Presentation to AmeriCorps VISTA members 10/18/2012, by Ebyan Abdulle, Minnesota Literacy Council

1. Parental Engagement
By Ebyan Abdulle
10/18/2012

2. Ice Breaker Activity
• What’s your definition of parental
involvement?
• Describe one strategy/resource you have used
successfully on engaging parents.
• What are one or two burning questions you
hope will be answered in this session?

3. What is the definition on parental
involvement
• Parental involvement refers to the amount of
participation a parent has when it comes to
schooling and his or her child's life.

4. What are the major factors of Parental
engagement?
• The extent to which parents believe that they
can have a positive influence on their
children’s education.
• Parents’ beliefs about what is important and
necessary for them to do with and on behalf
of their children.
• Parents’ perception that their children and
school want them to be involved.

5. When Parents Should Get Involved
• The earlier the better.
• School age children spend 70% of their time
outside of school.
• The most effective forms of parent
engagement are those which engage parents
in working directly with their children on
learning activities at home.

6. Children English School Parenting Class

7. Children English School Parenting Class

8. Children English School Parenting Class

9. Home Visiting Session

10. Group Activity
• Maria, her husband Mario and their son John
came to the USA in March. John is 7 years old. He
is in first grade but his education level is pre-
kindergarten. At home he plays games and
watches TV all the time. He never had guidance
or discipline from his parents. John has a
physical disability and that is why his parents let
him do whatever he wants.
• Describe one or two strategies to help Maria and
Mario.

11. Involved Parent
• Establish a daily family routine.
• Model the value of learning, hard work and
self-discipline.
• Encourage reading, writing, and discussion
among family members.
• Monitor out-of-school activities.
• Express high but realistic expectations for
achievement.

12. Epstein’s Framework of Parental
Involvement

13. 1st Type of Involvement
• Help all families
establish home
Parenting
environments to
support children as
students.

14. Parenting
• Parent education and other courses or training
for parents.
• Family support programs to assist families
with health, nutrition, trauma, other services.
• Home visits at transition points to pre-
school, elementary, middle, and high school.

15. 2nd Type of Involvement
• Design effective forms of
school-to-home and
Communicating
home-to-school
communications about
school programs and
children’s progress.

16. Communicating
• Conferences with every parent at least once a
year.
• Language translators to assist families as
needed.
• Regular schedule of useful notices, phone
calls, newsletters, memos, and other
communications.

17. 3rd Type of Involvement
• Recruit and organize parent help and support .
Volunteering

18. Volunteering
• School and classroom volunteer program to
help teachers, administrators, students, and
other parents.
• Parent room or family center for volunteer
work, meetings, and resources for families.
• Annual postcard survey to identify all available
talents, times, and locations of volunteers.

19. 4th Type of Involvement
• Provide information and
Leaning At ideas to families about
Home
how to help students at
home with homework
and other curriculum-
related activities,
decisions, and planning.

20. Learning At Home
• Information for families on skills required for
students in all subjects at each grade.
• Information on homework policies and how to
monitor and discuss schoolwork at home.
• Family participation in setting student goals.

21. 5th Type of Involvement
• Include parents in
Decision school decisions, and
Making
develop parent leader
and representatives.

22. Decision Making
• Active PTA/PTO or other parent organizations,
advisory councils, or committees for parent
leadership and participation.
• Independent advocacy group to lobby and
work for school reform and improvements.
• Networks to link all families with parent
representatives.

23. 6th Type of Involvement
• Identify and integrate
Collaborating resources and services
With
Community from the community to
strengthen school
programs, family
practices, and student
learning and
development.

24. Collaborating With Community
• Information for students and families on
community health, cultural, recreational,
social support, and other programs/services.
• Information on community activities that link
to learning skills and talents, including
summer programs for students.

25. Group Activity
• If you could give anonymous advice to one set
of parents you know about how they are
raising their kids, what would you tell them?
• If you could change one thing to make life
easier for your children, what would you do?
• If you could determine the careers of your
children, what would you have them do,
assuming they would be successful at it?

26. Questions

27. References:
• http://www.eed.state.ak.us/standards/pdf/pa
rent_involvement.pdf