Gordon Biddle, Early Childhood Education: Becoming a Professional Instructor Resource
Chapter 15
Considerations for Engaging Parents, Family and Community
The traditional family has evolved over the past fifty years, from a two parent household,
with a mom and a dad, to nontraditional families, such as adoptive and foster parents,
grandparents, same-sex parents, stepparents, and single parents. Parents may also be culturally
and linguistically diverse. This diversity means that early childhood professionals need to have
open communication and respect in their relationships with families. Parents may be raising
children separately and teachers need to find a way to ensure that both parents receive equal
importance. Home visiting is one of the most effective ways to connect with families. A teacher
who visits the homes of her children builds strong rapport with parents and their children, and
also improves attendance and achievement. Parental involvement is another way for families to
learn more about their child. The end result of parental involvement is enhanced parenting and
improved care and education for children.
How has the Traditional American Family Evolved?
• The traditional family has evolved and been shaped by the consequences of their personal
decision-making, culture, family history, religious practices and customs, motivational
levels of individual family members, and each family members external or internal locus
of control (how the member views the forces that shape his or her life and the degree to
which the individual feels in control of his or her own destiny).
• Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological system of development focuses on the systems that
surround the development of the child and their impact on the child’s development.
o The microsystem is the inner most level and consists of the child’s immediate
environment.
Gordon Biddle, Early Childhood Education: Becoming a Professional Instructor Resource
• Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory underscores the influence of the critical nature of the
child’s social world on his or her ongoing development.
• Family systems theory states that when something happens to one family member, the
event of episode is viewed as impacting everyone else in the family
o In the developmental contextualism model, a focus on biology and context is
central to our understanding of family functioning and the development of
individual family members.
o In the circumplex model, there is interconnectiveness between family members or
degree of cohesion among members.
o In the family life cycle model, the theorists hypothesize that families are
comprised of people who have a shared history and a shared future that
encompass an entire emotional system of several generations.
What is the Definition of Family Structure and Family Function?
• The term family function refers to how a family provides for its members; it is the way in
which members work together to meet the individual needs of the family members.
Family structure is defined as the legal and genetic relationships that bind people
together, which includes nuclear and extended family members.
Gordon Biddle, Early Childhood Education: Becoming a Professional Instructor Resource
o The impact of maternal employment on children’s development is contingent
upon quality and responsive care giving and the quality of the parent-child
relationships.
o Divorce can lead to low-socioeconomic status and stress which can impeded both
children’s’ and parents’ growth.
o Fathers of surrogate fathers can become engaged in their children’s lives in many
ways.
• Characteristics of competent families include:
o A belief and sense of commitment toward promoting the wellness of individual
family members as well as that of the family unit.
o Appreciation for the small and large things that individual family members do
well and encouragement to do better.
Gordon Biddle, Early Childhood Education: Becoming a Professional Instructor Resource
What is Effective Parental Involvement and Engagement?
• There are six stages of parenthood:
o During the image-making stage parents form and re-form images of what is to
come, for both birth and parenthood.
o During the nurturing stage the parents contrast their images of the birth of their
child and themselves with their current reality.
o During the authority stage parents ponder about the kind of authority figure they
will be in the life of their child.
What is Culturally Sensitive Engagement of Families?
• The United States is a very diverse nation. For many of the families, English proficiency
may be limited and some may be unfamiliar with the norms, practices and social
What is the Role of the Community in Fostering Children’s Development?
Gordon Biddle, Early Childhood Education: Becoming a Professional Instructor Resource
• The following are some suggestions that can help early childhood educators to leverage
community resources:
o Know the particular needs of your families and those conditions or circumstances
that adversely affect family function and progress.