Explore resources and activities relevant to courses that explore the principles and practices of building partnerships and collaboration among families, community agencies, and schools in a diverse society for early childhood professionals. These types of courses cover strategies for building understanding, trust, and effective communication with all children and their families, including those who have disabilities, have cultural and linguistic differences, come from a variety of family structures, or face poverty, health problems, and/or family dysfunction.

Course Activity 1: Connecting with Families

Using the Tip Sheets focused on parent/teacher conferences, When the Teacher Calls, Connecting with Parents: “But He Doesn’t Do That at Home”, and Conference Time! Talking to Your Child’s Teacher or Caregiver, have students generate a list of ways to prepare for parent/teacher conferences. Students can work in pairs to make a list and then have each pair share their tips with the whole class.

Course Activity 2: Parent/Child Interaction

Students may watch the video IEL parent video Connecting with Concepts and Skills and write a brief reflection about how the mother, Lisa, interacts with her child with developmental delays through joint book reading. Ideas to further discussion:

What do you specifically notice about how Lisa interacts with her child?
Describe the ways Lisa engages her son in joint book reading.
Why might a parent of a young child with disabilities feel unsure about reading a book together or initiating other activities with her child?
If you were a teacher or therapist working with a parent and her child with disabilities, how would you support the parent’s sense of competence and confidence?

Course Activity 3: Families Experiencing Homelessness

Using the information in the toolkit Directory of Supports for Families Experiencing Homelessness and Housing Insecurity and the Tip Sheet Rights of Families Experiencing Homelessness, ask students to look for any resources in their community that may be available to families of young children experiencing homelessness. Ask them to share this information with the class (e.g., school district policy, location of their local school district liaisons, bus passes or other transportation available for families, drop-in childcare resources).

Course Activity 4: Engaging Family Voices in EC Programs

Listen to the podcast Listening to Family Voices in EC Programs and reflect about how early childhood program staff engage families’ voices. Discuss/list some key “take aways” from this podcast. Questions for discussion and reflection: Why are families’ voices often missing from childcare and PreK settings? How can staff improve opportunities for families’ voices to contribute to all aspects of the program?

Using example questions from their textbook or another resource, have students work in pairs to create a brief family interview questionnaire.

During class have students practice doing a family interview with a partner. The instructor may want to create a scenario that briefly describes the family member’s role and the purpose of the interview. Bring the class back together and process the activity: What was easy? What was difficult to ask? How might early childhood professionals use a structured family interview to build a deeper relationship with the families of the children enrolled in their program?