The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland [605775]

The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland
Partnerships with Families and Communities 83How to Build Partnerships that Work: Davies’ Three Basic Principles
Successful partnerships are based on reciprocity . This means that all those involved in the partnership—
school, family, and community—have overlapping responsibilities for children’s learning. Each needs the
help of the others in formal and informal structures.
Developing effective partnerships is a democratic process . Partnerships should recognize the different
interests, races, religions, and educationa l status of its participants, and shou ld be prepared to resolve conflicts
through the democratic processes of mediation, negotiation, and compromise.
Effective partnerships provid e a variety of opportunities . A comprehensive program of partnerships will
include such elements as parent education, family support, volunteer activities, good communication,
opportunities to participate in decision making, and strategies that foster children’s learning at home and in the community.
From: Davies, D. (2000). How to build partnerships that work. Principal 80 (1) Partnerships with Families and
Communities

Creating effective partnerships be tween schools, parents, and commun ities isn’t just a nice idea.
It’s a necessity . Davies, 2000

Partnerships in education build bridges between families, communities, and schools. As children
interact with the people, places and things asso ciated with the family, the immediate community,
and beyond, they extend their horizons to develop the attitudes, skills, and knowledge they need to
become effective citizens.

In order to provide the best possible education, schools must
partner with families and communities. True partnerships are
based on mutual respect. Teacher s respect and value parents’
knowledge and insights about th eir children. Parents respect
and value teachers’ knowledge a nd insights about the learning
process and understanding childre n’s educational needs. In a
school-family-community partne rship, all members of the
community recognize changing family needs in order to raise
children in an environment that provides the conditions for
health, safety, and learning.
Every adult has a stake in the education and welfare of children. It is essential for adults to build
bridges in order to work together so children are healthy and safe. It is important to provide children
with a rich and supportive learning environment. Schools, families, and community members must
recognize these common goals and work together for the sake of children.

The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland
Partnerships with Families and Communities 84School-Family-Community Partnerships
A family-centered perspective is essential to the success of the school-family-community
partnership. The importance of involving parents in the education of th eir children cannot be
overestimated. Teachers must always remember that parents are the child’s first teachers and that a
partnership between home and school benefits children, families, and teachers alike.

The unique cultural, ethnic, and language aspects of each community, as well as its rural or urban
nature, offer both opportunities and challenges for establishing responsive partnerships. Teachers
and administrators must not assume that a lack of parental involvement means non-caring. They
must work to understand the barriers that keep some parents from being more involved in their
child’s education.

Family-friendly schools must reach out to parents and the community to develop multiple ways to
work together so everyone benef its and feels valued. Davies (2000) offers five recommendations to
help principals build partnerships with families and the community:
Five Recommendations

Look first to your teachers . Teachers are the most important link in the success of any partnership
effort. They can provide guidance for families on se tting realistic expectations, monitoring and helping
with homework. And selecting appropriate books and learning materials. Unfortunately, many
partnerships are developed with little or no teacher input. In stead, teachers are told to “just do it,”
which can doom the effo rt from the start.

Principals should seek teacher input and encourag e teachers to develop their own learn-at-home
materials for parents to use. Becau se parent-teacher conferences have been proven to be an effective
way to build trust and cooperation among the partners, they should be held at least twice a year, last at
least a half-hour, and focus on student work. The fleeting teacher-parent conf erences traditionally held
during open houses don’t contribute much.
Make your school family-friendly . There is good evidence that schools that are friendly and
welcoming to family members have an easier time creating successful partners hip programs. Here are
some ways schools can create a family-friendly environment:
ƒ Establish a parent or family center within the school
ƒ Offer good, frequent, and user-friendly communication
ƒ Provide good after-school programs that involve parents and community organizations
ƒ Organize social activities for teachers and families
ƒ Provide parent education and family literacy programs
ƒ Have programs that link families to needed health and social services

Obviously, these programs will be more successf ul if they are accompanied by a friendly and
respectful attitude that can be communicated in many different ways; smiles, pleasant greetings, signs and decorations that recognize the different languages and cultures in the community; and a clean,
bright, and inviting ambiance.

