person's microsystem. The mesosystem is where a person's individual microsystems do not function independently, but are interconnected and assert influence upon one another. These interactions have an indirect impact on the individual. Ex: connection between the child’s teacher and parents or between church and the neighborhood.

Epstein’s Types of Involvement

There are 6 types of involvement that helps educators develop school-family-community partnerships. Each type of involvement includes different approaches to partnership.

Type 1 – Parenting

Type 2 – Communication

Type 3 – Volunteering

Type 4 – Learning at home

Type 5 – Decision Making

Type 6 – Collaborating with the Community

Parenting Help all families establish home environments to support children as students.

Through this involvement, parents become better parents and are aware of their child’s growth and development. Children have a sense of moral and values and importance of a good education.

Idea for Involvement:

Parent education and courses to teach the English Language.

Communicating Design effective forms of school-to-home and home-to-school communications

about school programs and children’s progress.

Through this involvement, children are aware of their progress in school. Parents are aware of child’s grades , have a good repor with the child’s teacher and feel comfortable to address problems or concern as they arise.

Idea for Involvement:

Send home weekly newsletters so parent will be informed of the happenings at school. Spanish version available.

Volunteering Involving families as volunteers to support students and school programs.

Through this involvement, children are able to interact with adults, be responsible, and gain skills for future use or career.

Idea for involvement: Invite parents to school to volunteer for class activities or field trips.

Learning at Home Ways to help students at home.

Through this involvement, children will gain valuable knowledge through homework. Makes good use of time and become successful in school.

Idea for involvement: Send home information to help students improve on school assessments. Introduce reading logs during the summer months.

Decision Making Including parent in school decisions.

Through this involvement, students will understand school policies and procedures helping them to become a better person. Allows students’ to stand up for their rights.

Idea for involvement: Have PTO meeting and include all parents. Offer workshops to meet with local school reps and board.

Collaborating with the Community Everyone working together to strengthen community bonds.

Through this involvement, children are connected with the community and feel a sense of belonging.

Idea for involvement: Participate in service to the community such a clean-up or feed the homeless.

References

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

Epstein, J. (n.d.). Epstein's framework of six types of involvement. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/lac/Joyce_L._Epstein_s_Framework_of_Six_Types_of_Involvement(2).pdf

Marotz, L. & Allen, K. (2013). Developmental Profiles: Pre-Birth through Adolescence. Kansas: Wadsworth Cengage Press.

National Network of Partnership Schools, “Promising Partnership Practices,” 1998-2007, www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/Awards/index.htm.