Family and Community Involvement

Course Description

This course provides an awareness of the general interdependence of culture, family, and child. Specific goals and functions of various societies, as well as the impact of social stress on families, are examined. The course also focuses on urban problems such as class differences, parental expectations, and academic learning. The development of knowledge and appropriate strategies for planning family and community members' participation in socio-cultural and learning activities are stressed.

Topics and Objectives

Family and Community Characteristics

• Define the concepts of family, community, and culture.
• Examine the significance of socio-economic conditions, home language, cultural values, ethnicity, and community resources on early childhood.
• Examine the historical perspectives of family influence on the learning, social, and cultural development of young children.
• Analyze the influence of the home, school, and community in the development of young children.
• Examine the involvement and integration of families into school programs from a historical perspective.
• Analyze the influence of the media on early childhood.

The Family System

• Examine the historical view of families.
• Identify family structures, functions, forms, life cycle, and trends.
• Examine the theoretical perspective for understanding families.
• Examine the aspects of family life that influence the development of a child.
• Examine the impact of the family in crisis and its effect on the learning environment.
• Examine the inherent values of contemporary families, their lifestyles, and the stress they create in their members.
• Identify strategies for fostering communication and relationships with families.

Roles and Responsibilities of the Home, Family, and Early Childhood Educators

• Analyze the role of parents/caregivers as primary teachers of young children.
• Identify the role of early childhood educators as facilitators for family integration in the learning environment.
• Examine the influences of positive family-child interactions on developmental and educational outcomes.
• Identify the roles that families and teachers share in supporting children's education.
• Identify strategies to include families in curriculum planning, program development, assessment of learning, and transition planning.

Cultural Diversity

• Describe the concept of social diversity.
• Identify instructional strategies that integrate an awareness of cultural diversity and cultural practices for all children.
• Examine the cultural differences and inherent values of contemporary families.

Family and Community Involvement

• Examine the theoretical models and approaches of family and parent involvement in early childhood programs.
• Examine different models of home-school collaboration.
• Evaluate the effectiveness and appropriateness of family and community involvement.
• Identify barriers to the collaboration process.
• Identify the resources and community support systems available to families (agencies, transportation, business and community support, etc.)
• Identify techniques for building positive relationships with families and community members.