The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland
Partnerships with Families and Communities 85Reach into your community . If educational equity is the goal, then school and parent leaders must
reach out to those in the community who are consider ed hard to reach. Here are three practical ideas
suggestions:
ƒ Train volunteer parents and community residents to visit families at home, where they can provide
information about school programs and services, o ffer ideas about how to help children study at
home, answer questions, and respond to requests.
ƒ Go where the people are. Reach out to parents and other family members in community settings
supermarkets, hairdressers, churches, mosques, fast food restaurants, social service agencies, and
health clinics. In these informal settings, it may be easier to talk to them and listen to their
concerns.
ƒ Work with health and social service agencies. Th is means making information and services more
accessible by offering them at the school, an agency, or a convenien t community setting.
Seek increased responsibility by families . For any school-family-community partnership to be
successful, all three must be accountable. But all families sometimes need he lp, and many who live in
poverty or in unstable settings need more help than others. Principals don’t have to be social workers
to help these families meet their child-rearing responsibilities. By engaging the help of public and
private community agencies and organizations, religious institutions, and employers, the school can
work within the community to offer supports and strengthen the ability of families to do the right thing
by their children.

Understand that a partnership is a two-way
street . School success and community success are
linked. Schools reflect their communities and vice
versa. Principals can take the lead in connecting
education with the community’s economic and
social development. In this regard, schools and their
staffs have much to offer to the community: access
to physical facilities, such as computer labs, gyms,
meeting rooms, and playgrounds; access to the
expertise, talents, and skills of teachers and
administrators; students who serve the community
through service projects; an d training in computer
and Internet use for community members.

Schools also are employers, who can hire local residents, and purchasers, who can buy from local
merchants. They also are neighbors who can join neighborhood projects such as crime watches,
cleanup campaigns, neighborhood gardens, food banks, and cooperative purchasing. Partnerships work
best when the relationship represents an exchange of benefits between schools and community
organizations.

For schools to really close the educational gap, they need to develop partnerships and implement
programs that are carefully designed, with input from all affected groups, that are consistent with the
principles outlined above, and faithfully executed. W ith strong leadership from the principal, this
prescription can produce successful partnerships that will change the culture of the school, benefit all
participants, and help all students achieve at higher levels.

The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland
Partnerships with Families and Communities 86Six Types of School-Family -Community Involvement

Based on her research identifying six types of sc hool-family-community involvement, Joyce Epstein
has developed a framework to assist the developm ent of partnerships and strengthen support for
learning. Schools may use the framework to guide th eir decisions about pract ices that will help
achieve goals and meet the needs of students and families. Each type presents unique opportunities
and challenges for expanding the ways school s, families, and communities work together.

ƒ Parenting
ƒ Communicating
ƒ Volunteering
ƒ Learning at home
ƒ Decision-making
ƒ Collaborating with the community

Parenting
Schools provide assistance to families in relation to
families’ basic obligations to:
ƒ Ensure children’s health and safety
ƒ Acquire parenting and child-rearing skills based on understanding child development.
ƒ Supervise and provide guidance for children at each age level.
ƒ Provide positive home conditions that encourage learning and appropriate behavior in school.

Communicating
Schools have a basic obligation to:
ƒ Communicate about th e Primary Program.
ƒ Communicate children’s progress.
ƒ Communicate in a variety of formats such as memos, reports, conferences, telephone calls,
newsletters, informal convers ations, e-mail, and websites.
ƒ Communicate frequently so information is timel y and in a language understood by all parents.
ƒ Provide oral and written transl ation in other languages, as needed, to reach all parents.
ƒ Encourage parents to communicate openly to share information and express concerns.

Volunteering
Families help schools when they:
ƒ Volunteer to assist teachers, administrators, and children in the classroom or other areas.
ƒ Come to school to support children’s particip ation in the arts and other school events.
ƒ Attend school workshops and other program s for their own training and education.
Schools encourage volunteerism when they: ƒ
Create flexible schedules and multiple ways for parents to volunteer.
ƒ Match talents and interests of parent s to needs of students and teachers.

The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland
Partnerships with Families and Communities 87Parent involvement is the participation of parents
in every facet of the education and development of children, from birth to adulthood…Parent
involvement takes many forms, including the
parent’s shared responsibilities in decisions about children’s education, health and well-
being, as well as the parent’s participation in
organizations that reflect the community’s collaborative aspirations for all children.

