Parent Engage - Getting the Dad's Involved

 The challenge I chose for my course project is Parent Involvement the sub-topic is Fatherhood involvement in early childhood.  I became interested in this topic by way of my current work environment.  I for a Head Start/Early Head Start.  As a program we are called to ensure parents are engaged with every aspect of the program on an ongoing basis.  Moreover we are challenged to ensure there are specific activities that directly engage fathers in the program.  Because of this requirement, I began researching the importance of male involvement in young learners development.  I found according to research "children who grow up with fathers that are actively involved and nurturing have better performance in school, increased self-esteem, and healthier relationships with peers (Green, 2011).

I have found working with children that do not have fathers in the home place some increased pressure upon the mother in some situations.  This could be evidenced in a negative manner if there is not a sound support system. There are children that are sadden when specific events involving fathers occur in the classroom and his or her father is not present to participate.  I have also worked with children that may be in a back and forth situation between the mother and father that has negative effects in the classrooms.  I would like to gain more incite surrounding male or father involvement and its effects in the classroom and home environment.  I hope to be able to share this information in my current work environment and other childcare environments to positively increase involvement.

My questions:

Does cultural or economic status influence male involvement?

How does male involvement influence children's school readiness and subsequent school success?




Reference:

Green, S. (2011). Reaching Out to Fathers: An Examination of Staff Efforts That Lead to Greater Father Involvement in Early Childhood Programs. Vol. 5 #2Texas Cooperative Extension, The Texas A&M University System. Retrieved from http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v5n2/green.html

Reflections.....

As I reflect upon this course on global perspectives, there has been so many valuable resources presented for discussion.  One resource I felt was very thought provoking was the article, Children's right to play: An examination of the importance of play in the lives of children worldwide by Stuart Lester and Wendy Russell.  I felt this article provided a great explanation of the importance of play for children.  According to Lester and Russell, “children’s play represents a primary form of participation, being interwoven into everyday life.”  Play helps children better understand the world around them.   As I have researched this subject and other topics I have been most inspired by the work done by the National Association for the Education of Young Children; specifically their position statements on a variety of topics.  Their position statements and research on topics such as developmentally appropriate practices has greatly influenced my thinking on what is appropriate for young learners both typically developing and special needs. Most recently I have been moved by the research done by the Center on the Developing Child Harvard University on toxic stress in children and building adult’s capacities to improve child outcomes.

Finally the poem that most move me when I think about the early childhood field is

Unity

I dreamed I stood in a studio
and watched the sculptors there.
The clay they used was a young child's mind,
and they fashioned it with care.
One was a teacher;
the tools he used were books, and music, and art.
One, a parent with a guiding hand,
and a gentle, loving heart.
Day after day the teacher toiled,
with touch that was deft and sure,
While the parents labored by his side
and polished and smoothed it o'er.
And when at last their task was done,
they were proud of what they had wrought.
For this thing they had molded in the child
could neither be sold nor bought.
And each agreed he would have failed
if he had worked alone,
For behind the parent stood the school
and behind the teacher, the home.

--Author Unknown-

Reference:

Harvard University, Center on the Developing Child. (n.d.a). Building Adult Capabilities to Improve Child Outcomes: A Theory of Change. Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/multimedia/videos/theory_of_change/

Lester, S., & Russell, W. (2010). Children’s right to play: An examination of the importance of play in the lives of children worldwide (Working papers in early childhood development, No. 57). The Hague, The Netherlands: Bernard van Leer Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.bernardvanleer.org/Childrens-right-to-play-An-examination-of-the-importance-of-play-in-the-lives-of-children-worldwide

Innovative Practices in the Early Childhood Field

One innovative practice I have the awesome pleasure of being apart of was as a Preschool Director of a preschool program that collaborated with a school district.  One of the strategic goals of this particular school district was to begin to close the achievement gap between black and white students.  The school board felt one way to begin this process was to offer an early learning program serving children six weeks to Pre K to residents living within the school district.

The thought process was to provide a program where children would experience a high quality program from the infant classroom to twelfth grade.  Parents could be involved in the school district during their child's education as young as six weeks to their senior.  It was felt that children would be provide a consistent education that was build on a solid foundation of learning.  I enjoy this experience because there was a true sense of community and connection between the early learning center, elementary schools, middle school and high school.  Parents were able to develop consistent relationships that would last throughout their child's school career.  Eventually this same concept was utilized by another district to address the learning needs of preschools.  It is great to see this concept being look at by other school programs.

Supporting children's positive emotional development...

In the early childhood class I teach for a technical college, my student's had the assignment to present mock parent-teacher conferences. To make the presentations interesting, the teachers had to include a social issue the family may be experiencing. The students were very creative in their scenarios.  One presentation focused on a grandparent raising a child, another focused on a single parent not interested in her child's progress in school, another focused on a family with a new baby and the parents are in the process on divorce proceedings, and the final presentation focused on a divorce couple with one of the parent's now being involved in a same sex relationship.

 

After all of the presentations had been completed, we discuss the effects on the children.  The one stand out topic was social emotional development. Children involved in the various scenarios can have lasting negative effects on their social emotion development.  This can occur through neglect due to parents dealing with their own emotional issues or for the grandparent that is raising a young child in a different era.  We discussed resources that would be needed to support families when they are experiences various social issues that would support healthy growth and development for children.

 

It is so important for education programs to include social emotional development as a part of the daily curriculum to support children's growth and development.  By laying this foundation at early learning levels and partnering with families, children have greater potential for future success in learning and their adult lives.

 

Reference:

 

Haiman, P. (2013). Protecting a child's emotional development when parent's separate or divorce. Retrieved from http://www.peterhaiman.com/articles/protecting-a-childs-emotional-development-when-parents-divorce.shtml

 

 

Zero to Three. (2013). On your lap, In your heart. Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/grandparents/

 

Head Start. (2009). Domain 6: Social Emotional Development. Retrieved from http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/teaching/eecd/domains%20of%20child%20development/social%20and%20emotional%20development/edudev_art_00016_061705.html

Introducing me.......

Working with preschool children has been a 17 year journey for me.  It has propelled me from being in the classroom working directly with children to working on behalf of children in administration.  I enjoy working to ensure children have a quality experience in the classroom.  I believe education starts at birth.  I believe parents are their children's first and most influential teachers.  I believe preschool children deserve a teacher that understand child development and is able to prepare the classroom for a diverse group of learners.  I included a picture of myself at age one because this is such an important age for learning.  There is a lot discovery taking place and a critical time of building children's social emotional skills.

I actually established my blog during  another class, so you will see pictures of some my support system including family and friends.  You will see my wonderful husband Tony that continues to support my dreams of making an impact in the early childhood education field.  You will also see my beautiful children and God children that continue to motivate my efforts as an early childhood practitioner.  I'm glad to have you all on my journey to my doctoral degree.