Shifting Identities, Shifting Power: Parents and Teachers Collaborate

• In Event: 43.078 - MTCC Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: 43.078-6 - Collaborating With Students and Parents: Improving Engagement and Self-Efficacy

Abstract

Family engagement practices serve to build contextually relevant and sound educational practices for young children. Yet, the field of early childhood education does not have a unifying definition of family engagement or of how to create effective communication between early childhood educators and families. This paper calls for leaders to take an active role in supporting family and teacher engagement, it reviews literature on family, and school engagement and explores the complexities of engagement for both families and schools. Listening to and attending to the diverse strengths and needs of both families and teachers can support and sustain effective, meaningful, and equitable family engagement practices.

Author

• Martha Melgoza, Skytown Preschool