National PTA Board of Directors, 1990 Learning at Home
Parents support schools and children’s learning at
home when they:
ƒ Encourage and model positive attitudes toward
learning and the school.
ƒ Provide support for learning that is responsive
to children’s needs and interests.
ƒ Supervise and assist children at home with homework assignments and school-related activities.
ƒ Initiate conversations and activities to support
and extend learning related to children’s schoolwork.
ƒ Communicate with teachers to ex change ideas and information about ways to best support
children’s learning.

Decision-making
Schools and communities provide parents with opportunities to:
ƒ Assume decision-making roles in the PTA/PTO, advisory councils , committees, and other parent
organizations.
ƒ Taking advocacy or decision-making roles at the district and state levels.
ƒ Participate in advocacy groups or evaluati on teams that work for school improvement.

Collaborating with the Community
Schools establish partnerships that are mutually
beneficial for children, families, communities, and schools when they:
ƒ Coordinate access to resources and services for all families, children, and the school with
businesses, agencies, and other groups, such
as health care, cultural events, tutoring or mentoring services, before-and-after school programs.
ƒ Provide services to the community, such as recycling, food pantries, access to school libraries and computers.

Using the work of Epstein and others allows fam ilies and schools to build upon a variety of options
for parent involvement. The school welcomes part icipation at whatever levels families choose.
Schools are encouraged to build upon the strengths of families and support the efforts of parents to
become more involved in th eir children’s learning.

The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland
Partnerships with Families and Communities 88Family-school interactions must be well-planned, a nd, at the same time, consist of both planned and
spontaneous opportunities. A true family-school pa rtnership is ongoing, purposeful, and reflects the
vision shared by families and schools for children.

Home and school are of primary importance in the lives of children. Ea ch provides unique and
essential support for children’s learning. Combini ng and coordinating the efforts of families and
schools creates a powerful force that resu lts in high quality programs for children.

School Attitudes and Actions th at Encourage Parent Involvement

Teachers and other school personnel who work w ith children in the primary program should:
ƒ Involve parents in setting goals for their
child’s learning program; parents who
have ownership in the planning will
assume more ownership in the follow-through.
ƒ Value parents’ opini ons, concerns, ideas,
and visions.
ƒ Recognize that parents care very much about their children.
ƒ View parents as key contributors to their child’s school experiences. Consider parents’ resources and talents when
planning day-to-day activities for children.
ƒ Find ways to collect information from
parents that can be used for developing the child’s learning program. For example, home visits, interviews, phone calls, and
contributions to th e child’s portfolio.
ƒ Share information about how children
learn and child development as it relates to the classroom setting.
ƒ Involve parents activel y in parent-teacher
conferences. For example, joint conference planning, pre-conference phone calls, and interviews. ƒ Talk regularly with children and
encourage them to share information with
their parents.
ƒ Communicate regularly with parents about
the Primary Program through the children
and through print materials, phone calls, home visits, informal parent gatherings,
and parent education workshops.
ƒ Use problem-solving strategies with
parents.
ƒ Appreciate and respect family values which may be different from their own.
ƒ Refrain from criticism and judgment, both
publicly and privately, in school facilities
such as the teachers’ lounge and other settings.
ƒ Maintain a warm, friendly, open, and
responsive school climate that encourages
parents to spend time at school.
ƒ Provide opportunities for parents to interact with othe r parents and school
personnel. For example, family rooms,
parent discussion, and support groups.

The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland
Partnerships with Families and Communities 89Parents are encouraged to:
ƒ Advocate for their child’s needs by
becoming involved in their child’s
learning.
ƒ Model and demonstrate enthusiasm for
learning.
ƒ Create an environment supportive of
learning.
ƒ Take an active role in communicating
information that may benefit their child’s learning at school.
ƒ Take advantage of daily learning opportunities with their children, reading,
parent-child conversations, and family
outings. ƒ Support their child’s growth and learning
in all five goal areas: aesthetic and artistic
development, intellectual development,
physical development and well-being, and
development of responsibility.
ƒ Become knowledgeable about the Primary Program.
ƒ Take part in classroom activities and support other school events.
ƒ Support their child’s growing independence and decision-making skills.
ƒ Advocate for policies which guarantee
quality experiences for their children.

