THE HOME LITERACY ENVIRONMENT: PARENT INVOLVEMENTSpecial Efforts to Engage Families Make a Difference

Jorge E. Gonzalez, Ph.D.Project WORLDTexas A&M UniversityAugust 20, 2013

School Success Largely Determined by Age 3

• Basic language and communication skills are formed during a child’s first three years

• Language experience before age 3 is an excellent predictor of reading ability in third grade

• After 3 years of age, it is increasingly difficult to make up for differences in earlier experiences

Importance of Early Engaged Home Literacy Environment (Hart & Risely, 1995)

The Impact of School, Family and Community Connections on Student Achievement

• Earn higher grades and test scores, and enroll in higher-level programs

• Be promoted, pass their classes and earn credits

• Attend school regularly• Have better social skills, show improved

behavior and adapt well to school• Graduate and go on to post-secondary

education• Southwest Educational Development

Laboratory (2002)

Students with

involved parents, no matter what

their income or

background, are more likely to:

Higher Performing Schools Effectively Involve Families and Community

Schools that succeed in engaging families from diverse backgrounds

share three key practices:

• Focus on building trusting, collaborative relationships among teachers, families and community members

• Recognize, respect and address families' needs, as well as class and cultural differences

• Embrace a philosophy of partnership where power and responsibility are shared• (Mapp, 2002; see also Chrispeels and

Rivero, 2000 )

Parent and Community Organizing Efforts are Improving Schools

Recent studies have found that community organizing contributed to these changes in schools:

• Upgraded school facilities• Improved school leadership and staffing• Higher quality learning programs for students• New resources and programs to improve teaching

and curriculum• New funding for after-school programs and family

supports• (Mediratta and Fruchter, 2001)

Benefits to Parents

Greater knowledge of education programs and how schools work;

Knowledge of how to be more supportive of children;

Greater confidence about ways to help children learn;

More positive view of teachers; and,

Greater empowerment.

Outdated Thinkingon Parent Involvement• Parents should come to school only when invited;• Stay-at-home mothers serve as “homeroom mothers”;• Parents visit school mainly for children’s performances

and open houses;• Parents help raise money for school.

Barriers to Parent Involvement• Lack of a school environment that supports parent/family

involvement;• School practices that do not accommodate the diversity of

family needs;• Child care constraints;• Families’ past negative experiences with schools and/or

feelings of uncertainty about “treading on school territory.”• Cultural differences (language barriers, attitudes toward

professionals, lack of knowledge of the American education system);

• Primacy of basic needs (food, clothing, and shelter take precedence over educational needs);

Barriers to Parent Involvement• Feelings of inadequacy associated with difference in

income or education;• Safety, especially in inner-city school neighborhoods;• Uncertainty about what to do; and,• Lack of time

Hold High Expectations for Parents• Believe that parents are key partners to your work.

• Communicate to parents and all staff the critical role of parents.

• Hold mandatory Parent Orientations prior to the start of your program, during which expectations are clearly communicated.

• Require that parents sign a pledge that commits their support.

• Invite parents to be involved (i.e., volunteer in school, visit any time, attend field trips and other events).

Family Involvement Pledge ExampleAS A PARENT/FAMILY MEMBER, I PLEDGE THAT, TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, I WILL: • show my child that I value education; • read with my child and encourage my child to be a reader; • take time every day to talk with my child about his/her school and Summer Advantage work; • visit the school and meet the principal, teachers and staff; • visit the Summer Advantage site and meet the staff; • participate in classroom/school/ Summer Advantage activities; and • become actively involved in the decision-making processes within the classroom/school/

Summer Advantage that affect my child’s education.

I pledge to become involved and stay involved, for education is a key to success and is one of the greatest gifts I can give my child.

____________________________________________________________ Scholar‘s Name ____________________________________________________________ Guardian

Five guiding principles for involving parents in schools• Offer parents opportunities in the context of a well-

organized and long lasting program • Allow parents to choose from a range of participation

options• Engage parents in decision making at all available levels• Intentionally design a parent friendly environment • Communicate regularly and acknowledge parent

involvement

Five Guiding Principles for Parents Who Want to be InvolvedShare attributes, strengths and skills that could support

your child’s classroom or schoolCommunicate with your child’s teacherAsk to participate in school improvement and decision

making opportunitiesSupport classroom curriculum and activities at homeParticipate in a positive, collaborative and trusting

manner

Getting to the “CORE”• True collaboration occurs with CORE - when

these ingredients are present:• Connection• Optimism• Respect• Empowermen

CORE• Connection:

• Trust building• Shared goals• Common vision• Conflict resolution

• Optimism: • Problems are system, not individual, problems. (interface)• No one person is to blame. (non-blaming, solution-

oriented)• All concerned parties are doing the best they can. (non-

judgmental, perspective taking)

CORE• Respect:

• Each person brings different, but equally valid expertise to the problem-solving process.

• Respect requires acceptance of differences, especially perceptions about a child’s performance.

• Empowerment:• Both parties have strengths and competencies.• Both parties believe they can help.• Both parties have a role for which they feel comfortable.• Both parties see that their efforts make a difference in the

success of students’ education.

Train Staff• Provide professional development for staff regarding how

to effectively partner with parents.

• Ensure all staff are knowledgeable about your program’s parental engagement policies.

• Provide teachers with “scripts” to guide them through various scenarios and have them practice these scenarios, including calls home, with positive or negative news.

• Have all staff make a call home prior to start of the school year; the purpose of the call is to introduce oneself, learn more about your scholar’s interest, and welcome the parent to contact regularly and participate in school events.

Parent Involvement Activity• Sticky board• Markers• Groups of teachers (no more than 5-6 per group)

Practices Which Promote Emergent Literacy in the Home• Children's books, magazines, newspapers, and other reading materials are found

in the home.• Children see adults reading for their own information and pleasure. • Children are read to on a daily basis. • Children are encouraged to ask questions and talk about the stories read to them. • Children have writing supplies readily available to them.• Examples: markers, pencils, crayons, playdough, paper, scissors, paste• Children see adults writing for real purposes, such as making a grocery list or

writing a letter. • Adults and older children point out words in the environment, such as those on

food containers and restaurant signs. • Adults and older children take the time to answer young children's questions about

reading and writing. • Children see their names in print on their belongings and in the home. • Adults and older children talk with young children about objects and events taking

place in and out of the home.

Ideas for Using Environmental Print in the Home

• Children can help put away groceries reading each label as they put it away.

• Make a matching game or word book from words they recognize, such as Sesame Street, Kmart, Subway. The words can be cut out of ads and glued onto cards.

• Children can help make a picture grocery list. A large sheet of paper can be put on the refrigerator. Each time an item is emptied and needs to be replaced, the child can place the label onto the paper. The paper can then be taken to the store. The child can match the picture list with labels in the store.

Daily Activities Which Promote Literacy• Make a game of labeling. Verbally label objects and events for the child.

For example, "where are your eyes?" helps children learn vocabulary as well as pronunciation.

• Ask questions of children during outings to encourage them to think and use vocabulary. Allow children to control the conversation and help them with new words.

• Connect content from books with the child's life. Talk about the connections. For example, with Just Grandma and Me, talk about what the child's grandmother would do or whether she has been to the beach.

• Encourage children to read to an adult. Help them by prompting children to say something about the book. Children may also be encouraged to read to their pets or toys, such as dolls or stuffed animals.

• Talk to children during bath time, meal time, and car rides to help their language development. These are opportune times to have meaningful conversations with children.