Family and Community Engagement

Summary

This video script emphasizes the importance of strong communication and cultural understanding in early childhood education. It highlights strategies for engaging families, such as flexible meeting times, multilingual resources, and recognizing individual family dynamics. The script underscores the value of involving families in their child's learning journey, ensuring a welcoming environment, and providing resources to support their child's development.

Takeaways

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 New Parent Orientation is crucial for explaining the program and its operations to families.
• 🌳 Learning through play is emphasized, recognizing it as a child's work and a key part of the program.
• 📞 Communication with families is flexible and can occur through various means like email, phone calls, or conferences.
• 🗣️ The importance of respectful and culturally responsive communication is highlighted, with authenticity and active listening as key.
• 🌐 Cultural context is considered in the classroom to ensure children and families feel they belong.
• 👪 Staff are encouraged to be open to families' questions and concerns, reflecting on their own assumptions and communication styles.
• 🌈 Celebrating children and families' cultural backgrounds is seen as a way to build community and welcome them.
• 🏡 Families are seen as experts on their children and their input is invaluable for the child's development.
• 📅 Regular family events and parent-teacher conferences help build trust and strong relationships.
• 🏢 The program values family involvement and provides resources and opportunities for parents to engage in their child's learning.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the New Parent Orientation mentioned in the script?

The New Parent Orientation is designed to inform families about the program's operations, including indoor and outdoor activities, emphasizing that learning occurs through play, which is considered a child's work.

How does the script highlight the importance of communication between the preschool and families?

The script underscores the significance of communication by suggesting various methods such as emails, phone calls, one-on-one conferences, and flexible meeting times to accommodate families' schedules.

What does the script suggest about the role of cultural responsiveness in communication?

The script emphasizes the importance of respectful and culturally responsive communication, advocating for authenticity, presence, and active listening to understand and accommodate diverse communication styles and cultural contexts.

How does the script address the flexibility required in communication with families?

The script suggests that staff must be flexible in their communication approaches, adapting to individual family needs, which may include adjusting meeting times or finding alternative ways to connect with families outside of regular program hours.

What is the significance of involving families in the preschool program as depicted in the script?

The script highlights that enrolling children in the program also means enrolling families, stressing the importance of building relationships with parents or caregivers and valuing their input as experts on their children.

How does the script discuss the role of families in a child's development?

The script positions families as the most significant people in a child's life, emphasizing their role as the child's first and most important teachers, and the importance of their involvement in the child's educational journey.

What strategies does the script propose to create a welcoming environment for families?

The script proposes various strategies such as greeting families with a smile, using multiple languages, involving families in decision-making, and creating an environment that reflects and values the family's culture and beliefs.

How does the script suggest involving families in their child's learning process?

The script suggests involving families through regular communication, parent workshops, curriculum nights, and parent-teacher conferences, ensuring that families are informed and engaged in their child's educational progress.

What is the script's stance on the importance of family engagement in early childhood education?

The script strongly advocates for family engagement, viewing it as a partnership where both the preschool and the family work together for the child's development, with the family's goals and expectations being integral to the educational process.

How does the script address the diversity in communication styles among families?

The script acknowledges the diversity in communication styles, suggesting that staff should be open to different ways of communicating, including storytelling, gestures, and smiles, and be willing to modify their own communication styles to meet the needs of different families.

What does the script imply about the role of community resources in supporting families?

The script implies that community resources play a crucial role in supporting families by providing additional services and assistance beyond the preschool's offerings, such as housing, healthcare, and other family support services.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Communication and Cultural Responsiveness in Early Childhood Education

The first paragraph emphasizes the importance of communication and cultural responsiveness in early childhood education. It discusses the New Parent Orientation, which introduces families to the program's operations and philosophy centered around play-based learning. The paragraph also highlights the need for flexible and authentic communication with families, taking into account their preferred methods and times. It underscores the significance of staff being open to families' questions and concerns, and the importance of creating an environment that reflects and respects the children's and families' cultural backgrounds.

05:03

🌐 Building Relationships with Diverse Families in Education

The second paragraph focuses on building relationships with families from diverse backgrounds. It stresses the value of understanding and respecting each family's unique values, beliefs, and practices. The paragraph discusses various ways to create a welcoming environment, such as using newsletters in home languages, providing resources in multiple languages, and celebrating cultural traditions. It also highlights the importance of daily interactions in creating a welcoming climate and the significance of involving families in their children's learning process through various events and activities.

