classmate responses

so this is a classmate responses you comment on the classmate and say what you think about they wrote
its 3 classmates responses.

first response

Explain how family involvement contributes to children’s academic achievement.

There have been many well known studies to research the question of family involvement’s impact on academic achievement. The first was the Perry preschool project (PPP). “The Perry Preschool Project is a study of 123 black youths, from families of low socioeconomic status, who were at risk of failing in school.” (Berrueta-Clement, Schweinhart, & Barnett, 1984) The purpose of this study was to determine if “high quality early childhood education help[s] to improve the lives of low-income children and their families and the quality of life of the community as a whole?” (Berrueta-Clement, Schweinhart, & Barnett, 1984) The children of this study attended educational programing and the parents/families of these children were also given services in regard to parenting and involvement training. “Family services included group meetings and home visits to work with parents on supporting their children’s learning skills.” (Coleman, 2013) The findings of this study showed that children who received more family involvement in their early childhood held more success as their academic careers continued. “Researchers using the PPP database found that teacher ratings of high maternal involvement during kindergarten were related to more academically motivated children who also displayed more socially appropriate behavior”. (Coleman, 2013; Luster & McAdoo, 1996).

Another notable study was the Chicago Child-Parent Center program (CCPC). In this study, the researches also provided educational services to the children accompanied by involvement support to the parents. The student’s academic standing and social development were measured through high school. “Family involvement support again was significantly related to short- and long-term positive school achievement” (Coleman, 2013; Barnard, 2004; Reynolds, Temple, Robertson, & Mann, 2002)

The results of these two studies support the idea that family involvement positively impacts a child’s academic achievement. The PPP research links family involvement to academic motivation, and the more motivated a child is to succeed, the more likely they are to achieve. The CCPC research links family involvement to not only short term academic achievement, but continuing achievement through the grades into high school.

Summarize some of the expectations that families and teachers have of each other.

Most of the expectations that families have for teachers stem from communication. Communication is key for any successful relationship, and that is not different in the family-teacher relationship. Communication can look like outlining “classroom policies and practices, talk[ing] to them about their children’s development and education, give[ing] them concrete evidence of their children’s classroom performance” (Coleman, 2013) Families expect to be kept in the loop regarding their child. Teacher’s should be expected to make efforts to include the family of any concerns, as well as discuss strategies to rectify any problems.

Teachers expect the families to be involved with their child’s academics. The teacher is not with a child after the school day ends, so it is reasonable for teachers to expect families to “read to their children and encourage their children to read to them, provide children with in-home learning experiences that support their knowledge of math, science, art, and other subject areas, and provide children with opportunities to pursue their strengths and interests.” (Coleman, 2013) For a child to succeed in school, they need to be reinforcing the skills they are learning at school, at home. This is where family involvement can be key. Practice makes perfect, and practicing skills at home can make a difference in a child’s academic achievement. (seen through studies such as PPP and CCPC).

second response

Why is it important for teachers to have an ecological perspective of their work with children and families?

When working with families it is integral for educators to take an ecological perspective when evaluating students and their academic performance. There are many factors that contribute to a student’s performance. When taking an ecological approach, the educator acknowledges the environmental factors the student is surrounded by. This entails the student’s temperament, socio-economic status, mental health, disabilities, their home life and relationship with their family, their cultural background, their upbringing, and any other factors that impact the way they learn, behave, and process new information. When we take these factors into consideration we as educators develop a more profound understanding of how and why students may behave a certain way in class and how and why they may perform a certain way academically.

There are many factors outside of school that can influence how a student performs in school. If a student comes from an underprivileged background, they may lack many of the advantages that other more economically sound students benefit from. If a student is the child of a single parent, they may not benefit from financial security due to only having one household income and their success in academics may suffer due to their single parent not being able to spend time helping them with their work or be able to afford a tutor. A student living in an abusive household may be afraid to ask their parents or guardians for help or guidance with their homework out of fear of being harmed. If a student is an ELL, ENL, or an ESL, they may not have parents who can speak English at home to help them with work or clarify assignments for them. There are many situations where ecological factors can create barriers that may keep students from being successful in school. When educators take the ecological perspective, they consider that not all students will have the same privileges or advantages as everyone else. This means that the educator must view each student and their needs individually. All students face different challenges and struggles in life. It is the duty of the educator to remove as many of these barriers as possible and forge a path in which students can proceed successfully. Though not all students will proceed with ease, educators must give them the tools, skills, mindset, and accommodations to reach success. This all starts with developing an understanding of how each student is inside and outside of the classroom.

third response

Family involvement contributes to children’s academic achievement in many ways. There are numerous amounts of research and studies that have proven the impact of family involvement on their child’s achievement. The Perry pre-school project (PPP), was a program that provided support services to parents to support their children’s academic needs and skills. Research from this project show that students who had high parent involvement during Kindergarten displayed high academic motivation and socially appropriate behavior. “Children’s academic motivation in Kindergarten was in turn positively related to high academic achievement in the eighth grade, which in turn was associated with higher educational attainment at age 27”, (Coleman,2013). Parents getting involved in their child’s school life in their adolescent years has shown that their children will be more academically successful later on in their life.

Teachers and Families both have different expectations of each other. Some expectations that family members might have for their child’s teacher are proper communication and being able to academically and emotionally support their child’s individual needs. It is important teachers and parents have good communication so that they are able to discuss the child’s development, educational goals, or any concerns that might need to be addressed. Teachers spend a lot of time with students so it is imperative parents are able to trust their child’s teacher to take care of them and provide a safe and welcoming environment. Parents should feel that their child is being guided by the educator to reach their full academic potential. Expectation teachers might have of family members is to be involved in the students school life, proper communication, and educational support. As stated in the previous question, there are many benefits to family involvement in a child’s school life. Family involvement will not only motivate their child to achieve more but also enforce skills that were taught in the classroom. It is also necessary that parents communicate with teachers on any changes in their child’s personal life which can affect the students behavior.