Lincoln Elementary School

Parent Presentation

Kelly Cotton

ECE 497: Child Development Capstone

Katherine Palichuk

April 2, 2018
 Partnering with Parents

Families are a child’s first educators and they

continue to influence their children’s learning and
development during the school years and long
afterwards (www.familyschool.org).

While the school has a responsibility to educate, they

will recognize the importance of a family in a child’s
education as see them as partners.

Some parents may see the education of a child as the

primary responsibility of the school so it is important
for a school to educate families on the significance of
a partnership.

It is up to the school to ensure that all families from

every background are given the opportunity to work
with the school.

The main goal of this partnership is the education of

our children.
 The children who attend Lincoln Elementary School are in grades Pre-K through Sixth grade.

These children range in ages 5-12 which includes both the Early Childhood and Middle Childhood

Periods of development.

Early Childhood Middle Childhood

Early childhood occurs from age 3-8 The Middle Childhood Period of Development occurs when children develop

foundational skills for building social relationships and learn roles that will prepare
During this time of development a child has good fine motor and
them for adolescence.
gross motor skills. They can hold a pencil correctly and they can

cut using scissors. Middle Childhood occurs from age 8-12.

They can hop on one foot. They can run and jump with ease.
During this stage of development they grow more and more independent.
They can produce 5-7 word sentences.

They can tell stories and recall specific events.

They begin to think about where they fit into the world.
They can communicate with others and problem solve.

They can make friends and develop a sense of right and wrong. Friendships become more and more important.
Child Development Professionals

As an Child Development professional is my job

to ensure the safety of each child under my care.

I must provide an environment where each child

can develop to their full potential.

I will develop lesson plans that engage each

child and have developmentally appropriate
activities.

I will observe the children and record what I see.

I will use this information to evaluate each child

in order to look for any developmental delays.
 The Importance of Child Development

Child development can provide children with a

springboard into a strong sense of self as well as a

love of learning that will carry them far into their

future.

It is important to provide developmentally

appropriate activities at the right stage of

development to ensure proper brain growth.

Strong relationships between families and teachers

will provide the child with a strong support group to

ensure further growth.

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems
The Mesosystem

The Microsystem contains the child’s immediate

surroundings. Family, peers, school and
neighborhood are all part of the microsystem.

The Mesosystem contains the relationship

between the microsystems.

In an effort for the child to grow and learn to the

best of their ability, it is important for all of the
parts of the child’s microsystem to work
together.

If a child is struggling in a certain subject in

school, it would be important for that child to get
extra support at home. If the home and school
environments do not communicate, it could
detrimental for the child and they would not
receive the help that they need.
 Parenting

Parent involvement is the number one influence to a

child’s learning and development. Parents are a
child’s first teacher and when that parent is involved
it can be very beneficial to a child’s success. Offering
parent education classes and family support programs
can help bridge the gap between school and home.
At Lincoln Elementary school, 94% of the school’s
population qualifies for free or reduced lunch
program. The USDA offers and after school snack
program to area-eligible schools. Some states were
also given the option to offer after school suppers to
at-risk families (www.usda.gov)
. These programs may also be able to deliver meals
on weekends and holidays to ensure that their
families are getting enough food. The programs can
help families who may worry about where their next
meal will come from it would free them up to spend
more time with their child and helping with school
work.
Communicating

Communicating is an important type of involvement

that influences a child’s learning and development by
making sure that the child’s family knows what is
happening at the school as well as inform the family
of the child’s progress (Whitby, 2014). Conducting
an Open House at the beginning of the school year
can help the families understand what they policies
and procedures are a the school. The school can also
offer Parent/Teacher conferences so that they can be
kept up to date on how their child is performing in
school. Each classroom can send a folder home each
week for the family to look at the child’s work and to
read any notes from the teacher.
The population at Lincoln Elementary are 58%
second language learners with 93% being Hispanic.
One idea the school could implement right away that
aligns with the culture represented at the school is to
provide a translator at all school functions as needed.
If a family member cannot understand English, they
may be hesitant to come to any school events. By
providing a translator, perhaps the families would be
more likely to participate in school activities.
 Volunteering

Volunteering can influence a child’s learning and

development by helping the parent become more
comfortable at the school, they will participate
more in school activities. They will also be able
to get to know their child’s friends better and can
relate more to the child when they come home
talking about the other children in their class.
Children in the class with a volunteer may also
be getting more personal attention and help
when the teacher is unable to do it herself.

Some parents may feel more comfortable with

volunteering behind the scene. They can work on
acquiring supplies for the classroom, posting
bulletin boards and making copies
(www.projectappleseed.org).
Learning at Home

Learning at Home influences a child’s learning

and development because it allows the parent to
know first hand what the child is learning in
school. It is the teacher’s responsibility to make
sure the parents have a clear understanding of
what the homework policies are at the beginning
of the school year. If a child is struggling in a
specific area, the parents should be notified and
the teacher should make sure that the parent
understands the materials in order to help the
child.
One idea that could be implemented right away
would be to send home a schedule of the week’s
homework so the parents could be prepared. The
parent should also be required to sign the
homework folder so that the teacher knows that
the child was helped by the parent or family
member.
 Decision Making

Decision making influences a child’s

involvement and development because they will
see parents and teachers as partners working for
the benefit of the children. Parent/Teacher
Organizations can address issues such as
funding, quality teachers and safety of the
children (pta.org). Parents who join the PTO
have the opportunity to meet other families at
the school. They can also know that they are
making a difference in the lives of the children
that they serve at the school.
One idea the school could implement right away
is to make sure that its Parent Teacher
Organization is doing all it can for the school.
Making sure that they have the right leaders for
the job. If there is no Parent Teacher
Organization, the school needs to begin the work
in developing an organization that can partner
with families and the community to work
together for the best of everyone involved.
Collaborating with Community

Collaborating with Community influences a

child’s learning and development because it can
provide a valuable experience that a child may
not otherwise get and may refer back to later on
in life (O’Keefe, 2011). A teacher can read a
book about a fireman or a policeman in the
classroom but it would be much more
memorable to actually meet a fireman and learn
about what he does from him. Many different
members of the community will come to a
school for a visit and can not only educate the
children about what they do but they can also
provide valuable services that a family might not
be able to afford or have the resources for.
One idea the school could implement right away
is to make a map of all of the places in the
community that they children would be
interested in learning about. You could also look
for parent volunteers to come and talk to the
children about what they do. If possible, plan a
field trip.
 References

www.usda.gov

www.pta.org

www.projectappleseed.org

Whitby, T. (2014). “Educating Parents About Education”. Retrieved from www.edutopia.org

O’Keefe, B. (2011). “5 Steps to a Better School / Community Collaboration” Retrieved from

www.edutopia.org.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. 1998. "Goals 2000: Reforming Education to Improve

Student Achievement." <www.ed.gov/pubs/G2KReforming/

Healthy People .gov. Early and Middle Childhood.