Sharing Information about the Child

Informal Conversations
Conversations which parents, teachers, and children have on an informal basis are among the most
natural and successful ways of sharing in formation. They provide opportunities to:
ƒ Share current information about the child and upcoming activities
ƒ Share personal anecdotes and insights
ƒ Give reassurance about the ch ild’s efforts and development

Informal Notes and Messages
Written informal communications can include: ƒ Personal notes
ƒ Home-school communication books
ƒ Classroom news bulletins
ƒ E-mail correspondence

Telephone Calls
Parents and teachers may call one another to:
ƒ Keep in touch
ƒ Share news of importance to the child
ƒ Plan how to support some aspect of the child’s learning
ƒ Establish a partnership role

The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland
Partnerships with Families and Communities 90Individual Conferences
Conferences are an opportunity for:
ƒ Parents to share information and insights about their child’s developmen t and interests at home
ƒ Teachers to share information and insights about the child’s development and interests at school
ƒ Setting goals for the child’s learning
ƒ Making plans to support the child’s learning

Some teachers encourage children to take part in conferences as a way of helping them understand
their learning and to become more responsible fo r their own progress. Each school and teacher sets
the schedule for individual conferences, and parents can request a meeting any time.

Collections of Work
Establishing collection systems to store information about what a child can do provides a basis for
ongoing assessment and evaluation. Consider:
ƒ Dated samples of drawings and writing
ƒ Copies of reports and projects
ƒ Photographs
ƒ Audio and video tapes
ƒ Computer disks
ƒ Student self-assessments

Anecdotal Reports
The anecdotal progress report desc ribes the child’s development in relation to the goals of the
Primary Program. It is intended to provide informa tion about the child’s indi vidual progress. It may
precede or follow a parent-teacher conference. Anecdotal reports give information about:
ƒ Accomplishments (what a child can do)
ƒ Attitudes and interests
ƒ Learning needs
ƒ Future learning goals and plans for support

Sharing Information about the School and Classroom

Newsletters
Newsletters are one way schools establish ongoing comm unication and can solic it parent reaction
and input as well as provide information about:
ƒ School and classroom activities
ƒ Upcoming events and activities at school and in the community
ƒ Student success stories
ƒ Samples of student work

The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland
Partnerships with Families and Communities 91Parent Evenings and Open Houses
Parent evenings are a time to ge t a sense of the school and classroom atmosphere. This can be a time
for parents to:
ƒ Learn about the goals the school has for all children
ƒ Find out what children are learning as well how they represent learning
ƒ Look at their child’s work

Informal Visits
Although the school is the usual place for parents and teachers to exchange information, some
teachers plan informal get-togeth ers in other settings such as:
ƒ Classroom outings (picnics, walks)
ƒ Homes
ƒ Community facilities

Classroom Study
Many teachers provide parents with information about what has been and what will be the focus of
classroom learning experiences. Th ese provide information about:
ƒ Themes to be explored
ƒ Classroom projects
ƒ Special activities
ƒ Curriculum plans
ƒ Field trips
ƒ Web sites

Classroom Visits
Classroom visits can be arranged through the teacher to provide:
ƒ Children with a chance to see thei r parents and teachers cooperating
ƒ Opportunities to talk
ƒ Parents with first-hand oppor tunities to observe their ch ild in the school setting

The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland
Partnerships with Families and Communities 92Families as Advocates and Policy-makers

Families, teachers, administrators, and other school staff benefit from working together to solve problems, exchange views, influence other deci sion-makers, and advocate for children. Parents who,
individually or in groups, are wil ling to advocate for their own childre n or for other children are true
friends of the school, not adversarie s. Individuals who are willing to be involved need a variety of
options for their involvement, trai ning, support, and encouragement. Not all parents wish to be
involved in the same role or same degree at all times. Because of the la rge number of working
parents and other changing family demographics, schools need to e xplore new and creative ways to
work together. This partnership needs to be forged through eff ective and frequent communication.
Opportunities for supporting families as advocates , decision-makers, and policy-makers include:

ƒ Establishing a dedicated phone line for
families to deal with emergencies, rumors, and sensitive issues
ƒ Encouraging all teachers to communicate
frequently with families about curriculum plans, expectations for homework, grading policies, and how families can help
ƒ Directing families’ concerns, questions, and complaints to appropriate staff
ƒ Informing families of their rights regarding access to school records, due process in disciplinary actions, and participation in special education decisions
ƒ Setting up teacher-parent conferences upon request
ƒ Providing in-service training or other
opportunities to help teachers communicate and collaborate with families
ƒ Notifying families promptly if their children have academic difficulties or behavior problems
ƒ Notifying families immediately if their children do not arrive at school and if
unexcused absences are becoming a pattern ƒ Conferring with families on the choice of
classroom settings and/or teachers
ƒ Publishing a handbook for families that
covers current policies on discipline, absences, dress standards, and parent and student rights
ƒ Obtaining family input when developing new policies or programs
ƒ Scheduling regular parent-teacher organization meetings
ƒ Encouraging families to approach the principal on their own initiative to
question school polic ies or procedures,
aside from situations that affect only their child
ƒ Informing and enlisting the help of families immediately when problems occur at school which involve community concerns
ƒ Establishing procedures for dealing with sensitive issues
ƒ Giving families representation on committees for curriculum development, school accreditation, assessment procedures, and other topics

