Day: August 11, 2023

Program Strategies for Family Engagement

From a program perspective, many strategies can help boost the level of family engagement. First and foremost, it will be necessary to create buy-in from two different audiences – your staff and the families enrolled in your program.

Work with staff to explore the benefits and possibilities that existed with enhanced family engagement. Meet teachers where they are and create goals suited for each individual or teaching team. Be sure to collaborate with teachers rather than taking a top-down approach. Help staff find training on the topics of family engagement, cultural responsiveness, and communication skills so that they have the confidence to engage with each family enrolled in the program.

Collaboration is going to be important when working with families as well. While it is true that not every family with be able to become (or interested in being) deeply involved with your program, chances are there are some families who would love to be involved in getting family engagement initiatives off the ground. Consider creating a committee made up of administrators, employees, and family members who will focus on coming up with realistic family engagement strategies for your program. Note: Realistic will mean something different to each program.

Here are some suggestions to help you get started:

• Create a comfortable space to meet with families. This area should be able to be made private in the event that sensitive conversations need to be conducted. The space can be used for family-teacher conversations or as a space for families to converse with one another.
• Create reasons for families to connect with each other, share resources, and work together.
• Host parent resource events at various times throughout the year. Get family feedback on the topics that are most important to them. Be sure to record these events and post the recordings for parents who were unable to attend. You could also host these events virtually, removing the need for families to come into the building for a meeting after hours.
• Ask local community resources to contribute to your resource library. Be sure to have a good contact number, email, or web address that families can use to access information. Highlight new resources in your regular newsletter or on social media.
• Ask enrolled family members to act as family mentors to newly enrolled families. Duties include general welcome-to-the-community tasks that help new families connect with the group.
• Make family engagement a selling point of your program. Before the family decides to enroll in your program, they should recognize the value you put on family engagement.

Again, there are numerous strategies that are not listed here including the traditional carnivals and child-centered events that families attend. See if you can think of ways to help parents connect during these popular events, either with one another, with your staff, or with the broader community.

For the main article Family Engagement Strategies, CLICK HERE

For the article Goals of Family Engagement, CLICK HERE

For the article Engaging with Diverse Families, CLICK HERE

For the article Family Engagement in the Classroom, CLICK HERE

Family Engagement in the Classroom

Too often, family engagement is seen as a responsibility of program management and while many initiatives are managed at the program level, there are many things teachers can do to engage with families in positive ways. Below is a list of strategies that teachers can put in place that show appreciation and value of individual families and their needs:

• Find out each family member’s preferred communication method (phone call, text, email, written note, etc.) and begin to use those methods whenever possible.
• Conduct family surveys or interviews (online, in person, or on paper) to learn more about the values families have related to early childhood education. You may learn that some families don’t realize the importance of early learning in preparing children for Kindergarten and beyond.
• Conduct family-teacher conferences throughout the year. Use this time to learn about the goals families have for children and work to create appropriate goals for their children. Provide appointment slots at different times of day and offer to conduct the meetings virtually, via phone, and in person.
• Provide parenting resources and information designed to help families understand child development. The CDC’s Learn the Signs. Act Early. is a great resource to share.  These resources will help families create realistic developmentally appropriate expectations for their children.
• Share activity ideas that promote development across all areas of development, not just cognitive development. Attempt to show families the importance of strengthening social and emotional development to prepare children for school in addition to cognitive skills.
• Enhance professional cultural competence skills through ongoing training and mentoring. There is always room to grow in the area of cultural responsiveness.
• Continue to include family photos and child-friendly family memorabilia in the classroom environment. Invite families to share stories, favorite songs, traditions, etc., which can be presented in person, via video, or through virtual meeting platforms if your program has the technology to communicate in this fashion in the classroom. This opens the door for family members outside of the immediate community to engage with your program.
• Model strategies that build the skills you are working on in the classroom. You can do this in person, via video, or virtual meetings.
• Utilize social media to engage with families. Ask questions, highlight student achievements, recognize specials event, and share resources. Follow all social media policies set forth by your program.

These are just a few ideas to enhance the level of family engagement in your classroom. Keep in mind that family members are unique and engagement strategies should not be one-size-fits-all!

Check with your state or program to see if there are additional resources. The MSDE Early Childhood Family Engagement Framework contains tons of ideas for you to consider.

For the main article Family Engagement Strategies, CLICK HERE

For the article Goals of Family Engagement, CLICK HERE

For the article Engaging with Diverse Families, CLICK HERE

For the article Program Strategies for Family Engagement, CLICK HERE