To increase parents’ readiness to be involved in children’s education, I would use personal conversations. I would explain to parents the tremendous positive influence of parental support on developing learners’ self-esteem, openness to new experiences, and self-concept when it comes to interpersonal communication (Couchenour & Chrisman, 2013). Regarding additional means of communication, I would encourage the creation of a chat room for parents to discuss upcoming events and exchange multimedia files, including photos and videos of past events. It would help me to strengthen connections between different parents and make them recognize the significant role of open events in their children’s socio-emotional development.
Well-known philosophies and theories would make my communication with parents more effective. I would cite Bronfenbrenner’s theory to explain the critical role of family-school connections in the formation of the mesosystem (Psychology Notes HQ, 2016). Additionally, I would make use of Olson’s circumplex model to show links between the amount/quality of time that relatives spend together and family cohesion (Couchenour & Chrisman, 2013). I would also rely on the family systems theory to inform parents about the potential impact of their poor involvement on children’s psychological health and motivation to learn (Couchenour & Chrisman, 2013). To further illustrate my points, I would share my observations as a teacher. For instance, I have noticed that the children of poorly involved parents may feel different from the group or become more withdrawn during school events when they see that other children’s parents are present and actively support their daughters and sons. Another observation is that young learners really want to be proud of their parents, and family participation in school events often satisfies this need.
The first suggestion regarding how to support children’s development refers to exposing developing learners to high-quality interactions, thus promoting the development of language skills. Instead of cursing in front of children or letting them consume any media products that they want, families should make sure that children are exposed to age-appropriate topics and constantly learn new words to express thoughts with clarity (Burger, 2015). The community can support families in working towards this goal by promoting cultural norms and the norms of communication, thus making use of milieu teaching (Burger, 2015). More than that, communities can take action to eliminate inappropriate influences on the youngest members.
The second suggestion refers to families and the community’s efforts to promote healthy habits, thus supporting timely physical development. Families have to make sure that young learners live a healthy lifestyle, understand why some choices are better than the other, and see that their older relatives live according to the same principles, which is why it is essential for the family to act as a role model. The community can further support the formation of healthy habits in children by popularizing healthier choices and creating a culture in which pernicious habits are not tolerated. For instance, instead of witnessing drunk or smoking adults in the streets, developing children should be surrounded by healthy families engaging in sports activities to build positive habits.
Thirdly, families and the community can create opportunities for communication between young children, thus supporting the early development of social skills. For instance, it is possible for families to serve as a good role model for children in terms of communication by avoiding unhealthy and unproductive conflicts in front of them. Families with more than one child can support children’s social development by teaching the values of compassion, generosity, and kindness to siblings, thus enabling children to find compromises with sisters and brothers. The community can provide further support by encouraging special events for kids and promoting community service projects for children to enable them to develop compassion and help their peers in hospitals, shelters, and so on.
References
Burger, K. (2015). Effective early childhood care and education: Successful approaches and didactic strategies for fostering child development. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 23(5), 743-760. Web.
Couchenour, D., & Chrisman, K. (2013). Families, schools, and communities: Together for young children (5th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Psychology Notes HQ. (2016). What is Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory?Web.