Home, School, and Community Influences on Children’s Lives Chapter 1 Home, School, and Community Influences on Children’s Lives

Table of Contents Lesson 1 Assignments Overview Slide 3 Lesson 1 Concepts Overview Slide 4 Lesson 1 Concepts in Detail Slides 5-16 Summary Slide 17

Lesson 1 Assignments This week, students will: Take Self-Test, Lesson 1 Review Study Guide, Lesson 1 Read Chapter 1 Review PowerPoint, Lesson 1 Participate in Discussion Forum, Lesson 1 Complete Community Service Lab Hours Take Post-Quiz, Lesson 1

Lesson 1 Concepts Overview In Lesson 1 we will cover the following core concepts: Home, School, and Community Influences on Children’s Lives Children’s Perceptions and Attitudes Age Levels and Influence Influence of Special Interest Groups Understanding and Collaboration

Home, School, and Community Influences on Children’s Lives In addition to schools, families and communities significantly influence children’s growth and development. Successful teachers must develop the skills to work with families and communities, as well as forces in the larger society. Collaboration among school, family, and community influences is key to children’s healthy development in the 21st Century. 5

Children’s Perceptions and Attitudes Attitudes determine what individuals attend to in a situation, how they perceive the situation, and even their response to the event. Home Influence on Attitudes and Perceptions Early on, children develop attitudes and perceptions at home. Family members communicate both verbally and nonverbally how they feel about people, events, ideas, and schooling. The home environment will have a significant influence on a child’s schooling, such as literacy development, work habits, and schoolwork. 6

Children’s Perceptions and Attitudes (Cont.) School Influence on Attitudes and Perceptions The attitudes of school personnel also have a significant influence on children. Gender Issues Early on, boys and girls exhibit differences in school activities. Researchers suggest this happens because teachers treat boys and girls differently. Ethnicity Issues As a result of preconceived notions about ethnicity and academic performance, teachers may also discriminate against children of different ethnic groups by treating them differently. 7

Children’s Perceptions and Attitudes (Cont.) Community Influence on Attitudes and Perceptions Both formal and informal community structures influence children’s attitudes toward learning and schooling. Formal Structures include political and social systems, health an recreational services, business enterprises, entertainment, and educational services. Informal Structures are the social networks that each family establishes with people outside the home. A community’s social climate and the personal relationships children form will influences their attitudes about learning. 8

Children’s Perceptions and Attitudes (Cont.) Peer group influences Peer group influences become an agent of enculturation and learning. Children develop a sense of self from their perceptions of people in their surroundings. As children grow, peer influence on behavior increases. Children learn group norms of behavior, values, and modes of expression from their peers.

Children’s Perceptions and Attitudes (cont.) Media Influence Children are constantly exposed to various forms of media, which have a significant influence on their attitudes and perceptions. Print Materials The kinds of books, magazines, and newspapers that children read and have read to them influence and support emotional and intellectual development, both directly and indirectly. Television Television influences children in direct proportion to both time spent viewing and the overall effect of what is viewed. As children are particularly susceptible to commercial advertizing, television influences attitudes about food habits, gender roles, and society.

Media Influences (Cont.) New Media The Internet increasingly functions as a significant influence on children’s perceptions and attitudes. The Internet provides both negative and positive outcomes for children’s growth and development. The Entertainment Industry Movies, music, sports figures, and celebrities have a large impact on children’s perceptions of themselves and of others. Exposure to positive influences can be beneficial to children, while violent or provocative entertainment can have potentially negative influences.

Age Levels and Influence The influence of the community, home, school, peers, and media on children’s learning depends on age. The Early Years—Strong Home Influence Infants and young children need a supportive home environment for healthy development. Home-life, which includes caregivers, housing, nutrition, emotional support, and intellectual stimulation all impact children’s growth and learning. Preschool and Kindergarten Years—Increasing School Influence Children’s sense of self first develops in the home. As children transition to school, teachers and peers begin to alter and reinforce this sense.

Age Levels and Influence (Cont.) Primary Years—Growing Community Influence Community influence appears early in children’s lives and progresses steadily as children mature. The impact of the community derives from many subsystems within the community. Children build their linguistic, kinesthetic, artistic, spatial, and interpersonal skill from their community. In addition, communities expose children to traditions, cultural values, community mores, and social activities that influence their learning and development.

Influence of Special Interest Groups Special interest groups with agendas focused on political, environmental, gender equity, or school and curriculum issues are increasingly impacting children and schools. Federal Agencies as Special-Interest Groups Political administrations have become increasingly interested in educational policy and practice. Administrations have developed mandates and regulations and have used federal funding to stimulate action. Professional Associations as Special-Interest Groups Professional associations develop standards for education professionals, such as licensure requirements and curriculum development.

Understanding and Collaboration Teachers, caregivers and community workers must be knowledgeable about influences affecting children. By recognizing both positive and negative influences, professionals can support children’s development and learning. Three areas that necessitate understanding and collaboration include: Diversity Childhood Obesity Bullying

Understanding and Collaboration (Cont.) Diversity Today’s classrooms are increasingly diverse . However, the majority of teachers are white, female, and middle class. Regardless of ethnicity, gender, or race, teachers and community workers have a responsibility to continuously strive to understand and collaborate effectively with students and families of all backgrounds. Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity reflects a serious health issue. There are many societal influences that impact child obesity, such as television, fast food, and the Internet. Schools, families, and community’s must collaborate in the fight against obesity.

Summary In this PowerPoint, we covered the following core concepts from Chapter 1: Home, School, and Community Influences on Children’s Lives Children’s Perceptions and Attitudes Age Levels and Influence Influence of Special Interest Groups Understanding and Collaboration