Module 4: Family Interview Script Instructions

Overview
A family interview is one way to determine the values a parent and family lives by and to start
the dialogue with families about their cultural beliefs and expectations of the program they are
enrolling their child in. This is an opportunity to set the stage for relationship-based care and
open the door to continued discussions about what is important to the parent and families for
their child. Consider what you want to know and why you want to know it. Not only is the family
interview document important but how the interview that takes place matters. Being able to role-
play and practice how the interview might go will help you decide what you want to ask and
consider how you want to ask it.

Instructions
Examine the sample parent interview questions, found here:

Home Language Survey

Conducting a Parent Interview

You will be developing your own but can use the examples as a guide. Think about what you
want to know, why you want to know it and how much you need to know. After you develop your
interview document, you will conduct an interview. You will just need any parent or caregiver of a
child to participate with you. You will not be documenting the interview for the class, so the name
does not matter, you will not need any names for this assignment. If you work in a program and
select a parent of a child in your program you need to let them know that this is an opportunity
for you to practice your style of interviewing, not anything about their child, you will not be
documenting that at all.

1. Review sample interview documents or suggestions for interviews.

2. Write out things you would want to know about a child and family who were enrolling in
your program.
3. Develop a family interview form with between 12-15 meaningful questions.
4. Interview a parent or caregiver of a child. The goal is to practice asking the questions, not
necessarily the information that is being shared. You can select a family friend or a family of
a child you work with. You must explain that the family interview will not be submitted just
the blank interview form you developed and some reflection questions of how you
conducted the interview. No names will be used, so do not document answers from the
interview.
5. You will upload your BLANK interview form and then answer the following questions:
What was most important to you to include in your interview form?

Were there questions or things you wanted to know that were missing from your
interview form?
 Were there questions or things you did not need to know that were included in your
interview form?
How did you feel when asking the questions; were there any questions that you were
uncomfortable asking or hearing the answer to?
Is there anything you would do the same and or different during the interview?

See the Schedule in the Syllabus Module for due dates. Review the Rubric attached to the
Assignment Submission Folder for grading information.