Connecting the Dots: Supporting Families in Their Children’s Learning at Home

Presented by Pamdora WilliamsLaSPDG Staffwww.laspdg.org

@laspdg

Have knowledge of how to “scale up” family programs to include a link to student learning

have knowledge of promising practices that link family engagement to student learning

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People First Language

Kathie Snow. (n.d.) A few words about People First Language. Disability is Natural. Retrieved August 1, 2012 from http://www.disabilityisnatural.com/images/PDF/pfl-sh09.pdf Kathie Snow. (n.d.) A few words about People First Language. Disability is Natural. Retrieved August 1, 2012 from http://www.disabilityisnatural.com/images/PDF/pfl-sh09.pdf

“People First Language puts the person before the disability and describes what a person has, not who a person is.”

POLL:

What’s your role in the district?

Family Facilitator/Liaison

Teacher/Support Staff

School Leadership Staff

District Staff

State-Level Staff

Other

High Impact Family Engagement

Activities that:•build relationships•are personalized•are linked to student learning & outcomes

Best Practice: Provide families a “menu of pathways” to engagement throughout the school year!

What is Family Engagement that is “Linked to Learning”?

Initiatives and activities with families that:– are learning centric– engage them to support the learning process

when their child is not at school • At home • During after-school activities

– prepares them for working with schools to support learning and growth

Harvard Family Research Project. “Why and how do you link family engagement practices to learning?” http://www.hfrp.org/family-involvement/fine-family-involvement-network-of-educators/member-insights/why-and-how-do-you-link-family-engagement-practices-to-learning Retrieved on February 20, 2015

National PTA: Report The Positive Relationship Between Family Involvement and Student Success. http://www.pta.org/programs/content.cfm?ItemNumber=1459 Retrieved on February 20, 2015

Why is it important to link family engagement to learning?

Poll

Which statement correctly identifies the needs of families when linking family engagement activities tostudent learning?

Families need to be familiar with main curriculum expectations. Families need to know what children are learning and doing in

class. Families need to gain skills for working with their child at home.All of the above are true.

Considerations of family needs when Linking Family Engagement

to Learning

When designing family events & activities, keep in mind:

•Families need to be familiar with main curriculum expectations

•Families need to know what children are learning and doing in class

•Families need to gain skills for working with their child at home

Scaling Up

“How do I make what I am already doing more effective?”

Examples: School NewslettersFamily Breakfasts

Family Orientation

How to help families connect the dots?

Help families understand the curriculum and what is going on in the class

Communicate regularly about student learning

Put student learning at the center of parent/teacher conversations

Use student achievement data to design family activities

HELP FAMILIES UNDERSTAND THE CURRICULUM AND WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE CLASS

Families’ Awareness of the Curriculum

• Changes in curriculum • Teaching techniques are different from when

families were in school• Integration of technology

Use Family Guides

Purpose:To connect curriculum to home activities families already do!

A tool consisting of:Home activitiesFamily friendly examplesUser friendly resourcesLinks to more information

Developed by:State DOESchool districtsSchools TeachersOrganizations and/or educational affiliates

Louisiana Department of Education. “Family Support Toolbox Library.” https://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/library/family-support-toolbox-library Downloaded on February 23, 2015.

Louisiana Department of Education. “Family Support Toolbox Library.” https://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/library/family-support-toolbox-library Downloaded on February 23, 2015.

Additional Tips…..A family guide is a tool of home activities, references and resources developed specifically for families by districts, schools and teachers which connect key curriculum concepts with home activities that families

already do in their daily lives!

Fam

ily G

uide

sFamily Guide Scavenger HuntEngage families – or families and children together – in a Family Guide to Learning “Scavenger Hunt” at your first Open House, Curriculum Night, or Family Night, so they get comfortable finding information in the Family Guides.

Family Guide Family WorkshopHost a Family Guide to Learning workshop with families and children together and have the families look at the Learning at Home activities and select one that they agree to try from each subject area. Have them complete a family contract specifying which family activities they will do.

