This course will examine ways of creating an environment where parents and teachers work in partnership for the education of young children. Attitude, understanding and skills which lead to effective communication and cooperation between home and school will be shared and explored.

Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of the course, you should be able to

• Describe the importance of family-teacher partnerships to improve educational outcomes for students
• Discuss different types of communication with families, effective communication tools, and challenges to communication
• Explain how the classroom environment and curriculum can reflect a family-centric approach
• Identify key principles of home-school partnerships

Topics Include

• Parent Profiles
• Family-Teacher Partnerships
• Communication with Families
• Classroom & Curriculum
• Families as Teaching Partners
• Welcoming Families

Additional Information

Together we will explore effective and productive ways of engaging parents and families in partnering with day care, preschool, and other school professionals on their children's education. Current research and best practices in the field of early childhood will be presented.

Effective partnering with parents begins with our understanding of what families do at home and in the community to support their children’s learning and development. It also means providing systems of ongoing communication that engage families of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) identifies effective family engagement as an important and necessary practice of early childhood educators.