Principles & Practices

Principle

Education for English Learners is enhanced when preschool programs and families partner around children’s education.

Family (parent) involvement and participation are improved when families are valued contributors as planners, trainers, and evaluators of their children’s educational programs. It is important for teachers to recognize and respect families’ language beliefs and practices in order to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the language development of English Learners.

Practices

• Determine how language learning, home language support, and communication goals will be addressed in your setting for all your students, including your students with disabilities.
• Acknowledge the multiple responsibilities that parents and families juggle on a daily basis.
• Highlight the many ways families are already involved in their child’s education.
• Provide options for home-based activities that can support what the child is learning at school.
• Share and model the belief that parents' involvement in their child's education, accompanied by high educational expectations for their child, result in better long-term academic and social-emotional development.
• Provide opportunities for parents and family members to share their skills with staff, the children in your program, and other families.
• Allow family members to determine how they would like to be supported and generate ideas for ways in which they can both lead and implement those supports.
• Provide specific information regarding program expectations, academic standards and transition to kindergarten.
  
• Hold an open house or potluck dinner for families in the program.