Running head: FAMILY ENGAGEMENT PLAN 1

Family Engagement Plan

Autumn Smith

Louisiana State University

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Family Engagement Plan

Justification

In their book, Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs:

Serving Children from Birth through Age 8, editors Carol Copple and Sue Bredekamp (2009)

describe 12 principles of child development and learning that inform practice. One of these

principles states that, “Development and learning occur in and are influenced by multiple social

and cultural contexts” (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009, p. 13). This means that each child’s learning

and development are determined by a variety of factors beyond the classroom. One of the factors

that can have the greatest impact on a child’s development is their family. In order to provide

students with the most developmentally appropriate education possible, teachers must ensure that

they regularly and effectively communicate and collaborate with families. Incorporating families

into the child’s school life will help to keep them informed and up-to-date on what their child is

doing in class, as well as encourage the child to do well.

Educators cannot successfully collaborate with families without an effective and

developmentally appropriate family engagement plan. The most meaningful relationships

between teachers and families are those that are built upon, “mutual respect, cooperation, shared

responsibility, and negotiation of conflicts toward achievement of shared goals” (Copple &

Bredekamp, 2009, p. 23). This means that teachers regularly participate in two-way

communication with families, provide opportunities for family participation in the classroom,

and offer supportive services and resources based on individual family needs.

Family Engagement Strategies

Establishing Relationships with Families

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The first step in successfully involving families in their children’s education is to

establish relationships. One way to begin establishing relationships with families is by hosting a

meet-and-greet prior to the first day of school. This will give both teachers and families the

opportunity to converse and get to know each other before the beginning of the school year. If

hosting a meet-and-greet is not an option, teachers can call, email, or use a communication app

to introduce themselves to the families and open up communication. This strategy is also a

helpful way for teachers to discover the familys’ preferred method of communication, allowing

for the relationship to progress in a way that is most convenient for each family.

Gathering Information from Families

Another effective means of involving families is to use them as a resource for gathering

information on the students. In addition to collecting emergency contact information, teachers

should send home their own student information forms for families to fill out. Such background

forms should include questions about the student’s family (whether they have siblings and who

they live with), interests (sports, afterschool activities, hobbies), culture (languages spoken at

home, holidays celebrated, dietary restrictions), likes/strengths, and dislikes/areas in need of

improvement. By gathering this information from families, teachers can ensure that each child’s

family, culture, and individual personality is considered and represented in the classroom.

Additionally, student information forms should include a section for families to share any other

information about their child as they find necessary.

Keeping Families Informed

Any effective family engagement plan includes a variety of means for keeping families

informed. Quick ways of updating families with information include making phone calls,
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sending emails, or using communication apps, such as Class Dojo or Remind. Teachers can also

send home weekly or monthly newsletters. Efficient newsletters include reminders, information

about upcoming events, a description of what the students are learning about, and homework.

Another strategy for keeping families informed is to send home hand-written notes about

positive experiences their child has had. This technique allows teachers to let families know

about their child’s day-to-day life at school.

Establishing Two-Way Communication

A teacher’s family engagement plan will not be successful without the establishment of

two-way communication with families. Simple methods for creating two-way communication

include phone calls, email, and communication apps. It is important for teachers to discuss which

method works best with each family’s lifestyle. Another way to create back-and-forth

communication with families is by setting up a class blog. A class blog allows teachers to share

important information and reminders with families, as well as allow families to publish questions

and feedback. An additional strategy for communicating with families is through parent-teacher

conferences. This technique allows teachers to meet with families in person to discuss their

child’s strengths, progress, and goals. Parent-teacher conferences also create opportunities for

families to give input or further discuss any concerns they may have.

