Parental Involvement

and Teacher

Communication

Inna ShenkerFall 2010

Edu. 7201Prof. O’Connor~Petruso

Statement of the Problem Parents of elementary schools (whether public,

private, or charter, etc) are not always involved with the school system. Teachers are looking for different ways to get parents involved with the schools, classrooms, and at home. Parents are not coming to parent teacher conferences, responding to letters, volunteering, or helping out at home with their children for various reasons. Some reasons may be: language barrier, lack of cultural understanding, and so on. Parents and teachers need to find a way of communicating, working together, and improving ways of being involved schools and at home.

Communication with parents Finding ways through cultures (Joshi, Arti Eberly, Jody Konzal

Jean. “Dialogue across Cultures: a Teachers’ Perceptions about Communication with Diverse Families.” Understanding Family Diversity. Winter 2005 )

Teachers learning about their students

backgrounds (Watkins, Thomas J. “Teacher communications, child achievement, and parent traits in

parent involvement” The Journals of Education Research (Washington, D.C) 91(1997):3-14. Education full text. Web 13 Sep.2010

Parents finding it difficult to communicate with teachers and the school staff for

various reasons & vice versa (Joshi, Arti Eberly, Jody Konzal Jean.

“Dialogue across Cultures: a Teachers’ Perceptions about Communication with Diverse Families.” Understanding Family Diversity. Winter 2005 )

Wong, Shuk Wa. Hughes, Jan N. “Ethnicity and language contributions to dimensions of parent involvement.” School Psychology Review, 2006, Volume 35, No. 4, pp. 645-662

Some parents prefer emails, where they are informed. Teachers see improvements. Tobolka, Darby. “Connecting Teachers and Parents Through the Internet” Communication December 2006

Parents’ involvement in homework and schools ~Pros~ Parents help their children with homework Schumacher, Bev. “Learning continues at

home” Montessori Life. Montessori Life v.12 no.2 (Spring 2000) Parents involve teachers’ methods in their help Floyd, Loury Ollison. Veron-

Dotson, Lisa Jo. “Using home learning tool kits to facilitate family involvement.” Intervention in School and Clinic January 2009 Vol 44 numb 3

Parents discipline their children to get their homework done and on time

Teachers see improvement in working on tasks and grades

In addition: Parent-teacher trust Watkins, Thomas J. “Teacher communications, child achievement, and parent

traits in parent involvement” The Journals of Education Research (Washington, D.C) 91(1997):3-14. Education full text. Web 13 Sep.2010

Wong, Shuk Wa. Hughes, Jan N. “Ethnicity and language contributions to dimensions of parent involvement.” School Psychology Review, 2006, Volume 35, No. 4, pp. 645-662

Parent-teacher education on students Griffin, Dana and Steen, Sam. “School-Family-Community Partnerships: Applying Epstein’s Theory of the Six Types of Involvement to School Counselor Practice". American School Counseling Association. April 2010

Watkins, Thomas J. “Teacher communications, child achievement, and parent traits in parent involvement” The Journals of Education Research (Washington, D.C) 91(1997):3-14. Education full text. Web 13 Sep.2010

Parents know what is happening in the school system Parents volunteering Huntsinger, S. Carol. Jose, E. Paul. “Parental involvement in children’s schooling:

Different meanings in different cultures.” Early Childhood Research Quarterly Volume 24, issue 4, 4th Quarter 2009

Parents’ Involvement in Homework ~ Cons ~

Parents do not focus on behavior, mainly on things such as: grades and focus on tasks

Teachers do not see a change or improvement on behavior

In addition: Parents have no time to come Language barrier Students want their parents to come, if they

communicate through internet Students’ behavior may not improve

Watkins, Thomas J. “Teacher communications, child achievement, and parent traits in parent involvement” The Journals of Education Research (Washington, D.C) 91(1997):3-14. Education full text. Web 13 Sep.2010

Quintana, Anita P. and Warren, Susan R. “Listening to the Voices of Latino Parent Volunteers”. Kappa Delta Pi Record Spring 2008

Asian American/European American Parents on Education

Education is important 1. Schumacher, Bev. “Learning continues at home” Montessori Life. Montessori Life v.12 no.2 (Spring 2000)

2. Huntsinger, S. Carol. Jose, E. Paul. “Parental involvement in children’s schooling: Different meanings in different cultures.” Early Childhood Research Quarterly Volume 24, issue 4, 4th Quarter 2009

Important to educate child at home, including more emphasis on own teaching as well Huntsinger, S. Carol. Jose, E. Paul. “Parental involvement in children’s schooling: Different meanings in different cultures.” Early Childhood Research Quarterly Volume 24, issue 4, 4th Quarter 2009

Teachers teach in class, parents teach at home Huntsinger, S. Carol. Jose, E. Paul. “Parental involvement in children’s schooling: Different meanings in different cultures.” Early Childhood Research Quarterly Volume 24, issue 4, 4th Quarter 2009

