ERIC Number: EJ898721
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Jul
Pages: 8
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1538-6619
EISSN: N/A
Supporting Transnational Families
Cho, Eun Kyeong; Chen, Dora W.; Shin, Sunghee
Young Children, v65 n4 p30-37 Jul 2010
Soon the author will have a new child in her classroom. Jingsong, four years old, arrived here in the United States from China only two weeks ago. Jingsong's father does not speak fluent English, Jingsong does not speak any English, and his mother lives in China. The author will be this child's first teacher in his new country, and she does not know where to start. An increasing number of teachers encounter situations like this today. Gonzalez-Mena points out that "a program can't educate or care for the child without taking the family into consideration." Furthermore, according to a national parent survey, "parents who are single, separated, or divorced are more likely than others to identify input from professionals as a major influence on parenting." It is important for teachers to support families that do not live together, no matter what the reason. This article focuses on transnational families--those from another country, with some family members living in the United States while other family members remain in the homeland--and shares practical ideas for early childhood teachers.
Descriptors: Early Childhood Education, Immigrants, English (Second Language), Family Involvement, Family Structure, Preschool Teachers, Teacher Role, Family Relationship, Political Issues, Social Influences, Economic Factors, Access to Education, At Risk Students
National Association for the Education of Young Children. 1313 L Street NW Suite 500, Washington, DC 22205-4101. Tel: 800-424-2460; Tel: 202-232-8777; Fax: 202-328-2649; e-mail: editorial@naeyc.org; Web site: http://journal.naeyc.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A