The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland
Partnerships with Families and Communities 93Developing Community Involvement in School-Family-Community
Partnerships
(This section is reprinted with verbal permi ssion from Decker, Larry E. & Associates. (1990). Community Education: Bu ilding Learning Communities,
pp. 4–8. National Community Educati on Association, Alexandria, VA.)

Community Involvement
People develop commitments to causes, organizations , and activities for whic h they have had some
responsibility. An undisputed finding of educational research is that the ac tive engagement of the
learner and the involvement of familie s and the community enhance learning.

In communities across the nation, broad-based community involveme nt has resulted in increased
academic achievement, improved school clim ate, and more effective communities.
Community Education Goals
In the community education model, the school f unctions as a support cente r for the network of
agencies and institutions committed to meeting community needs and expanding learning opportunities for all members of the community. Using schools as community centers is a cost-
effective, practical way to use one of the comm unity’s largest investments, its school buildings.

The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland
Partnerships with Families and Communities 94By providing diverse educational services , community education helps meet the varied learning
needs of community residents. Class instruction in a variety of skills helps meet the needs of
business and industry. Child care services for pr eschool and school-age ch ildren help parents who
cannot afford or lack access to private services.
Programs that respond to the needs of adults who wish to gain new skills, im prove existing skills, or
who just like to keep on learning help a commu nity become a learning community. By tapping the
abundant expertise that exists in any community, community educat ion helps bring the concept of
“everyone learns, everyone t eaches” closer to reality.
Through interagency cooperation and public-private partnerships , communities reduce duplication
of effort, and overall effectiven ess is improved through teamwork. Businesses and private agencies
provide services not affordable in the usual tax-supported budget.

In return, schools, in cooperation with other community agencies, ad dress such community problems
as illiteracy and substance abus e, which adversely affect the co mmunity’s business environment and
quality of life. Through community improvement efforts , many
members of the community can be engaged in litter control, recycling, beautification, and improved education and recreation se rvices. Each community
improvement effort can make the community more attractive to both current a nd prospective residents and
businesses
Through citizen involvement , the process of community
problem-solving is restored to its rightful place: to those
people closest to the proble m, who understand it best.

When a broad range of community resources is used
for learning, the role of the total community in the process of educating the citizenry is acknowledged.
Young people learn from and with community elders. Our schools become places where learning and living meet.

The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland
Partnerships with Families and Communities 95Principles of Community Education
Community education provides lo cal residents and community ag encies and institutions the
opportunity to become active partners in addre ssing community concerns. It is based on the
following principles:
ƒ Self-Determination
Local people are in the best position to iden tify community needs and wants. Parents, as
children’s first and most important teachers, have both a right and a responsi bility to be involved
in their children’s education.
ƒ Self-Help
People are best served when thei r capacity to help themselves is encouraged and enhanced.
When people assume ever-increasing responsib ility for their own we ll-being, they acquire
independence rather than dependence.
ƒ Leadership Development
The identification, development, and use of th e leadership capacities of local citizens are
prerequisites for ongoing self-help an d community improvement efforts.
ƒ Localization
Services, programs, events, and other opportunities for community participa tion have the greatest
potential for participation when brought closest to where people live. Whenever possible, these
activities should be decentralized to locations of easy public access.
ƒ Integrated Delivery of Services Organizations and agencies that operate for the public good can us e their limited resources, meet
their individual goals, and bette r serve the public by establishing close working relationships
with other organizations and ag encies with related purposes.
ƒ Maximum Use of Resources The physical, financial, and human resources of every community should be interconnected and
used to their fullest if the diverse needs a nd interests of the community are to be met.
ƒ Inclusiveness
The segregation or isolation of people by age, income, sex, race, ethnicity, religion, or other
factors inhibits the full development of the community. Community programs, activities, and
services should involve the broadest possi ble cross-section of community residents.
ƒ Responsiveness
Public institutions have a responsibility to deve lop programs and services that respond to the
continually changing needs and in terests of their constituents.
ƒ Lifelong Learning Learning begins at birth and continues until death. Opportunities for formal and informal
learning should be available to re sidents of all ages across a wide variety of community settings.

