Reflective Analysis of Portfolio Artifact Rationale/Reflection NAEYC Standard:

STANDARD 2. BUILDING FAMILY AND COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs understand that successful early childhood education depends upon partnerships with childrens families and communities. They know about, understand, and value the importance and complex characteristics of childrens families and communities. They use this understanding to create respectful, reciprocal relationships that support and empower families, and to involve all families in their childrens development and learning. (NAEYC, 2011)

Brief Description of Evidence:

Successfully throughout the fall semester as part of my ECED 204 Families in Transition course, I created a family scenario project for a family of five, two adults and three children. The scenario project required the use of research to find partnerships within the community to benefit the family. The resources I found benefited the family financially, emotional, and educationally. I listed information in the community that the family may not use but can pass on to other families that may need the assistance.

Analysis of What I Learned:

Through completion of this unit frame work for the Family Scenario project, I have learned how to find resources for children and resources in the community for families of different cultures, religion, value and need. Each family has different needs that may not be met without help from an educator. Knowing the importance of family involvement in the classroom and at home this allows me to use my knowledge to assist families, support families, and empower families in their lifestyle. Through this artifact I have learned how to use resources not only in my classroom but being able to provide them for the families that suggest that they need assistance.

How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the NAEYC Standard:

This project is just one of many projects in which I researched and found different community resources for families of different school aged children, different values/beliefs, different cultures, and different needs. I collected many resources that will assist many types of families in the community with it either being churches, financial assistance, childcare assistance, or free activities for the children. In todays society many children come into our classrooms with different backgrounds and with completion of this project it gave me the resources to assist not only the children but the families as well. With completing this assignment and with the information I found I have created offered the family to have respectful relationships with the community, other families and with educators.