Chapter 9- It says, I say, So..

Camille Sogluizzo

Chapter 9- Family Involvement

7/25/15

Question 1: How much involvement should be expected from families today?

It says: “American educators are expecting more family involvement with their children’s schooling today than they did only a few years ago” (Allington & Cunningham, p. 222). 

I say: Families differ in the amount of support they can provide based on the resources they have. Some families can afford to give their children extra support from tutors or special programs whereas others can’t provide the support their children may need. Some parents might have not completed school and have never learned how to write a research report or complete a math problem. They do not have the resources to help support their children succeed so they rely on the school. We can’t expect the same involvement from these families when they do not have the same resources.

So: Schools can’t improve family involvement until they define exactly what they want families to be involved in. They need to decide if they want families to be supportive and caring about their child’s well- being and their education. Do they want families to actively participate by attending school functions and talking to the teachers? If so, the families must have free time from work, child care for other children, transportation to the school, clothing they feel comfortable wearing to school, and money to pay for all of the above. If the families do not have these resources than this type of involvement will not be successful. So, schools need to supply the resources and expect involvement from their families that they can achieve. 

  

Question 2: How can we increase family efforts to support their children?

It says: “When classroom teachers reach out and communicate regularly with families, especially about positive aspects of children’s school experiences, families respond positively and increase their efforts to support their children” (Allington & Cunningham, p. 234).

I say: The most important communication is between the teacher and the family. The most effective form of communication is school- home communication. Families should understand what is going on in the classroom and be provided with the activities, curriculum, and plans. It is also important to inform families about the children’s progress, accomplishments, improvements, and ways to help them at home. By doing this, parents are involved and they begin to hold higher expectations from their children. Children will begin to get better grades because teachers are able to meet the needs of all children and gain more strategies for motivating children in their schoolwork. 

So: It is important for classroom teachers to communicate regularly with families and tell them positive things. This way, families will respond positively about school and want to support their children. Effective school-home communications include classroom newspapers, personal notes, phone calls, review activities, and work folders that children regularly take home. We can increase family efforts to support their children by communicating with families on a regular basis and being positive.

Question 3: Should schoolwork only be done in school?

It says: “Many working-class families saw schoolwork as fitting only into the school day. Work not done in school today could be done there tomorrow” (Allington & Cunningham, p. 222).

I say: There are two sides to homework. First, homework is important to complete at home. However, it should be something that was taught in class and assigned on the student’s independent level. Homework should be differentiated and reinforce the concept taught during the school day. Teachers should not assign homework that takes a long time to complete or that is considered busy work. On the other hand, there is no evidence that homework has any positive effect on student achievement. When did it become the family’s responsibility to supervise daily worksheet completion that was sent home for homework? 

So: Today, homework is common for elementary students. If homework is going to be assigned, it needs to be on the student’s independent level so that it does not become a burden for the family. It is important to keep in mind the resources that students may or may not have at home. So, there needs to be a balance when assigning homework.