Activity booklet that consolidates the skills learned in each corresponding factual book. Links school with home by engaging parents to work alongside their child, to complete revision of key literacy learning skills.

Research has consistently shown that student success is directly related to the strength of the relationships between parents and schools. This book provides teachers and administrators with tools to build a foundation for student success based on positive relationships with students and their families. Drawing on original research and their professional experiences, the authors identify the common sources of both negative and positive school-home relationships. The book presents a comprehensive approach to building closer connections and includes: - Tools to help educators develop a deeper understanding of the communities they serve - Strategies for improving interpersonal skills and communication skills - A chapter on the importance of documenting and celebrating school events - Guidelines for creating three distinct levels of parental participation in schools With suggestions for cultivating a community network of support services and a summary of lessons for forging constructive relationships, The School-Home Connection is an essential tool for educators looking to strengthen the learning community and increase student achievement.

"A useful resource for all educators with practical suggestions to help close the gap between school and home. Through analogies and shared reflections on real-life examples, the authors provide guidance for dealing effectively with parents, understanding the importance of family dynamics, and considering the effects of personality types on relationships." —Annette Speach, Director of Human Resources North Syracuse Central School District, NY "Becoming skilled in relationships is the foundation for successful home-school collaboration, and these authors provide the why′s and how-to′s in a very readable form." —Bonnie Dunn, Retired School Social Worker The Collaborative School, New Gloucester, ME The keys to bridging the gap between school and home! Research has consistently shown that student success is directly related to the strength of the relationships between parents and schools. This book provides teachers and administrators with tools to build a foundation for student success based on positive relationships with students and their families. Drawing on original research and their professional experiences, the authors identify the common sources of both negative and positive school-home relationships. The book presents a comprehensive approach to building closer connections and includes: Tools to help educators develop a deeper understanding of the communities they serve Strategies for improving interpersonal skills and communication skills A chapter on the importance of documenting and celebrating school events Guidelines for creating three distinct levels of parental participation in schools With suggestions for cultivating a community network of support services and a summary of lessons for forging constructive relationships, The School-Home Connection is an essential tool for educators looking to strengthen the learning community and increase student achievement.

This paper, written by a school administrator to parents, discusses parents' role in creating a positive educational environment, from providing a structured home life to volunteering in their child's classroom. The paper begins by asserting that a primary cause of behavior problems in the classroom is parent-child relationships in which the child, rather than the parent, is dominant, thereby creating students who believe they should be the center of attention. Society's focus on instant gratification and working parents' guilt are also mentioned as contributors to behavior problems. The paper recommends sure, firm, and consistent discipline, inside the classroom and at home, as a way to raise children who are well-adjusted members of society and who display respect and concern for others. The paper then offers suggestions for supporting children's academic success, such as talking to children about their goals and the necessary steps to achieve them, teaching children empathy for other people, promoting assertiveness rather than aggressiveness, and being a good role model. Finally, the paper discusses parent participation at school, recommending ways parents can approach teachers about volunteering and tasks parents can do for schools. The paper concludes by noting that teacher-parent contact not only promotes good will between the two, but in most cases promotes a positive attitude in the child. (EV)

Engaged families make a difference in the lives of their children! The children in today's early childhood classroom are more culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse than ever. As a teacher, your challenge is to partner with each family through recognizing their individual strengths, concerns, priorities, and resources. In The Welcoming Classroom: Building Strong Home-to-School Connections for Early Learning, Dr. Johnna Darragh Ernst offers practical ideas for creating a welcoming atmosphere for families that will encourage them to participate in their children's learning community. Learn practical ways to connect with families from varied cultural and language backgrounds and abilities. Gain new strategies for creating a home-school link to support learning. Create a richer learning environment by integrating unique family cultural perspectives. Learn ways to encourage family participation in decision making. Learn strategies to develop families as resources. Communicate the message that all families are valued members of the learning community. From improving children's school readiness to encouraging positive engagement with peers, promoting student academic achievement, increasing graduation rates, and helping reduce the negative impact of poverty, the benefits of engaging families early will impact the young children in your care long after they leave your classroom! Johnna Darragh Ernst, PhD, is a professor of early childhood education at Heartland Community College in Normal, Illinois. She specializes in helping early childhood professionals connect with families to create inclusive early childhood classroom communities.

Strengthen programs of family and community engagement to promote equity and increase student success! When schools, families, and communities collaborate and share responsibility for students′ education, more students succeed in school. Based on 30 years of research and fieldwork, the fourth edition of the bestseller School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action, presents tools and guidelines to help develop more effective and more equitable programs of family and community engagement. Written by a team of well-known experts, it provides a theory and framework of six types of involvement for action; up-to-date research on school, family, and community collaboration; and new materials for professional development and on-going technical assistance. Readers also will find: Examples of best practices on the six types of involvement from preschools, and elementary, middle, and high schools Checklists, templates, and evaluations to plan goal-linked partnership programs and assess progress CD-ROM with slides and notes for two presentations: A new awareness session to orient colleagues on the major components of a research-based partnership program, and a full One-Day Team Training Workshop to prepare school teams to develop their partnership programs. As a foundational text, this handbook demonstrates a proven approach to implement and sustain inclusive, goal-linked programs of partnership. It shows how a good partnership program is an essential component of good school organization and school improvement for student success. This book will help every district and all schools strengthen and continually improve their programs of family and community engagement.

THINK HOMESCHOOL is for parents who think there might be more to life for their family. Homeschooling provides opportunities that every family should consider. THINK HOMESCHOOL will help you understand what homeschooling is all about. We'll answer your questions and help you envision how homeschooling might be right for your family.