Lincoln Elementary School

Family and Community Support

By: Bobbi Simpson Reagor
Welcome Parents!

 In this gathering, we will discuss…

1. The Period of Development for early childhood to middle childhood
2. My Role as a Child Development Professional
3. Facts and Statistics about sustaining direct assistance, class size, English
language learners and integrated classrooms
4. The Mesosystem, what it is and how we can continue to implement it
5. Epstiens Types of involvement

Lets Begin!!!
The Period of
Development
In Early Childhood through middle
childhood, your child will;
• Become more self controlled and
self sufficient with their motor skills.
• Make-believe and flourish with
supporting psychological
development.
• Become more thoughtful and
language expand along with
exploration of the outside world
• Become athletically able and
understand friendships.
• Master fundamental reading,
writing and language skills.
Berk, 2013
Maria Montessori: Sensitive
Periods of Development
• Sensitivity to order: holding some type of
order in their lives.
• Sensitivity for Language: a baby hearing
his mothers voice, basic sentence
patterns, and accents of language
• Sensitivity to walking: the child is moving Sensitive periods are a sign that the child is
from being helpless to an active being.
ready to learn. Maria Montessori identified 6
• Sensitivity to the Social Aspects of Life:
The child becomes aware that he is major sensitive periods;
apart of a group.
• Sensitivity to Small Objects: As the child
becomes more mobile, he is drawn to
smaller objects like, pebbles and grass
• Sensitivity to Learning Through the
Senses: the child begins to realize he can
taste, touch, smell and hear.
Farley, A.(2015) Maria Montessori and her
‘Sensitive Periods‘. Retrieved from
https://www.iammontessori.com.au/blogs/n
ews/17958864-maria-montessori-and-her-
sensitive-periods
Professional Role

My role as your child's teacher is to give them every opportunity to thrive in

social, physical, cognitive and life skills. To promote language skills in not only
English, but offer learning in other languages added to English. “An early
childhood teacher must forthrightly hone his/her skills in promoting parenting
knowledge, parenting skills, collaborating with parents in instructional
decisions, communicating between home/school, advocating for increased
parent involvement”( Phajane, 2014). My goal is to create a school and
home atmosphere that involves the parent and introduce community
involvement where children will understand the importance of giving back.
“Facts and Statistics”
 Direct Assistance
According to Berk, direct assistance with child rearing will benefit the child and family if, “parents’
social networks and in youth-oriented community activities, other adults can influence children
directly through warmth, stimulation, and exposure to a wider array of competent models. In this way,
family–neighborhood ties can reduce the impact of ineffective parenting” (14.2).
 Class Size
Small class sizes with one teacher were proved to be successful, opposed to large class sizes with a
teacher and a full time teachers aide. Small classes from kindergarten through third grade were
predicted to have a higher success rate in 4th through 9th grade (Berk, 15.3).
 English Language Learners
English language learners, learn better in a classroom that uses active participation in English and
Spanish, not only one language (Berk, 9.9).
 Integrated Classrooms
“Many studies indicate that attending integrated classrooms leads to higher achievement,
educational attainment, and occupational aspirations among ethnic minority students—especially
when integration begins in the early grades” (Berk, 11.4).
 The Mesosystem is the second layer of
The Mesosystem: Family, Bronfenbrenner’s model of ecological
Community and school systems. It’s the connection of a child’s
connection home, school, neighborhood and peers.

• In school and home, if there are

healthy links between the two, it
will make child rearing more
supportive.
• Family-neighborhood interactions
are especially important for
economically disadvantaged
children because these families
are less able to transport their child
to extracurricular activities and
creates a problem in middle
childhood.