10:03

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Engaging Families as Partners in Child Development

The third paragraph delves into engaging families as partners in their child's development. It talks about the benefits of parents being involved in the preschool community, learning from teachers, and becoming better parents themselves. The paragraph also discusses the importance of providing resources and support to help families navigate various challenges, such as housing or healthcare. It emphasizes the role of the school in connecting families with community resources and the value of professionals like librarians and nurses in enriching the educational experience.

15:04

🏡 Creating a Supportive Network for Families and Children

The fourth paragraph highlights the creation of a supportive network for families and children. It discusses the role of the school in identifying and connecting families with the necessary resources, such as housing, healthcare, and educational support. The paragraph also mentions the importance of involving underutilized professionals like librarians and nurses in the community to enhance the learning experience. It underscores the significance of building relationships with community partners and considering the best ways to provide families with resources that match their needs and help them achieve their goals.

Keywords

💡New Parent Orientation

New Parent Orientation refers to the initial process of familiarizing new parents with the program and its operations. In the video, it is described as a crucial step to ensure families understand the program's indoor and outdoor activities, as well as the philosophy that learning occurs through play. This orientation sets the stage for open communication and lays the foundation for a strong relationship between the educational institution and the families.

💡Communication

Communication in this context is the exchange of information and ideas between the preschool staff and the families. The video emphasizes the importance of flexible and authentic communication to build trust and understanding. It mentions various modes of communication, including emails, phone calls, and one-on-one conferences, and stresses the need for staff to be adaptable to different family needs and preferences.

💡Cultural Responsiveness

Cultural Responsiveness is the approach of acknowledging and valuing the cultural backgrounds of the children and families. The video discusses the necessity of creating an environment that respects and incorporates cultural diversity, making families feel that they and their children belong. This is exemplified by the staff's efforts to communicate in multiple languages and to include cultural elements in the classroom.

💡Play-based Learning

Play-based Learning is an educational approach where children learn through play, which is considered their natural form of work. The video script mentions this concept as central to the preschool's program, highlighting that children like Benji are encouraged to use language and develop skills while engaging in play activities such as sliding.

💡Family Involvement

Family Involvement denotes the active participation of family members in the child's educational journey. The video underscores the significance of involving parents and other family members in various events and activities, which not only strengthens the home-school connection but also enriches the child's learning experience. Examples include family events, curriculum nights, and parent-teacher conferences.

💡Flexibility

Flexibility in the video refers to the preschool's willingness to adapt its hours and methods to accommodate the diverse needs of families. This could mean scheduling meetings outside of regular hours or using different communication channels to ensure that all families can engage with the school effectively.

💡Authenticity

Authenticity is the concept of being genuine and sincere in interactions with families. The video stresses the importance of being real, present, and attentive when communicating with families to foster a sense of trust and respect. Authenticity is key to establishing meaningful relationships that enhance the educational process.

💡Cultural Context

Cultural Context is the understanding and incorporation of the cultural backgrounds and values of the families into the educational setting. The video mentions the importance of considering cultural context to create an inclusive environment where children and families feel welcomed and valued for their unique identities.

💡Parent as Expert

Parent as Expert recognizes the parents' deep knowledge and understanding of their children, making them the primary authority on their child's needs and development. The video script highlights the preschool's approach to value and incorporate parents' insights and goals for their children, treating them as partners in the educational process.

💡Community Resources

Community Resources are the various services and support systems available outside the preschool that can assist families with their needs. The video discusses the role of the preschool in connecting families with relevant resources, such as housing, healthcare, and educational materials, to support their well-being and development.

💡Wrap-around Services

Wrap-around Services are comprehensive supports that address the various needs of children and families beyond the scope of traditional educational services. The video mentions these services as an integral part of the preschool's approach to ensure that children's medical, dental, and other holistic needs are met, contributing to their overall development.

Highlights

New Parent Orientation is crucial for explaining the program's operations and philosophy to families.

Learning through play is emphasized, as it is considered a child's work.

Communication with families is vital and can occur through various channels like email, phone calls, or conferences.

Flexibility in communication hours is necessary to accommodate families' schedules.

Authentic and respectful communication is key to building trust with families.

Cultural responsiveness in communication is essential for inclusivity.

Cultural context is integrated into the classroom to make families feel they belong.

Different communication styles are acknowledged, and staff are encouraged to adapt their approach.

Families are invited to be part of the preschool journey and are encouraged to ask questions and raise concerns.

Staff should reflect on their own communication style and be open to modifying it to suit the families' needs.

