Role of the Family and Community 28 November 2013

Historical Background Plowden Report (1967) Education Acts 1980, 1988 (ERA), 1992, 1994 The Children Act (1989) Rumbold Report (1990) Start Right report (1994) Early Learning Goals and the OFSTED Baseline assessment Curruculum Guidance to the Foundation Stage (2000) Every Child Matters (2004) Early Years Foundation Stage (2007) Robert Owen, McMillans and Susan Isaacs. Te Whariki, Reggio Emili

Limiting factors Relationship between parents and practitioners Availability of parents Structure of school day Nature of learning Parents experience of education Practitioners skills

Barriers to partnership Circumstances Lack of confidence Jargon Formality Negative attitudes Power Structural Definition Discrimination

Barriers to partnership What might some of the barriers be?

What do you think? Most teachers don’t see the point of working with parents Children achieve better when there is a close partnership between home and school. Working with parents is more trouble than it’s worth! Some parents are just not interested in how their children are doing in school.

Benefits Better informed “… they must rely on what their children do and say to build up a picture of what is happening to them in school” Hughes et al 1994 Increased support Higher teacher expectations Enhanced pupil performance.

Strategies Structure Planning Listening Recognising Informing Identifying and meeting needs Valuing Informing Recognising Flexibility Identifying resources

Parenting Young Children • Family security is maintained by redefining patterns, roles, and boundaries. Adults must deal with assisting young children in meeting their developmental needs while also meeting their own. •Parents understand children’s needs and preferences, model appropriate behaviour, and set age-appropriate limits and consequences.

Providing Structure and Nurturance Behaviours Promoting Structure/Nurturance Affirming developmental tasks Providing safety, protection, love Encouraging exploration Encouraging expressiveness Giving clear directions Enforcing simple rules Those That Do Not Teasing Inconsistent behavior Failure to provide options/choices Being sarcastic; ridiculing Using double-bind messages Discounting

Using Rules Nonnegotiable Negotiable Consequences Time out What about threats? What about spanking?

Facilitating A Sense of Initiative Definition Avoiding a heavy sense of guilt The importance of siblings and the entire family system

Three-way relationships Child All parts of the triangle contribute equally to its strength. If any one of the three is feeling anxious, stressed or under threat, it has a negative effect on the other two. The relationship between child and practitioner needs to be a warm, emotional one. Parents can be reassured that they have the enduring, long-term attachment with the child. Parents and practitioners who establish a friendly, working relationship are able to share what they know about the child regularly. (Edwards 2002; Lindon 2001; Gerhardt 2004) Parent Practitioner

Beginning Socialization Definition Promoting Prosocial Behaviors Empathy Deflecting aggression Delaying gratification of immediate needs Encouraging positive sex-role development Gender identity The role of toys and play Teaching about Sexuality Teaching about Dying and Death

Facilitating Cognitive Development Providing a wide variety of experiences • Helping young children acquire accurate information Serving as an interpreter of the world and of family values

Factors Influencing Children 1: Family Support 2: Positive Family Communication 3: Other Adult Relationships 4: Caring Neighborhood 5: Caring School Climate 6: Parent Involvement in Schooling

1: Family Support Children need love, comfort, encouragement, and support from their families.

2: Positive Family Communication Parents effectively communicate with children in positive ways and respect and respond to their needs.

3: Other Adult Relationships All children need to receive love and comfort from at least one trusted adult other than a parent.

Children have neighbours who care for and about them. 4: Caring Community Children have neighbours who care for and about them.

5: Caring School Climate The school community understands each child and family—their structure, needs, and cultural background.

6: Parent Involvement in Schooling Parents talk about their children’s needs with caregivers and teachers, and help their children succeed outside the home. They understand the importance of being involved in their child’s education.