Integrating Families into the Program

A teacher’s family engagement plan should always include strategies for integrating

families into the program. One meaningful way of integrating families is by promoting an open-

door policy. Just by allowing families to visit or observe for 30 minutes a day, teachers can

ensure that families feel like welcomed members of the classroom environment. Teachers can
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also achieve this by creating opportunities for families to volunteer in the classroom. Such

opportunities can include reading to the class, working with a small group during centers,

organizing materials, or chaperoning field trips and class parties. Teachers can also ask parents to

speak about or lead activities related to their personal experiences or expertise, such as working

as a firefighter or immigrating to the United States. It is important for teachers to also consider

families who are unable to volunteer in the classroom. Teachers can create opportunities for

these families to contribute by asking them to donate materials or by providing activities for

them to do at home. Finally, educators can include families in the program by hosting school

events, such as luncheons, family literacy/math/fitness night, fall festival, holiday programs, art

shows, or plays/performances.

Providing Family Education

In order to extend family involvement beyond the classroom, it is important for teachers

to provide families with educational support and resources. One way to achieve this is by hosting

educational events at the school. These can be small meetings held by a teacher in their

classroom or schoolwide events open to all families. Such events can include family fitness

night, literacy night, or math night. Event topics can be determined based on the specific

educational needs of the families involved. Another way in which teachers can help educate

families is by creating tutorials or sending home supplemental materials. Teachers can create

videos or recordings of themselves teaching a lesson or completing a homework problem to

share with families. This strategy can provide families with the educational support they need to

understand and assist their children with their schoolwork, as well as effectively continue the

learning at home.
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Importance of high-level play. Among the topics that teachers should help to educate

families on is the importance of high-level play for children’s learning and development. One

strategy for providing this education is through classroom observations. Teachers can invite

families to visit their classroom and observe their children as they play. This also gives teachers

the opportunity to further explain the various types and developmental benefits of play in a

classroom setting. Another strategy teachers can implement involves sharing resources on the

importance of play with families. Such resources can include research-based articles, workshop

opportunities, and information on local children’s museums, parks, and other recreational

facilities.

Behavior Intervention

Within every effective family engagement plan, there should include a plan for behavior

intervention. When implementing a behavior intervention plan, the family should be included in

every stage of the process. The first step in addressing an extreme behavior problem is to discuss

the issue with the student’s family. The teacher should describe their observations of the

behavior, provide evidence to show that the behavior is a reoccurring issue, and ask the family if

their child is exhibiting similar behavior at home. The family should be viewed as a valuable

resource in correcting unwanted or inappropriate behavior. The teacher and family should work

together to decide upon a behavior intervention strategy. One method involves implementing a

system of rewards and consequences. Families can provide input on the specific rewards and

consequences used, as well as continue implementing the system at home. Another effective

behavior intervention teachers can use is planned ignoring, which involves intentionally ignoring

inappropriate behavior. Because attention is one of the primary motivators of a behavior, planned

ignoring can help to reduce unwanted behavior displayed by young children. Additionally,
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teachers and families can use verbal praise to encourage appropriate behavior in children. This

behavior intervention involves actively recognizing and praising positive behavior with the goal

of replacing unwanted behavior. Regardless of the behavior intervention used, the strategy

should be agreed upon by the teacher and family, as well as regularly implemented in both the

classroom and home setting.

Evaluating Effectiveness

Similar to every other aspect of teaching, the implementation of a teacher’s family

engagement plan will not be successful without a means for evaluating its effectiveness. One

way to assess one’s family engagement plan is through feedback from the families themselves.

Teachers can receive feedback by distributing surveys or questionnaires to families inquiring

about their involvement in the classroom or program. Specific questions can include, “In what

ways are you currently involved in your child’s education?”, “In what ways would you like to

become more involved in your child’s education?”, and, “What barriers, if any, are keeping you

from becoming involved?”. By asking these questions, teachers can gauge how successful their

current family engagement plan is, as well as receive suggestions from families on how it can be

better. Additionally, teachers should regularly engage in self-reflection on all aspects of their

teaching, especially family involvement. This can be done by listing every strategy implemented

for involving the family and considering the benefits or drawbacks of each. Teachers should also

research developmentally appropriate family engagement plans, as well as observe the strategies

used by their experienced coworkers. By seeking input from families, as well as participating in

self-reflection, teachers can continue to improve upon their family engagement plan and develop

professionally.
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References

Copple, C. & Bredekamp, S. (Eds.). (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early

childhood programs: Serving children from birth through age 9 (3rd ed.). Washington,

DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.