Develop a Family Engagement Plan Assignment

Overview:

Family engagement is a vital part of the role of an early childhood practitioner. Strong communication and a positive relationship with a child's family supports the child's growth and development, both at home and at school.

In this assignment, students will reflect on the principles of effective family engagement, including the benefits of and barriers to meaningful engagement to all parties involved. Students will then develop a family engagement plan that fosters reciprocal communication and problem solving in support of children's learning and development. This plan must reflect core class (Incredible Years Pyramid) principles, addredd the barriers already identified, and be respectful of the diversity of the children's families and communities.

Background

In addition to the information on family engagement from your text and class discussions, please read the attached handout, outlining the 6 Principles of Effective Family Engagement as determined by NAEYC. These sources of information, as well as your own experience, should from the basis upon which you develop your family engagement plan.

Develop a Family Engagement Plan

Please answer the following questions about family engagement in order to develop a family engagement plan. Please note that this is not meant to be a report of things you already do, but instead, is meant for you to be innovation...challenge yourself to develop new ideas for things you can do throughout this year that expand upon what you already are doing in ways that are consistent with what you are learning in class. All answers should be detailed and complete, using college level writing and incorporation and vocabulary from class.

An electronic copy of this assignment will be provided to you. Please type your answer underneath each question in this list, using as much space as necessary to provide complete and detailed answers. Please return only the question pages with a title page attached. The title page should include the name of the assignment, your name, Assignment number and section and date. If you reference any outside sources, please cite them on a Works Cites page. Your competed assignment should be printed out and stapled to be turned in on the date due.

Family Engagement Plan Questions:

1. A) List and describe at least 2 new/additional ways that you will build positive relationship WITH families at the beginning of the year. How do these build what you are already doing? Why is this important?

B) Please list and describe at least 2 new/additional ways that you will promote positive relationship AMONG families. How do these build upon what you are already doing? Why is this important?

2. A) Identify 3 barriers to family engagement that you have experienced in your program.

B) How will your plans to build positive relationships be designed to address these barriers to family engagement you identified in question 2A?

3. A) How,when, and about what sorts of things should you communicate with families?

B) How will you improve upon how, when, and/or about what you communicate with families in order to strengthen positive relationship and foster family engagement ?

4. How will you communicate your expectations to families about their involvement ?
5. Keeper in mind that the physical environment effects family engagement, both at a classroom level and program level, how would you arrange your physical space (e.g., your classroom, hallways, common areas) to promote family engagement ?
6. What events or activities will you plan during the year that will encourage meaningful, reciprocal, and effective family engagement? List at least 2 and talk about HOW/in what way your plans promote family engagement. (Remember, these should be new and innovative, not something you already do!)
7. How will these events/activities be designed to address barriers identified in questions 2A? For example, if transportation to your center is a barrier, you must articulate your plan for either a transporting families; or b encouraging family involvement for families who are NOT able to attend events on site.
8. What efforts will you make to engage families when it comes to addressing child challenges?
9. How does your understanding of diversity in your community influence/inform the plans you developed?