Families' cultural practices, such as greetings, are valued and incorporated into the daily routine.

The importance of understanding and respecting the diversity of family values and practices is highlighted.

Materials like newsletters and books are provided in the home languages of the families.

Families are welcomed to celebrate their cultural traditions within the preschool community.

A welcoming climate is created through daily interactions and multiple points of inquiry.

Families are enrolled as part of the program, emphasizing the importance of building relationships with them.

Families are considered experts on their children and their input is invaluable for the child's development.

Various events and activities are organized to involve parents and build a sense of community.

Parent-teacher conferences are held twice a year to discuss children's goals and progress.

Families are encouraged to participate in their child's learning process in ways that are comfortable for them.

Information and resources are provided to support families in their child's development.

Families are invited to share their expertise and participate in activities at the preschool.

The importance of understanding family dynamics and providing support tailored to their specific needs is discussed.

Resources are gathered and provided to families to address various needs beyond the preschool environment.

Professionals from the community are invited to contribute to the program and support family needs.

The program aims to provide resources in multiple formats to ensure accessibility for all families.

Transcripts

♪♪♪

[speaking in a foreign language]

When a family comes to enroll,

we have a New Parent Orientation where we're talking to them

about what our program is and how our program works.

We want families to know what we do here,

and how our program operates,

so we talk about our indoor program.

We talk about our outdoor program.

We talk about the fact that learning is done through play,

and play is a child's work.

So today, Benji, he was playing in the slide,

and he was using a lot more language.

Have you noticed he's been using more language in the home?

Oh, yeah, at home he's a little chatterbox.

(Kimberly Nall) Oftentimes,

the only times we get to have communication

with them is during drop-off and pick-up,

and then there's a whole lot of unknown in the middle,

unless you have real strong communication.

And for some families, that might be e-mail.

For some families that might be a mid-day phone call.

For some, it might be a one-on-one conference.

I think that we have to be flexible.

I really do, and you know, sometimes that means

that our hours have to be flexible.

If their best time is 6:30 at night,

and our program closes at 5:30, 6:00,

we might need to find a way to meet with them at 6:30 at night,

or at, you know, 7 o'clock in the morning,

and asking and finding what works best for you.

There's no one way or quote-unquote right way

of doing this.

And how important it is for respectful,

culturally responsive communication,

how important it is for that to take place,

and the best way for that to take place is to be authentic,

to be real, to be present, and to listen.

And to remember that communication happens

a lot of different ways.

It's verbal. It's nonverbal.

It's through the power of storytelling.

It's through a nod, a gesture, a smile.

It's all of those things.

Thinking about the whole business of cultural context

and how we bring that into the classroom

so that both the children and the families,

when they walk into that room,

feel like it's a place where they belong.

There are different communication styles,

and that's not just always wrapped up

in a particular culture or ethnic response.

It could be individual temperaments,

dynamics, personalities that create that.

And sometimes that may mean I might have to think

a little bit differently about how I communicate.

Some families might have to tell a story

before they get to a point,

and I may not be that type of communicator,

but how do I develop some level of flexibility,

some level of engagement, and to understand that

this is what this family needs

in order to get to where they're looking to go,

and maybe this is what they need to share with me for me

to be able to honor where it is that we're going.

[speaking in a foreign language]

(Louise Piper) Staff needs to be

open to the fact that in that invitation

to families to join us on this journey that we're undertaking

during the preschool years, it also means permission,

encouragement, the invitation to ask any question,

to raise any concern.

And for us to be open and willing to look at ourselves

and our own assumptions, really reflect on what

we bring to the table,

know our own identity, our own communication

and interaction style, and understand that sometimes

we need to modify what comes naturally to us,

and welcome our families in a way

that creates environments that are familiar to them.

When Nicholas comes in in the morning,

one of the things that their family values is to go to

every single person and say, "Good morning."

And the same thing when he leaves.

They value it so much.

So any time that we can go and make sure that we connect

with him, go out of your way.

When conflict occurs or when there's a difference in values,

beliefs, and practices, that if we can begin to think about

communication from the perspective of,

"I really want to get to know this family,"

and believing that the Jackson family is not the same

as the Rodriguez family.

It's not the same as the Shahinian family.

The way that you create your environment is really essential

to the relationship you build with families.

When you have newsletters and information that goes home

to families, that it's written in their home language.

If you have somebody in the program that can speak

to the family in their home language,

to having books and resources available

that are also in all of the languages,

if possible, of the families and children

that are in your center.

