PARENT, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

 The professional and personal significance I drew from the stories is that people who came across Head Start want to make changes and empower themselves so they can do the same for someone else. The story about Melinda George inspired me with her speech that if you want people to want more show them that it is achievable. She also explained how she wants her children to learn how to give back. I drew this experience from her to effect the change on my children so they do not always look for their own personal need but to always look out for how they can help someone else everyday. Professionally, Terri Denomie’s story taught me that the more input you put in your children, the more output you will get later in life. Her experience of teaching parents the skills on taking care of their children helps her in her journey of parenting. She has a parent child centered program in order to teach other parents (like victims of domestic violence, teenagers having children, parents with autistic children, and parents of children with fetal Alcohol Syndrome). Rachael Morale’s story about Head Start which is helping children at home to facilitate some teaching that will enhance and improve their skills. She encouraged parents to work and support their child’s teachers while they team up to better raise a well developed child. Head Start also helped some parents reach resources they need to support their whole family. I would like to be involved in Head Start in order to help parents and families reach their full potentials in life.

The involvement of parents and family members are beneficial to their children. 90% of brain development happens before the age of five, so it is important for parents to be involved in their child’s development and learning by teaming up with the teacher to build a connection from school to home to enable the parents track their child’s preparation for kindergarten. Parents need to talk to the educators about the needs they identify in their child/children so that the solution to that problem can be met. It is possible to meet the child’s need through early intervention. Parents need to be educated that there are programs and services to help their children meet a need. Parents need to understand that they have the opportunity to help their children to become successful. Parents, educators and community members need to come together to provide the best start that a child can get for their development. When parents and educators do well to meet the needs of a child, the early childhood group has done a lot to impact the life of a child.

The values of hearing the stories in early childhood professionals are important because of the words of wisdom that each of them was able to share. Rachael Morale commented that parents should not always agree with teachers but to try and work with teachers to advance the learning experience of the child.

Most of the parents in the school are involved in making policy decisions for their community or district school.

Parental involvement is an important strand of service for programs in the early childhood program. Parental involvement improves students’ performances when schools partner with parents or families thereby helping to build children’s confidence.

Reference

Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC), part of the Office of Head Start. http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/family/For%20Parents/pfs