Lakhasly

Developing High - Quality Family Involvement Programs in Early Childhood Settings Lorenza DiNatale Tell me , I'll forget .When parents are involved , they have a better understanding of their role as their child's primary educators .Research findings Decades of research have shown that one of the most accurate predictors of achievement in school is not family in come or parents ' edocation level , but the extent to which parents believe they can be key resources in their children's edu cation and become involved at school and in the community ( Henderson & Beris 1994 , Lewis & Henderson 1997 ; One of the most accurate predictors of achievement in school is the extent to which parents believe they can be key resources in their children's education and become involved at school and in the community .Therefore , references to parents should be construed to include any adults who play an important role in a child's development and upbringing The need for strong Palerships Many preschool and prima teach ers understand the vital role parents play and the need for developing strong are F partnerships with families .When parent involve ment is strong , teachers and program ad ministrators are more likely to experience improvement in self - em have higher morale , feel more job satis faction , and hold greater respect for their profession ( Epsteia et al . 2002 ) Schools and programs with a high de gree of consistent and memingful par ent involvement usually outperform similar programs without family in volvement .NAEYC's revised statement on de velopmentally appropriate practice states that programs should support strong ties between child and family ( Bredekamp & Copple 1997 ) .Head Start is a national , federally funded , commu nity - based program for children from families with low incornes and their par ents .In this technological age , we are all realizing how the school , the home , and the community are connected to each other and to the world at large Kibel and Stein - Seroussi ( 1997 ) believe that community can truly exist only when its members acknowledge their importanceThese words , paraphrased from Con facius , form the motto of the Even Start Program at Cane Run School in Louis ville , Kentucky .Head Start grantees are required to develop goals for children in collabora tion with families and to involve parents in making decisions about both educa tion and program management .Educators have long un derstood the primary role of parents in the physical , moral , and emocional de velopment of their young children .More over , parents and teachers get to know and learn from each other , which results in children receiving more individual at tena and curricula becoming more rich and varied .Parent involvement in ed ucation benefits not only childres and parents , but also teachers and overall program quality .They provide appropriate environments and interactions that pro mote learning and help their children develop the skills and values needed to become healthy and successful adults .Two of the main purposes of an early childhood program are to support and strengthen the parent in this role and t provide the foundation for a family's ongoing involvement in their child's education .Sach schools tend to have more support from families and more re spect in the community ( Cavaneta 1998 , Hatch 1998 ) .More recently , they have also acknowledged the importance of families involvement in the education of their children .the primary teachers and murturers of their children .But involve me , and I'll understand .Powell 1998 ) .Show me , I may remember .Although I use the word parent in this article , I recognize that family members and other adults also hold responsibility for raising a child .