Ecological map[photo], 2017

Epstein’s 6 Types of
Involvement.
1. Parenting
2. Communicating
3. Volunteering
4. Learning at Home
5. Decision Making
6. Collaborating with Community

We want to implement this type of involvement skill in our school and community
Type 1:
Parenting

• According to Epstein, parenting

helps all families establish home
environments to support children
as students (Epstein, n.d).
• Support by meetings, workshops,
videos and phone messages.
Home visits and transportation.
• Challenges can surface when not
all information is given to parents
or information is only shared with
parents who can attend these
workshops and meetings.
• With parental support, students
have better attendance, parents
are aware of other challenges
parents face, and teachers gain
an understanding of students
diversity.
Type 2:
Communicating

• Hold conferences with parents once

a year, and give weekly or monthly
folders of students work and progress.
• Challenges occur when we do not
consider our parents who speak very
little English and we do not establish 2
way communication from school to
home and from home to school.
With better communication…
• Students will see their progress
• Parents will monitor and become
aware of child progression
• Teachers will be able to increase the
ability to understand family views on Teacher to parent communication[photo], 2006
children’s programs and progress.
(Epstein, n.d.)
Type 3:
Volunteering

• School and classroom volunteering

helps teacher, administrators,
students and other parents.
• Challenges begin when we fail to
recruit all families, they begin to
feel their talent is not wanted.
With Volunteering…
Students will have increase tutoring
and become aware of skills, talents
and occupations.
Parents will gain self confidence on
ability to work or take their own
educational path.
Teachers use greater individual
attention to students. Durahm Public School [photo], n.d.
(Epstein, n.d.)
Type 4:
Learning at Home
Provides information to families on how to
help students at home with homework and
• Provide information to families other activities (Epstein, n.d.).
about what homework pertains
and how it should be turned in.
• Challenges occur when a
schedule is not designed and not
interactive.
Learning at home will…
1. Allow students to view parents
more similar to teachers and
home as more school
2. Allow parents to appreciate
teaching skills
3. Allow teachers to become
satisfied with family involvement Kids learning at home[photo], 2011
and support.
Type 5:
Decision Making
• Become active in PTA/PTO and
committees for parent involvement.
• Provide information on school or local
elections for school representatives.

Challenges with Decision Making  Decision making means to include

• When we fail to including ALL parents parents and create parent leadership
no matter their ethnical, or religious
background
• Fail to include students along with
parents.
Decision Making will…
• Help students gain awareness of
school and local issues.
• Gives parents a voice
• Teachers become aware of how
important a parents perspective is in
the school system.

Epstein, J (n.d.)

Peck[photo], 2013
 “Identify and integrate resources and
Type 6:
services from the community to
Collaborating with
strengthen school programs, family
Community
practices, and student learning and
• Provide information on activities
development” ( Epstein, n.d.).
throughout the community to
families.
• Service the communities using
students, families and schools.
• Challenges surface when
matching community contributions
with school goals, and integrating
child and family service.
• Students gain access to specific
programs and service.
• Parents begin to interact with other
families in community activities. Portsmouth public schools[photo],n.d.
• Teachers become knowledgeable
in helping students and parents
find the resources they need.
We have now informed you all about the period of child development
in preschool and early elementary. Facts and statistics on providing
direct assistance with your child, how small class sizes are beneficial to
the child’s learning. How we can continue to assist with English
language learners in the classroom and how integrated classrooms
help to shape a better learning environment. Learning that the
mesosystem is the connection of all of theses things that Epstein
supported in a school and family type community.

Thank You!
References
• Berk, L. E. (2013). Child development. (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Retrieved from
https://content.ashford.edu/
• Ecological Map[photo], 2017. Retrieved from http://www.thenetcomgroup.com/ecological-
map.aspx
• Kids Learning at home[photo], 2011. Retrieved from http://faithfulprovisions.com/resources/kids-
free-educational-resources/kids-learning-at-home/
• Teacher to Parent Communication[photo], 2006. Retrieved from
http://www.maine.gov/education/communication.htm
• Peck, J.[photo], 2013. Retried from
http://www.madisoncity.k12.al.us/%3FL%3D1%26LMID%3D598334%26PN%3DBlog%26DivisionID%3D
13878%26DepartmentID%3D%26SubDepartmentID%3D%26Blog%3DPermalink%26id%3D6360
• Phajane, M.H. (2014)(vol.5,10). Exploring the Roles and Responsibilities of Early Childhood Teachers
Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/Guest/Downloads/2907-11436-1-PB.pdf
• School Social Work[photo], n.d. Retrieved from http://pps.k12.va.us/departments/departments_n-
_z/Youth%20Risk/school_social_work
• Volunteering in Our Schools[photo], n.d. Retrieved by https://www.dpsnc.net/domain/133