The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland
Partnerships with Families and Communities 96Results of Community Education
Communities that formally adopt community educati on as a way of community life have the tools to
attack many difficult problems. These communiti es exhibit the following characteristics:
ƒ Someone has an official leader ship role in coordinating th e various community and school
efforts.
ƒ Volunteers help deliver community services.
ƒ Businesses work in partnership with schools to improve student learning as well as to expand
economic development.
ƒ Agencies and institutions cooperate to deliv er improved services to the total community.
ƒ Public school facilities are used by community members of all ages.
ƒ Parents are involved in their children’s learning and in school governance.
ƒ Community resources are used to enhan ce and enrich the school’s curriculum.
ƒ Educational alternatives are av ailable for students with specia l problems and special talents.
ƒ Opportunities for lifelong learning are available fo r learners of all ages, backgrounds, and needs.
ƒ Large numbers of citizens ar e participating actively to help solve community problems.

When these characteristics are observed, positive results
are not far behind. These results may include:
ƒ Schools and other community agencies are more
responsive to parents and other community members.
ƒ An improved learning climate and increased student achievement are evident in schools.
ƒ Broad-based community support exists for schools and for other community agencies.
ƒ The community works together to try to solve its problems.

As America strives to improve its schools, it’s imperative that
all elements of the community work together to assist students and educators. Quality education is an investment in
the community; but everyone—parents, business leaders,
church leaders and others-have a role to play. Helping
students learn is a community affair.
Lew Armistead, President,
National School Public Relations Association

The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland
Partnerships with Families and Communities 97Resource Materials for Communicating with Parents
The following materials can be used when comm unicating with parents about children’s learning
and development. As teachers develop materials, presentations, and conferences, they can use this
information as a guide while personalizing thei r messages to parents and children. Information
might be developed into a series of newsletters, workshops, or inco rporated into existing formats.
Whatever the setting, it is best to use the info rmation in a meaningful way taking care not to
overwhelm parents. Teachers must first know their ch ildren and families, then work with them to
identify their informatio nal needs. In this way, teachers and schools respect the prior knowledge of
parents and their decision-making abilities.

Supporting Learning at Home: Ideas for Parents

The section on Widely-Held Expectations provides a summary of children’s development over time
in the five goal areas. In schools, teachers use th ese Widely-Held Expectati ons to assess children’s
development and to plan instruct ion. At home, parents and others can support and encourage the
child as a developing learne r in a number of ways.

Aesthetic and Artistic Development
Keep a variety of art, modeling, and craft materials on hand. Provide paper of different sizes and colors, including construction
paper, newsprint, gummed paper, wrapping paper, aluminum foil, and other recycled materials. You might start a collection of
pencils, crayons, felt tip markers, chalk, modeling clay, scissors,
glue, transparent tape, used wra pping paper, pictures from old
greeting cards, sticks from ice cr eam treats, bits of cloth, yarn,
ribbon, egg cartons, buttons, twist tie s, pipe cleaners, and other
materials. Encourage your child to spend time exploring their use.
Ask what he or she enjoyed most and discovered about the
materials. Encourage your child to accompany musical selecti ons with homemade instruments. If possible,
show your child how to record and listen to musi c using an audiocassette recorder. Remember, this
music making will be child-like. Encourage your child to explore sounds and rhythms and to tell you about them and their production. Attend musical performances, concer ts, and recitals with your child. Sing and play selections to be
performed before hand. Ask your child what he or she remembered and enjoyed about the
performance and why. Use simple comments that show you recognize and a ppreciate your child’s e fforts. For example,
“Your painting reminds me of the fun we had at the beach.”

