ERIC Number: EJ1242544
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0300-4430
EISSN: N/A
Exploring the Use of Texting to Support Family-School Engagement in Early Childhood Settings: Teacher and Family Perspectives
Snell, Emily K.; Hindman, Annemarie H.; Wasik, Barbara A.
Early Child Development and Care, v190 n4 p447-460 2020
New technologies offer exciting opportunities for improving home-school communication, family engagement, and children's learning in early childhood. This paper presents the results of an exploratory study focused on understanding how texting might enhance family-school engagement in early childhood settings. Using focus groups and surveys of teachers (n = 20) and family members (n = 30) in an urban early childhood programme in the eastern United States, we examined the nature of current communication (including texting) between school and home, openness among teachers and families to the idea of sending or receiving home-school communication via text, and beliefs among teachers and families about how texting can support various aspects of family-school engagement. Results suggest that many teachers and families are enthusiastic about using texting and view texting as a tool to further family-school engagement and communication and to enhance child outcomes.
Descriptors: Telecommunications, Handheld Devices, Family School Relationship, Early Childhood Education, Teacher Attitudes, Urban Areas, Communication Strategies, Preschool Children, Federal Programs, Prompting, Family Involvement, Public Schools, Family Attitudes, Parent Attitudes, Preschool Teachers, Low Income
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A