One of the things that teachers want to do is they want

to help the family feel like their background,

their culture beliefs, are really valued by the community,

by the preschool community.

And so one of the things that they want to do is welcome

a child's beliefs, the family's beliefs,

in the classroom to celebrate those.

And so knowing about the beliefs,

knowing about the background,

knowing about the cultural traditions

can help start up a conversation,

can help have the family feel welcomed into the community.

The welcoming climate is created daily,

and it's with that first point of contact.

Something as simple as did we greet you with a smile?

Did we say hello in more than one language?

Culturally, there's so many different ways of letting people

know that it is a welcoming community.

Making sure that over the course of the year,

we do have multiple points of inquiry where we ask,

"How well do we serve you?"

It's really important when we're creating our environments

to consider all of the families and the children

and their culture and their language in all aspects,

and the very first aspect of that is developing

an environment where the family feels that when they walk in,

they're welcome.

And their children are going to be safe and cared for,

and cared for in a way that is relevant to

that child and family.

(Cheryl Williams-Jackson) When we enroll children in our programs,

we actually are enrolling families,

which means we really must work on building the relationships

with the parents or the grandparents,

whoever it is that has some meaning in the child's life.

(Louise Piper) We really believe

children and their extended family members

are the most significant people in the lives

of the children that we serve.

A kiss on the feet?

Where's your feet?

(Louise Piper) Our families are the experts

on their children.

They are their child's first and most important teachers,

and their input is invaluable to us.

So it's building relationship with the family,

listening to the family, finding out what the family's goals

and expectations are for the child.

And then figuring out

with the family what's the best way to address that,

and how can we work together for the benefit of

that child's development?

How about his drawing?

Is he getting stronger with his pen-holding?

You know, he is starting to correct it a lot more quickly.

He'll start off fisting it,

but then with working with other manipulatives,

I'm seeing him correct it

in a shorter period of time.

(Minie Lopez) In order to really build strong relationships

with families, we have to do that when they start,

because that's the moment you can assure them that

you're the person they can come to if they need support.

And then we have a lot of different events and things.

We have a monthly family event, and we have themes and

celebrations together so that parents can network together,

and it gives us an opportunity to be with parents

doing fun activities.

We have parent evenings and curriculum nights where we're

informing them about what their children are doing,

and we do two parent/teacher conferences a year.

Two a year really gives us the opportunity to talk to them

about what their children's goals are and how we can

follow up with them, and that really builds trust,

because they know that we have their children's best interests

at heart.

Should we try to make another layer on the house?

That's yours.

We can do it together, 'cause you put two of them on

and I put two of them on.

It was a team effort.

Are you building with your mom?

(female) Every time I have a co-op,

I learn something from the teachers.

I usually go home and say to my husband,

"You would never believe what they did with this conflict,"

where they actually had the children resolve it themselves,

instead of telling the children what to do.

So every time I'm here, I feel like I become a better parent.

"That's terribly kind of you, Fox,

"but no.

I'm going to have lunch with a gruffalo."

I travel a lot for work, so if I'm gone,

I know that I can go and set him up like I did now,

and read him a story and get him used to the environment,

and then when I leave, that he's going to kind of seamlessly

blend in and feel at home here.

So it helps a lot.

You want to paint with us?

Did you finish your sign?

(female) My daughter's in a day care

where I'm not involved at all,

and I don't know those families.

I don't know the parents or the kids,

and here, when I come in, I kind of get excited to see

the children and to hang out with them,

and to just to make those relationships, too.

And it's fun to see who she chooses to become

closer friends with.

So setting the stage for making the connections we need

to in order to ensure that families feel welcome,

that families know there's an open-door policy,

that if it's comfortable for them to come in and spend time

with us and just observe, and just be together,

enjoying informal interactions, that that invitation to come in

isn't only when it benefits us or there's something we need.

That living with our families is the way

we make those connections.

Because it is a partnership, so we want to make sure that

they have the resources they need to always be their child's

advocate, teacher, and nurturer.

So one of the things we do on a weekly basis is send home

information that's going to help parents understand

the different approaches to helping,

with either language development

or any other cognitive development.

In addition to that,

we invite them to partake in weekly parent orientation

or parent workshop where they can learn

additional strategies,

strategies that perhaps you would not have learned

unless you went into education per se

or had that kind of training.

We have many families who come and will spend the day

with us if we're doing different activities.

Our major family activities are in the evening,

though, so that all families can come,

because we are respectful of the fact that they do work

and they may not take time off.