The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland
Partnerships with Families and Communities 98For family fun, play pantomimes or charades. On e person acts out an action while the others guess
what is being done. For very young children, use familia r actions such as eating an ice cream cone or
raking leaves. Older children might enjoy more co mplex miming reflecting the senses, thoughts, or
feelings.
Provide an assortment of old clothes, accessories, and other props for your child to play “dress up”
and act our various roles. Also, keep assorted fabrics and ribbons of different colors and textures for
your child to use with dance. A radio or tape recorder your chil d can use independently may provide music. Use an assortment of
music types to broaden your child’ s listening experience (nursery rhymes, children’s songs, marches,
tangos, jazz, popular, classical, religious). Puppet making is suitable for most levels of deve lopment and can be simple (stick, paper bag, or
paper plate puppets) or complex (sewn puppets or marionettes).
Encourage your child’s thinking by asking questions and helping to seek answers. Always encourage
your child to ask questions. When there is no clea r answer, say things such as “What do you think?”
and “Where can we go to find the answer?” When going for a walk or drive, encourage your child’s observation skills by commenting on and
asking about the larger environment (sky, mountains , forest, water) as well as the smaller, more
intricate environment (leaves, fl owers, grasses, bugs, pebbles).

Social and Emotional Development
Read and discuss books about friendsh ips. Talk with your child about
friends. Ask questions such as “W hat do you think a friend is?” and
“What do you like about having a fr iend?” Other questions might
include “How do you think friends ac t with each other?” and “What
can you do to meet a new friend?” Even if it is not done perfectly or takes a little longer, encourage your
child to perform daily tasks such as getting dressed, making a simple
breakfast, or setting the table. It is important for your child to feel
successful in participating in family routines. Provide opportunities for your children to make pe rsonal decisions about cl othing choices, healthy
snacks, family menus, story times, and other matters. Participation in volunteer activitie s such as community, recreation, or hospital functions helps your
child recognize the kinds of contributions that can be made. Seeing themselves as helpers can
contribute to childre n’s self-confidence.

The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland
Partnerships with Families and Communities 99Give positive reinforcement for your child’s dreams and goals, rega rdless of how impossible they
might seem. Say, for example, “Those are fascina ting ideas. I can see you t hought this out yourself.”

Help your child create a “me” poster or collage us ing drawings, photographs, and magazine pictures.
Help your child decide where to display the post er and comment on your child’s special qualities.

Children may enjoy writing to a pen pal from another country as a way of developing a new
friendship. Your child also may enjoy some form of organi zed activity that provides opportunities to meet
others. Ask your child to talk about personal pr eferences and then support your child’s decisions
about such activities as dancing, art or music le ssons, organized sports, an d boys’ or girls’ clubs.
Discuss how these decisions will affect your child, you, and other family members in terms of time
for friends and hobbies, providing ri des, changing meal times, and any other pertinent points.
Provide gentle guidance in terms of what you al ready know about your chil d’s regular activities.

Sharing special times is crucial in the devel opment of your child’s self-image. Being hugged and
held by a parent, settling in comfortably with a fa vorite story, walking to th e park, working together
to complete a task, and sharing thoughts and feelings are all important activi ties which contribute to
your child’s development. Set reasonable limits and mainta in stable routines your child ca n anticipate. For example, meal
times, family commitments, reading stor ies, television viewing, and bed times.
It is not always easy to maintain a positive a pproach or to avoid focusing attention on non-
productive behavior. However, with an informed and honest approach, yo u are showing your child
how to deal effectively with issues or problems as they arise. For ex ample, “Paul is playing with the
shovel now. Let’s see what else you can find to play with until it’s your tu rn.” Communicate with
your child about the behavior you expect. For exam ple, “Let’s paint on the newspapers so there
won’t be spills on the floor.”
Intellectual Development
When you read to your child on a re gular basis, you also model that
reading is important in your life. If you build up and maintain a
home “library” that contains books of interest to all family members,
your child will have access to a wide variety of reading materials.
You also might want to visit the public library on a regular basis.
Young children like books with large print and many illustrations, and often like to hear stories again and again. It is important to read
to your children from books you yourse lf consider to be important.
Continue reading to your childr en once they learn to read
independently!

The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland
Partnerships with Families and Communities 100During regular family activities, provide opportunities fo r your child to organize, classify, and use
easily remembered information. For example, when unpacking groceries, as k your child to put all
the fruits, canned goods, and frozen items together . When doing the laundry, ask your child to help
sort clothing into whites and colors, work and play clothes, or into other interesting categories. You
can also suggest sorting kitchen cutlery, school s upplies, coins, tools, shoes, and other objects.

