Yvette Beasley ECE 497 Professor Jennifer Zaur February 10, 2014 Parental Involvement Yvette Beasley ECE 497 Professor Jennifer Zaur February 10, 2014

Lincoln Elementary Demographics 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 Pre- Kindergarten - 6th 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%) with 5% of the student population being white and 2% are American Indian. 

My Role as an Early Childhood Development Professional Coach Communicator Facilitator Keeper of the Watch (Caregiver) Model Researcher Storyteller

Early Childhood Development Period “The early childhood development period encompasses children from 2 to 6 years old. The body becomes longer and leaner, motor skills are refined and children become more self-controlled and self- sufficient. Make-believe play blossoms, supporting every aspect or psychological development. Thought and language expand at an astounding pace, a sense of morality becomes evident and children establish ties with their peers” (Berk, 2013, pgs. 5-6). “The relationship between the child and the environment as Bronfenbrenner saw it is reciprocal; the environment influences the child and the child influences the environment. Human beings, Bronfenbrenner suggested, cannot develop in isolation, but within a system of relationships that include family and society” (Krishnan, 2010, pg. 5). All are necessary component in Early Childhood Development that will determine how the child interacts with his/her peers, adults and professional services. It helps develop them socially and emotionally as well as physically and cognitively. We must all be able to meet the needs and interests of the children, that is why it is important as a team to work together for the children’s success.

The Mesosystem Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System “The mesosystem encompasses connections between the microsystems, such as home, school, neighborhood and child care centers” (Berk, 2013, pg. 27). The key word in this system is “connections.” The impact of the mesosystems on the child depends on the number and quality of interrelationships. The mesosystem works together for the sake of the child. Here are a few examples to consider: If a child's parent/guardian takes an active role in a child's school, such as going to parent-teacher conferences and watching their child's soccer games, this will help ensure the child's overall growth. If the community provides school supplies for needy students, hospitals gives health services for low- income families and neighborhood centers incorporate after school programs to help academically as well as socially. The child and family will have the necessary resources to sustain them. If the school and community provide resources and services to support the Latino families, it will help them to become active, productive and successful American citizens.

Joyce Epstein’s Six Types of Involvement

Parenting Help all families establish home environments to support children as students. At Lincoln, We believe that it is very important to understand the cultures, needs, goals and concerns of our school families. Therefore, you are invited to participate in our monthly workshops. These workshops will address parenting skills, anger management, English Language Learning (ELL), nutrition and health, etc. The workshops will be held at the school the school or at local neighborhood centers for your convenience. We will also provide you with resource materials that you may take home. You may also participate in events with your children hosted by community leaders. (Epstein, n.p., pg.1)

Communicating Design effective forms of school-to-home and home-to-school communications about school programs and children's progress. Based upon the demographics of our school being predominately Hispanic, we provide our parents and students with information and resources that is bi-lingual. We have on-site translators and as well as staff that can assist with the language barriers and provide support systems within the school for both parents and students. There is an agreement between the students, parents and teachers to ensure that everyone knows their role in this educational journey. Each student is provided a “handbook” that is sent home so that the parents and student can review. This handbook explains what we are offering and our expectations of the students and parents. Monthly newsletters, progress reports and upcoming programs information are provided to inform you of all activities in our school. Above all, our staff at Lincoln respect our students’ and their families’ rights to privacy. Intervention. We ask that parents attend conferences and workshops to discuss the students’ progress, intervention strategies and resources to assist the family. (Epstein, n.p., pg.2)

Volunteering Recruit and organize parent help and support. At Lincoln, we ask that each parent volunteer approximately two (2) hours per semester. There is a “parent center” available in order to inform the parents’ of the variety of activities, duties and needs that the school have available based upon your expertise and interest. Some activities available are field trips, read with your child, decorating bulletin boards and school for special events, make cut-outs for classes, book sales clerk, lunchroom attendant, etc. You are required to check in and out at the “parent center” upon your arrival to go to available activities. Our bi-lingual staff member is available to you during this time. These activities allow you to actively participate in the school. (Epstein, n.p., pg.3)

Learning at Home Provide information and ideas to families about how to help students at home with homework and other curriculum-related activities, decisions, and planning. Each student at Lincoln will be given a planner, which includes their schedule, homework assignments, and parent/teacher communications. It has been printed in both English and Spanish. Every 4 ½ weeks you will receive a progress report and invitation to confer with the students’ teacher if there are some concerns. You will also receive results of state testing schedule and the scores obtained. If intervention is needed a formal meeting will be scheduled to discuss the best plan of action for your children. During our breaks, we will provide your children with learning packets and activities. These packets are used to help your children stay abreast of what they have learned and to also practice new materials. Students will be given homework (Monday – Thursday). Weekend homework will only be assigned for special projects. (Epstein, n.p., pg.4)

Decision Making Include parents in school decisions, developing parent leaders and representatives. Parents are asked to be a part of the PTO, for active parent leadership and participation in the school. The parent leaders will represent all racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and other groups in the school. They are asked to participate in monthly meetings as well as district and community meetings. They are required to provide our parents with information pertaining to school and local elections, issues that affect the run of the schools and family and community networking. At Lincoln, your opinion counts and you should be a part of the decision- making process as a representative of your children and family. (Epstein, n.p., pg.5)

Collaborating with the Community Identify and integrate resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning and development. Lincoln assure equality of opportunities for students and families to participate in community programs and/or obtain services as needed. We participate in services that support the community such as recycling, art, music, drama, etc. We also have active participation of our community to help support our school and families such as school supplies and uniforms, discount nights at local restaurants, recreational center activities, counseling and health services, etc. We are also linked with resources to integrate child and family services with education such as tutoring, summer programs, mentoring and learning skills and talents. We are strong supporters of our community and the community strongly supports our school and families. (Epstein, n.p., pg.6)

Conclusion Parents, Schools and Community In order to effectively develop children in this period, we must be able to see the world through their eyes. It allows us to also recapture our youth their our active engagement in their development. During this period a child must be able to explore, discover and be innovative. Their development is gradual and involves a reciprocal relationship between the child and his/her environment. This is why it is important that we have interrelationships with the parent and the community. What happens in their multiple environments, affects each environment. Community affects home and school (health care services, library, department stores, neighborhood environment, etc.); home affects school and the child (healthy family structure, supportive family members, financial support, etc.); and school affects the child and their families (safe environment, bully-free, food service, specialized programs, learning tools and resources, etc.). It takes a village to raise and develop a child. Parents, schools and community are the village that fuels our students success.

References Berk, L. E. (2013). Child development. (9th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Center of Mental Health in Schools at UCLA. (2014). A Guide to School-Community Partnership. Retrieved on February 8, 2014 from http://www.smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/guides/schoolcomm.pdf 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 Krishnan, V., Ph.D. (2010). Early Childhood Development: A Conceptual Model. Retrieved on February 8, 2014 from http://www.cup.ualberta.ca/wp.../ConceptualModelCUPwebsite_10April13.pdf Miels, J. Ph.D. (2008). The Seven Faces of the Early Childhood Educator. Retrieved on February 8, 2014 from http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=171