Family Guide Discussions during Conferences/Meetings {parent/teacher conferences, IEP meetings, home visits}Use the parent-teacher conference as an opportunity to discuss the suggested “learning at home” activities on Family Guides.Bring Family Guides to IEP meetings so that you can talk with family members about how their child is progressing in meeting grade level standards and what the school and families need to do to help the child be successful. Use the Family Guides during home visits to students’ families to introduce the curriculum, discuss academic standards, and boost family members’ confidence in their ability to provide high academic expectations for their child.

Family Guide in Home-School CompactInclude using Family Guides as one of the family responsibilities in your school’s Home-School Compact.

Content inspired by Boston Public Schools Office of Family and Student Engagement. “Family Guides to Learning: Tips for Teachers” http://bpsfamilies.org/families/family-learning-guides/34-tips-for-teachers Retrieved and Developed on February 23, 2015

Louisiana DOE Family Guideshttps://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/library/family-

support-toolbox-library

Poll

“Spot the Not” Which family engagement activity is not linked to

student learning?

Visits to the family centerLunch and Learn by grade level or department with a

topic (i.e. reading comprehension strategies, etc.) Muffins with Mom with a topic (i.e. math vocabulary

for common core)

COMMUNICATE REGULARLY ABOUT STUDENT LEARNING

Communicating with Families about Student Learning

Examine the multiple ways the school or district communicates with families

Find ways to include student learning as a part of your outgoing communication

Make sure the communication is two-way Communicate regularly about student learning Make sure the communication meets needs of all

families(i.e. language considerations, free of acronyms, etc.)

Include Student Learning in Newsletters

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=266490#anchor

http://www.laspdg.org/content.cfm?id=308&schoolyearID=5

Poll

“Spot the Not” Which family engagement activity is not linked to

student learning?

Family Make-and-Take workshop_ “Manipulatives that Work at Home”

School Newsletter with “Peek into Learning” section or insert

Fall Festival

PUT LEARNING AT THE CENTER OF FAMILY/TEACHER CONVERSATIONS

Learning Conversations with Teachers

Families should be prepared to discuss:•Progress•Assignments and Assessments•Support learning at home•Support learning at school•Thoughts about their child

Prepare Families for Teacher Conversations

Poll

“Spot the Not” Which family engagement activity is not linked to

student learning?

Open HouseA Family Guide scavenger hunt during Back to School

eventsAutomated phone calls featuring a “Skill of the

Month” by grade level

USE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DATA TO DESIGN FAMILY ACTIVITIES

Using Student Achievement Data

Use data to:•Focus programs and activities for families on student skills•Target extra help for students•Engage families in school improvement

Share Achievement Data with Families

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT8J1uf97vs&list=UUvEdSQawiMKMU-muuc1j0YA

Organize Parent University

Parent University is a series of learning opportunities for families designed to increase families’ knowledge and skills of topics to help their child at home.

Parent University:•Address needs of all families•Structured in different ways•Look different in different communities

Tips for Organizing Parent University

Getting Started•Choose topics•Choose speaker(s)•Secure date, times, location•Marketing to families

Tool Retrieved from South Dakota Parent Information Resource Center http://www.sdpirc.org/content/docs/ParentInformationSheets/ParentUniversityPlanningGuide.pdf Retrieved on February 25, 2015

Poll

“Spot the Not” Which family engagement activity is not linked to

student learning?

Positive phone calls homeFamilies viewing a demonstration in the classroom

(class visit)A School-Home compact with specific grade level

expectations

Relationships Linked to Learning General

Getting Started

Family Engagement:From expected to effective

• Resource binder can be found at

http://www.laspdg.org/content.cfm?id=418

Photos taken in June 2014 during SPDG’s Summer Learning Series with Anne Henderson

POLL:

Can most family engagement activities that you are already

doing, be “scaled up” so they are linked to student learning?

Yes or No

Building Capacity

• When you leave today, what will you do with this information?• How will you share it with others in your district?• When will you share it? (Timeline)

Note: If you are on the district leadership team, this information will be useful in completing your district’s LASPDG 5 Year Plan

Questions?

• Please use your chat pod if you have questions related to this presentation

• After this webinar, you may email questions to Pamdora Williams pwilli@lsu.edu

The contents of this PowerPoint presentation were developed under a grant from the US Department of Education, #H323A110003. However those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

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