We have--it's called Connect Ed, so it's a phone system where it

will call each family and give them a message for us.

So we will call them and say, "We're trying to build up

"our messy building material outside,

and we're asking can you please bring us some twigs?"

And they do.

Parents participate in a myriad of ways.

We want to make sure we have opportunities that allow

busy parents to feel and to be involved.

Did you see these?

They have really taken off with them.

So okay, so they fit the cars nice?

Perfect.

Okay, well, let me know if you guys ever need any more.

(Louise Piper) Families don't need a reason to come in.

They spend time with us throughout the day.

They come in to do carpentry projects,

to read aloud in home language.

We've had families who really enjoy gardening,

and so families have come in to share their expertise

with gardening.

We also want to be sure that parents have ways to engage with

us and be involved in their child's learning at school

in ways that are comfortable to them.

So what, you just need this--

See, because what you gave us was perfect,

because--

It'll sit.

So that they can kind of flatten it out.

Just flatten a little so it sits.

Okay, I'll ask him.

We want to know if there's any special things going on

in their family.

Is grandma raising the child?

Are mom and dad together?

Do multiple families live in the same household?

Who is the child interacting with?

So we're looking at this information because that all

impacts children, and many times,

families will tell you right away,

"This is what's happening,"

and sometimes it comes a little bit later

as they get to know the staff a little bit better.

You know, if they say, "I'm struggling with this,

or I'm having this problem," then we provide them with some

resources that we know that are within the community.

We found out from families what resources they need during

our intake process, during our family surveys that we do.

I have a parent advisory club that meets monthly.

And always assessing what they're needing.

And because we create this environment where parents feel

welcome and trusted, they're going to come to me

all the time.

"Christie, I'm having problems with housing.

How can you help me?"

Because I'm very engaged in our community,

I'm able to bring resources in

through our Head Start partnership,

our partnerships with the school district,

with the county Office of Education,

with the non-profit agencies.

So we're constantly getting e-mails,

or I'm out in the community getting those resources.

It's easy to say, "Here's the brochure.

"Here's the number.

You know, this is the agency that you call."

Sometimes families have a really hard time

mustering up the strength

or even having the information to be able to engage

in that call.

Oftentimes I won't give the resources to a family cold,

but I myself will call first, because I want to make sure it's

still viable, but also that they're going to be treated

well, because not everybody feels as though seeking

assistance is a sign of strength.

Sometimes it's a real difficult thing to do.

(Senta Greene) Helping them to think about

the types of questions that that agency

or that program might ask them,

what types of documents do they need to have available and handy

for themselves, so that when those questions are asked,

they're readily available and they're accessible,

and that they're successful in that process.

It's looking at the needs of the population,

and understanding what parents want for their children,

and the vision that they bring, so it's asking them,

"What are your needs?"

And looking at it not just from the cognitive domain,

but really from the whole child.

So making sure that one, their medical needs

are being attended to, their dental needs.

Doing a lot of wrap-around services so that if a parent

approaches us and says, you know,

"I'm looking for housing," that we can actually bring 'em into

contact with someone who's gonna support them with that need.

I constantly carry around a little notebook that has

all the resources that are in the county.

The idea is that when a family needs something,

that someone there to give them a little information

or to help them out, because at that moment,

they're in such stress that they may not know how to go

and research that information.

Also, there are professionals out there who are being

underutilized by our programs.

Can you shake 'em loud?

Ready?

[children singing]

Like, for instance, librarians,

bringing 'em in to read a story or to recommend certain books,

because there are librarians out there who really have

an understanding of what new books are being introduced,

and having those conversations about,

you know, "Here's how you can use this book

in your classroom."

That's one thing, and then nurses also.

We have connections with doctor's offices as we're

talking about childhood obesity, nutrition,

looking at healthy families and having parents cook healthy.

So we include all of that into our program with our children,

as well as providing those resources for families.

I intentionally build up those relationships,

because I know what it can do for the children

and their families.

And so now I have this relationship where I'm able to

bring them in, and they donate their time to come in and talk

and be with the children for an hour or two.

Inviting the people to come into their center,

but also coming out of the center

and going to those programs,

I think is incredibly important.

And also thinking about the types of resources

that are identified for families.

Are these resources the best match or a good match

for the family?

And are we thinking about multiple ways to provide

families with resources?

It is always print, or are there avenues and other mechanisms

that we could use to help support

the family's understanding about a resource

or a community agency that will help that family

achieve the goal that they're striving for?

♪♪♪