If possible, provide a plain calenda r with large squares to write me ssages. Discuss special days and
record comments to help your child remember a ppointments, special events, and other important
dates and activities. Make sure your child’s day is not planned out en tirely. Free play is impor tant. Provide time, space,
and materials for your child to create personal projects.
Help your child become aware of what he or she is doing through language by putting words to
actions. For example, talk through the process of ty ing shoelaces. Use appropria te language, but play
word games such as rhyming and synonyms. Playing with language is not “baby talk.” This is how
children learn.
Provide opportunities for your child to gain a vari ety of experiences. The more experiences they
have, the more personal knowledge they gain. “M emorized” knowledge may be soon forgotten, but
outings such as walks, car trips, special family events, sporting events, camping trips, picnics and
visits to the beach, library, museum and fair all provide experiences that enable children to make
connections and see how ideas and events relate to one another.
Provide encouragement for activities, for when your child says, “Let me try!” or “Can I do that?”
Always ensure your child’s health and safety first.

Encourage your child to talk about personal e xperiences by asking questions such as: “What do you
like about this?” “What did you not like about this?” “Would you recommend this to a friend?”
“What do you think would happen if…?”
Physical Development and Well-Being
Encourage your child to attempt new and interesting activities.
Provide encouragement and support, but if the activity poses a real
safety hazard, explai n this to your child.
Play games or sing songs that help your child to identify body parts
(head, shoulders, knees, and toes). Expect your child to move from one activity to another. It is normal
for children to find it difficult to sit still or to stay with one activity.

The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland
Partnerships with Families and Communities 101If you become involved in games with your child and your child’s friends, avoid elimination games
where someone is “out.” Suggest games that in clude all players and do not focus on scores and
winning.

Children like to have life-size out lines of their bodies traced on paper. Encourage and help your
child to draw eyes, nose, mouth, clot hing, and to locate and name body parts.

Ask your child to share ideas about safety rule s when playing a game or using equipment.

Your child may enjoy being part of a team or group. Encourage a team or group activity that helps
your child remain active into adolescence. If you ar e involved in organized team sports, model the
kind of behavior you would like your child to exhibit. Provide access to different kinds of music during playtime. This can add enthusiasm to your child’s
movements or soothe or relax after strenuous play.

If possible, make an at-home obstacle course with your child to provide o pportunities for crawling,
jumping, running, and hopping. Maintaining a balance between free exploration a nd excessive risk taking is not easy. When
experimenting with a new activity such as learning to ride a bike, try not to over-use phrases such as,
“Be careful!” or “You might get hurt!” Do provide b ackground for the activity in terms of the safety
rules and how to use equipment. Demonstrate and discuss your ideas about safety procedures in ever yday life (crossing the street).

Demonstrate and discuss your ideas about nutrition (eating a balanced meal).

Development of Responsibility
When arguments occur between your children or their friends,
help them become their own problem-solvers. Ask questions such as, “What do you think the problem is?” or “What are some ways you can think of to solve this?” Share newspaper and magazine articles with your child. Find articles that tell of events affecting children and families in other places. Follow what happens. Ask questions such as: “How do you think they feel?” “What w ould you do if you were in this
situation?” “Do you think they need some help?” “Who could provide that kind of help?” “Is th ere something we can do about this?”
Your child may enjoy participa ting with you in a community group.

The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland
Partnerships with Families and Communities 102Keep a family photo album for your child and you to look at and talk about. Talk about your child’s
heritage. Attend cultural and ethnic celebrations and festivals to in troduce your child to the heritage
of others. Talk about the si milarities and differences.

Your child may enjoy writing to a pen pal from another country as a way of developing a new
friendship and knowledge of another culture.
Encourage family members to show appreciation for one another by extending courtesies such as
sending notes. Very young children can dictate the notes which then can be placed in lunches, on the
refrigerator, or passed out at supper-time.

Talk about how stress can lead to conflict. Discuss ways in whic h your child can handle conflicts,
problems, fights, and arguments.
Take your children on nature walks. Encourage th em to use their senses (seeing, listening, smelling,
touching, and tasting, if appropriate). Encourage your child and your family to examine your own practices that affect the world around
you. Talk to your child about what to do in emergency situations. Rehearse thes e situations from losing
mittens to calling the police. Talk about how each family member contributes to the well-being of others in the family, in the
community, and in other groupings.
The consequences of family decisions affect everyone. Give your chil d opportunities to make
choices.

The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland
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