Teachers are an important part of teaching their children Huntsinger, S. Carol. Jose, E. Paul. “Parental involvement in children’s schooling: Different meanings in different cultures.” Early Childhood Research Quarterly Volume 24, issue 4, 4th Quarter 2009

Use schools techniques at home

Huntsinger, S. Carol. Jose, E. Paul. “Parental involvement in children’s schooling: Different meanings in different cultures.” Early Childhood Research Quarterly Volume 24, issue 4, 4th Quarter 2009

Schumacher, Bev. “Learning continues at home” Montessori Life. Montessori Life v.12 no.2 (Spring 2000)

Floyd, Loury Ollison. Veron-Dotson, Lisa Jo. “Using home learning tool kits to facilitate family involvement.” Intervention in School and Clinic January 2009 Vol 44 numb 3

Help in classroom and in school as much as they can Huntsinger, S. Carol. Jose, E. Paul. “Parental involvement in children’s schooling: Different meanings in different cultures.” Early Childhood Research Quarterly Volume 24, issue 4, 4th Quarter 2009

Latino Parents on Education Important to volunteer 1. Wong, Shuk Wa. Hughes, Jan N. “Ethnicity and language contributions to

dimensions of parent involvement.” School Psychology Review, 2006, Volume 35, No. 4, pp. 645-662 2. Quintana, Anita P. and Warren, Susan R. “Listening to the Voices of Latino Parent Volunteers”. Kappa Delta Pi Record

Spring 2008

Involve other parents Quintana, Anita P. and Warren, Susan R. “Listening to the Voices of Latino Parent Volunteers”. Kappa Delta Pi Record

Spring 2008

Meetings Quintana, Anita P. and Warren, Susan R. “Listening to the Voices of Latino Parent Volunteers”. Kappa Delta Pi

Record Spring 2008

Help in class and school Wong, Shuk Wa. Hughes, Jan N. “Ethnicity and language contributions to dimensions of parent involvement.” School Psychology Review, 2006, Volume 35, No. 4, pp. 645-662

Watkins, Thomas J. “Teacher communications, child achievement, and parent traits in parent involvement” The Journals of Education Research (Washington, D.C) 91(1997):3-14. Education full text. Web 13 Sep.2010

Language barrier between teachers and parents Quintana, Anita P. and Warren, Susan R. “Listening to the Voices of Latino Parent Volunteers”. Kappa Delta Pi Record Spring 2008

Theorists/Practitioners Epstein’s theory plays an important role in education.

Griffin, Dana and Steen, Sam. “School-Family-Community Partnerships: Applying Epstein’s Theory of the Six Types of Involvement to School Counselor Practice". American School Counseling Association. April 2010

Epstein discusses six types of involvements: 1) parenting2) communicating3) volunteering4) learning at home,5) decision making and 6) collaborating

Griffin, Dana and Steen, Sam. “School-Family-Community Partnerships: Applying Epstein’s Theory of the Six Types of Involvement to School Counselor Practice". American School Counseling Association. April 2010

Hypothesis Over a few week study in a Public School

X, a teacher will look at ways parents are involved and not involved in his/her classroom. We will look into diversities of how parents view involvement in the classroom and at home. The teacher would send out a survey to the homes, call and invite parents to the classroom to volunteer, or invite parents to volunteer on a field trip.

Citations Joshi, Arti Eberly, Jody Konzal Jean. “Dialogue across cultures: a teachers’ perceptions

about communication with diverse Families.” Understanding Family Diversity. Winter 2005

Huntsinger, S. Carol. Jose, E. Paul. “Parental involvement in children’s schooling: Different meanings in different cultures.” Early Childhood Research Quarterly Volume 24, issue 4, 4th Quarter 2009

Quintana, Anita P. and Warren, Susan R. “Listening to the Voices of Latino Parent Volunteers”. Kappa Delta Pi Record Spring 2008

Tobolka, Darby. “Connecting Teachers and Parents Through the Internet” Communication December 2006

Griffin, Dana and Steen, Sam. “School-Family-Community Partnerships: Applying Epstein’s Theory of the Six Types of Involvement to School Counselor Practice". American School Counseling Association. April 2010

Schumacher, Bev. “Learning continues at home” Montessori Life. Montessori Life v.12 no.2 (Spring 2000)

Floyd, Loury Ollison. Veron-Dotson, Lisa Jo. “Using home learning tool kits to facilitate family involvement.” Intervention in School and Clinic January 2009 Vol 44 numb 3

Hoover-Dempsy, Kathleen V. Battiato, Angela C. Walker, Joan M.T. Reed, Richard P. DeJong, Jennifer M. Jones, Kathleen P. “Parental involvement in homework” Educational Psychologist 2001 Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc.

Watkins, Thomas J. “Teacher communications, child achievement, and parent traits in parent involvement” The Journals of Education Research (Washington, D.C) 91(1997):3-14. Education full text. Web 13 Sep.2010

Wong, Shuk Wa. Hughes, Jan N. “Ethnicity and language contributions to dimensions of parent involvement.” School Psychology Review, 2006, Volume 35, No. 4, pp. 645-662