Design Methods of Family-Centered Communication - Coursework Example

Design Methods of Family-Centered Communication Design Methods of Family-Centred Communication Introduction Quality and stable relationships between caregivers/ schools and families are an essential component in a child’s learning life. There are different kinds of programs for early childhood educators to use in communicating with children and their families. Some of these programs are in formal settings or surroundings such as schools and centers while others are home based. Regardless of the location and type of these programs, the level and extent of a family’s involvement in a child’s early program has a big impact in how much they can learn or in how well they adjust. A daily log is a diary highlighting a summary of a child’s daily events. Its major purpose is to record vital information in respect to the child’s welfare. Additionally, the log provides parents and caregivers with some information about the day’s activities. This paper will analyze if Caregivers and families find a Daily Log helpful while at the same time enhancing communication between the center and the family. Subsequently, the paper will reflect on the significance of information between schools, caregivers and families in addition to appraising the benefits of various types of communication for families. Healthy communication can often be created by different influences coupled with skills, personal goals, cultural orientations, thoughtfulness of people’s opinions and circumstantial factors. Communication skills in an early childhood setting include communicating with families and linking them in the decision-making process and dealing with children. Communicating effectively in this setting is more than just putting thoughts or opinions into words. El Nokali, Bachman, & Votruba‐Drzal, (2010) argued that understanding varying opinions of other people is a crucial aspect of communication. As such, schools should comprehend the opinions of the children’s families in order to enhance communication. Kim et al., (2012) defined a healthy caregiver/ school and family communication as the way one seeks information and shares the information in the process. Diversity in childcare setting has become a major concern since the introduction of the affirmative action on 1960. Diversity in the childcare center has forced many schools to adapt to the ever changing environment. As childcare providers, it is necessary and imperative that they (caregivers) become aware of the ever changing environment and, therefore, equip themselves with the skills needed by the current child care system. Families and teachers are solely responsible in partnering to aid children have a success in school. Good communication between Caregivers and families builds support for and strengthens the vital work teachers do in the classroom. Good communication between caregivers/ schools and children is important majorly because of various factors. Firstly, families will better comprehend of how teachers are aiding their children and preparing them for success in school. Secondly, families will have a better grasp on how well their children are advancing in coming up with the learning building blocks. Moreover, caregivers and families will learn the various ways in which they can help children when they are at home. In addition to these advantages of communication, caregivers and schools will have a clear and better understanding of the experiences and background of children under their care. Lastly, communication has a positive impact on the children themselves since they will view that the adults and parents in charge are interested in their lives hence they care about them. Due to these reasons, communication is the most significant element or factor in meeting the wants of families, caregivers/ schools and the children themselves since it forms connections between all of these entities. The daily log is primarily a tool for communication. It is a vital documentation of the child’s activities and development plus health. It aids the caregivers, and parents stay in touch with the child’s daily activities and development. Therefore, the daily log is helpful to families and caregivers. Various formats were used to keep the communication flowing between home and the school or caregiver. Specific activities and programs need to reflect the partnership concept. Healthy family teacher involvement, usually, takes many forms. For example, volunteering in classrooms, aiding children while at home, being part of the decision-making process at school, being on school committees and boards, and encouraging bonding between teachers and families. Deciding on the best programs that suit each child care center is determined by the environmental and social factors in that school community. This illustrates that there is no single program, or that can work for all the care centers. The national network of partnership schools (1997) recommends Joyce Epstein’s framework of six types of formats or involvement to keep communication flowing between families and teachers. These formats include parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, community collaboration and decision making. These formats are an integral part of the communication process. Parenting involves teachers assisting families with child rearing and parenting skills, and families, on the other hand, helping teachers comprehend their children. The Communicating format involves developing an efficient communication from the center to home and from home to the center. These formats will ensure a smooth flow of information between teachers and families. Next, volunteering refers to teachers coming up with ways that families can be part of the school programs. This ensures they are involved in these programs. Involvement of families is vital and necessary since they will support the school programs if they are part of them. Learning at home implies that families are linked with the curriculum activities of their young children via learning activities that can be undertaken at home. Also, the decision-making format refers to the inclusion of families in the decision-making process and committees at school. Lastly, community collaboration refers to coordinating community services in respect to family needs. These formats have been applied in the child care center to keep communication flowing smoothly between the teacher and home. The daily log can be used to help the above formats. It will give more detailed information to the caregiver/ teachers and parents about the children’s activities and events. Integrating technology in the communication process helps child care centers to increase the speed of communication. Additionally, using through the use of technology, a broad parent community can be accessed quickly (Jeynes, 2011). Diversity in childcare centers is a major concern. It refers to the differences between people or individuals. Differences may arise from family values, life experiences spoken languages, community and cultural backgrounds and family circumstances. The right communication type can aid to acknowledge, respect and comprehend diversity. Subsequently, it is crucial for teachers to find out the correct types of communication to relay information to families. Families prefer different ways on how their child’s information is communicated to them. Face to face communication is important in relaying information. Face to face type of communication is the best since it gives a lot of information. This is primarily because families and teachers can read and visualize each other’s body language. Body language conveys a lot of unspoken information. Whereas, some families may prefer face to face communication, others prefer telephone calls or to receive information via mail. Different methods of communication come in handy to ease the process of making teachers and families to be more open to each other. Special attention must be given to non-English speaking families (Ryan, Casas, Kelly‐Vance, Ryalls, & Nero, 2010). Information provided should mostly be jargon free. Moreover, face to face communication is preferred in this scenario. Conclusion When families have a part to play in their children’s education, children tend to excel in school. Consequently, the quality of the children’s education will improve. Family involvement generally means that families together with teachers and caregivers work together to create an environment that enhances and encourages learning both at school, at home or at the program. As such, family involvement is made up of the many different ways that families can influence a child’s early education. Research illustrates that family involvement in early childhood education increases child success and performance in the future. LaRocque, Kleiman, & Darling, (2011) indicated that benefits accruing from family involvement are apparent not only for the young children but also for all students in all levels of learning. Parent involvement is encouraged in higher levels, although it is strongest in the lower levels of learning. References El Nokali, N. E., Bachman, H. J., & Votruba‐Drzal, E. (2010). Parent involvement and children’s academic and social development in elementary school. Child development, 81(3), 988-1005. Jeynes, W. H. (2011). Parental involvement research: Moving to the next level. School Community Journal, 21(1), 9. Kim, E. M., Coutts, M. J., Holmes, S. R., Sheridan, S. M., Ransom, K. A., Sjuts, T. M., & Rispoli, K. M. (2012). Parent involvement and family-school partnerships: Examining the content, processes, and outcomes of structural versus relationshipbased approaches (No. 2012-6). CYFS Working Paper. LaRocque, M., Kleiman, I., & Darling, S. M. (2011). Parental involvement: The missing link in school achievement. Preventing School Failure, 55(3), 115-122. Ryan, C. S., Casas, J. F., Kelly‐Vance, L., Ryalls, B. O., & Nero, C. (2010). Parent involvement and views of school success: the role of parents Latino and White American cultural orientations. Psychology in the Schools, 47(4), 391-405. Read More