Guidelines for Effective Family Engagement
Research shows family engagement is critical to improving literacy outcomes for students and schools. With the right tools, information, knowledge and support, parents and families can be a powerful, positive influence on their child’s reading development from birth through pre-kindergarten, elementary, middle school, and beyond.
It is up to schools, educators, and community-based partners to provide resources and family engagement opportunities that are easy, explicit, evidenced-based, and effective in support of their child’s literacy development. Parents need to be informed that reading proficiently by third grade is a critical milestone for their child’s future academic success (including high school graduation and college attendance); that learning to read doesn’t happen automatically; and that the skills needed to be a good reader start developing from birth.
While parents can be engaged as effective partners in their child’s learning, it is important to note that parents are not solely responsible for teaching their children to read. Every student deserves access to evidenced-based classroom instruction and academic supports that will help them become proficient readers.
References
National Family Support Network, Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening and Support.
Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, July 2000, Evans, Mary Ann, Deborah Shaw, and Michelle Bell, Home Literacy Activities and Their Influence on Early Literacy Skills.
Global Family Research Project (formerly Harvard Family Research Project).
Harvard University, Graduate School of Education, Language Diversity and Literacy Development Research Group, Lead for Literacy, Memos 10 and 11.
Public Schools of North Carolina, State Board of Education, Department of Public Instruction, Parent and Family Involvement: A Guide to Effective Parent, Family, and Community Involvement in North Carolina Schools, 2nd Edition.
Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research, April 2005, Roberts, Joanne, Julia Jergens, and Margaret Burchinal, The Role of Home Literacy Practices in Preschool Children’s Language and Emergent Literacy Skills.
U.S. Department of Education, “The Dual Capacity Building Framework for Family- School Partnerships.