"In this unique contribution to the literature on parental involvement in culturally and linguistically diverse communities, Flora Rodríguez-Brown offers a critique of family literacy programs that lack a clear design for literacy activities relevant to community goals, offering an alternative model that is grounded within an abiding respect for the parents’ role as the child’s first, and ultimately, most important teacher." Robert D. Milk, University of Texas, San Antonio The Project FLAME program used as context for this book is a comprehensive family literacy model, supported by a strong sociocultural framework based on current research on cultural ways of learning and theories of multiliteracies and discourse. The model highlights the relevance of parents’ knowledge, cultural ways, and discourses in sharing literacy knowledge with their children. A pressing need exists for models and programs that effectively serve the educational needs of the steadily increasing numbers of culturally and linguistically diverse students in U.S. public schools today. Addressing issues related to development, implementation, and effectiveness of a program model that fulfills this need, this book is an essential resource for educators, community workers, and researchers interested in the relevance of the home-school connection in relation to children’s school success.

Research has consistently shown that student success is directly related to the strength of the relationships between parents and schools. In The School-Home Connection, the authors draw on original research and their professional experiences to 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)

Examine the pivotal role family engagement plays in student achievement, and explore in depth the process of creating and implementing a family-engagement plan. This research-based guide includes many specific strategies, handouts, and reproducibles leaders can use to make their schools family friendly and connect with those families who may be hard to reach.

Educators everywhere confront critical issues related to families, schooling, and teaching in diverse settings. Directly addressing this reality, Home-School Connections in a Multicultural Society shows pre-service and practicing teachers how to recognize and build on the rich resources for enhancing school learning that exist within culturally and linguistically diverse families. Combining engaging cases and relevant key concepts with thought-provoking pedagogical features, this valuable resource for educators at all levels: Provides detailed portraits of diverse families that highlight their unique cultural practices related to schooling and the challenges that their children face in school settings Introduces key sociocultural and ethnographic concepts, in ways that are both accessible and challenging, and applies these concepts as lenses through which to examine the portraits Shows how teachers and researchers have worked with diverse families to build positive relationships and develop learning activities that incorporate children’s unique experiences and resources Disrupting deficit assumptions about the experiences and knowledge that culturally and linguistically diverse children acquire in their homes and communities, this book engages readers in grappling deeply and personally with the chapters’ meanings and implications, and in envisioning their own practical ways to learn from and with families and children.

Research has shown that families and schools that partner together improve literacy outcomes for their students. Family literacy includes homework and shared book reading but goes beyond these school-to-home activities to encompass family-generated practices. These literacies include family connections around activities such as cooking, play, religion, social, and community groups. Further study on the importance of the partnership between the home and school is required to implement best practices and provide students with the best possible education. The Handbook of Research on Family Literacy Practices and Home-School Connections seeks to understand the connections made and new information learned during the COVID-19 pandemic surrounding family literacy and shares updated practices and new perspectives on what it means to partner with families and embrace diverse family literacies in this new world. The book also provides teachers’ perspectives on how future relationships between the school and home can be shaped through both narrative and research-based chapters. Covering key topics such as parenting, homework, and social distancing, this major reference work is ideal for administrators, school faculty, academicians, scholars, practitioners, instructors, and students.

Collaborating with parents to establish a better home-school connection is tantamount to academic success. Teachers and administrators often search for effective ways to involve parents in their children's education. Venues, such as workshops, can provide an excellent opportunity for parents and teachers to interact in a positive manner. The purpose of this project was to determine whether or not using Parents' Workshops could increase parental collaboration and promote a better home-school connection. This project focused on improving collaboration with Latino families to develop more positive communication between parents and educators during their child's academic years. Furthermore, it aimed to show how Latino parents could be taught to help their children to achieve academic success. The workshops were designed to teach Spanish-speaking Latino families how to help their child with Literacy tasks at home. The parents completed questionnaires and the information provided was analyzed to help improve future workshops. The workshops created a place where parents and children could interact with the teacher while learning about Literacy strategies. The importance of parental involvement in their child's academic success became evident throughout the series of workshops. This project shows the benefits that can be obtained when schools collaborate with Spanish-speaking Latino parents to make a better home-school connection. Key words: English Learners, Home-School Collaboration, Latino Families, Literacy Workshop, Parental Involvement