Effective Practices in Early Childhood Education, 3e (Bredekamp)
Chapter 7 Building Effective Partnerships with Families
1) Which of the following is an example of a nuclear family?
A) Billy and his biological mother and step father living together
B) Kimi and her adopted mother and father living together
C) Josh and his biological sister living with their aunt
D) Lila living with her best friend’s family
2) Of the following assumptions, which one would prevent you from working successfully with
families?
A) You should determine which families are good and bad.
B) Most families want what is best for their children.
C) All families have strengths and face challenges.
D) Families are diverse in many ways.
3) Which of the following statements is correct?
A) Rules are similar across all families, so it is easy for teachers to understand parents’
expectations of them.
B) Hierarchy determines who is in control in a family. Hierarchies are permanent and always
have a man in charge.
C) Climate relates to the type of weather a child grows up in and has an impact on what stressors
the family faces.
D) Boundaries limit what information and what people can be part of the family’s system.
Teachers need to be aware of and respectful to each family’s boundaries, so that they do not make
the family uncomfortable by trying to be too involved.
4) What theory views family members as interconnected parts with each member influencing the
others in predictable and recurring ways?
A) Ecological Systems Theory
B) Cultural Family Theory
C) Family-Centered Theory
D) Family Systems Theory
5) Which factor is considered the greatest challenge for families?
A) poverty
B) single parenthood
C) raising twins
D) having a sick grandparent
6) The “funds of knowledge” that Keyser experienced when working professionally with young
children involves what?
A) saving the parents
B) having an early childhood education background
C) experiences, traditions, and culture families bring
D) the same thing as reciprocal relationships
7) When a family is provided the resources and support to promote their child’s development, it
is called
A) community of learners
B) family-centered practice
C) mutual support
D) developmentally appropriate practices
8) What communication problem may arise in a child care center if a parent was not able to
witness for the first time their baby taking their first step?
A) competition
B) power struggle
C) guilt and loss
D) differing child-rearing goal
9) Of the following communication errors, which is an example of lack of attention to individual
children?
A) Maria’s parents speak Spanish in their home, so her teacher assumes that Maria doesn’t
understand English well enough to learn and does not try to help Maria advance her reading
skills.
B) Maria’s teacher tries to schedule a meeting with Maria’s parents, but is only willing to meet
during the afternoon when her parents are at work.
C) There is a policy at Maria’s preschool that requires teacher offer additional support to dual-
language learning students, but Maria’s parents are unfamiliar with the policy.
D) Maria’s teacher doesn’t know how to speak Spanish, but she asks for help from another
teacher who does, so that she can more effectively communicate with her parents.
10) Which is an example of a slippery egg message communicated aggressively?
A) Jason’s mother tells his teacher, “We got back from vacation really late last night, so Jason
might be very tired today.”
B) Jason’s teacher tells his mother, “Jason’s behavior in class has been terrible. If you cannot get
him under control, he may need to be suspended.”
C) Jason’s mother tells his teacher, “Our drive home last night took longer than we expected.”
D) Jason’s teacher tells his mother, “Jason has been having a hard time focusing in class lately.
We have a few different ways we can handle this. Would you like to come in for a meeting
tomorrow?”
11) Jenn’s teacher lets her mother know at the end of the day that “Jenn did not sleep at all during
nap time and then would not eat her snack. Her diaper changes were normal and she was not
running a temperature.” What type of message was delivered?
A) information log
B) daily chitchat
C) tennis ball message
D) daily notes “About my day”
12) What would be an example of a neutral place for parents and teachers to have a conference?
A) the child’s home
B) the local library
C) an empty room in the school
D) There are no neutral meeting places for parents and teachers.
13) Mikayla’s parents are frequently and actively engaged in her educational experience. Because
of this, she is more likely to perform better in what areas?
A) social skills
B) physical coordination
C) reading and mathematics
D) science and technology
14) What is one of the most common ways of involving parents at school?
A) volunteering
B) advocacy
C) home-based conferences
D) passive communication
15) Dwayne is a father of a kindergartener. He gets frustrated when school conferences and other
events are scheduled during school hours because he can’t take the time off work. This is a case
where the school is showing
A) confusion about policies
B) confusion about regulations
C) lack of flexibility
D) lack of attention to individual children
16) Expressing concerns, finding common ground, and identifying areas of flexibility are all part
of
A) Five Step Negotiation Process
B) Common Core Standards
C) High Scope
D) Science-based curriculum
17) Which statement is true with regards to the Family Systems Theory?
A) Teachers need to prove families with the guidelines of when children should be out of diapers
and when the child should be weaned off a bottle so that they can progress to the next classroom.
B) It is best for teachers to understand the strengths of families being served since families are
important in the lives of children.
C) Teachers need to provide the families with the rules that need to be followed so that the
children can be successful.
D) Teachers should only talk with the mothers of the children in the classroom.
18) What is a family said to have if there is closeness, concern, caring, and interaction in the
family?
A) protective factors
B) loving factors
C) clear boundaries
D) good parenting skills
19) Describe the tenets of Family Systems Theory and explain why understanding this theory is
important for those working with young children.
20) What is the largest risk factor for poor child outcomes? Describe which family strengths have
been found to mitigate risk factors.
21) Describe effective strategies for maintaining two-way communication with families.
22) Describe how technology can be used by teachers to strengthen relationships with families
and increase family engagement in the school community.
Chapter 7 – Building Effective Partnerships with Families