CHAPTER 2
Family, School, and Community Partnerships
AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENTS
1. Design a parent education program that you would use in a particular setting such as child care program or
a public school early childhood classroom. Elaborate and describe the components of your program. Add
this to your portfolio.
2. Select an early childhood grade level, such as kindergarten, and establish two concepts that would be taught
at this age level. For each of these concepts, write three different learning activities that could be suggested
or shared with parents for home use and learning.
3. Based on your studies and observations of various programs for young children, describe how you would
be able to involve the families of the children in ways that would help meet the needs of the children. What
are some kinds of family involvement you have observed in various programs?
SUGGESTED TEST QUESTIONS
1. Although there are many benefits in parents and teachers working together, research shows no
change in children’s learning when parents are involved.
2. Parents should not be used on policy planning boards or committees.
3. An appropriate approach to the initial conference at the beginning of the school year would be a
questionnaire so that the teacher can become well acquainted with the child and the child’s family.
4. With regard to parent meetings, both the topics planned and the time and amount of meetings
planned in a year should be based on the needs of the parents involved.
5. Parents must decide to be involved and initiate and request their involvement in the classroom.
6. There is great value in doing spontaneous, unannounced home visits to the homes of children
because then the teacher can see the child in his/her real and natural setting.
Fill–in-the-Blank Question
1. In addition to the formal, scheduled parent-teacher conferences, teachers should also
take advantage of .
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. An opportunity for quick and open communication with parents is a
a. parent conference.
b. personal note.
c. telephone conversation.
d. parent meeting.
2. When parents are used as volunteers in the classroom, they can
I. be given those minor duties that are difficult for a teacher to get done such as grading
papers, cleaning the sinks, mixing paints.
II. work with individual children with manipulative materials or with specific curriculum
areas such as reading or math.
III. be in charge of an interest center as children rotate areas.
IV. give children with special needs extra help.
V. share a specific skill or talent with the class.
a. All of the above b. I, III, IV
c. I, II, IV, V d. II, III, IV, V
3. One of the most important tools teachers need to use in parent–teacher relationships is
a. listening.
b. time.
c. handouts.
d. the parent education kit they choose.
4. In most cases, the most difficult and important task in parent involvement is
a. actually planning for the involvement.
b. establishing and maintaining warm relationships.
c. having parents in the classroom.
d. training the parents for their role and responsibilities in the classroom.
5. In working with parents, teachers need to
I. respect each family’s unique values.
1. What are some specific benefits of parent involvement in the school and classroom?
2. What are specific ways teachers can be a resource to parents?
3. What are some strategies or ways for achieving partnerships between home, school, and
community?
Chapter 2