"Involving Parents in Their Children's Learning" is the story of the pioneering work of the Pen Green Centre for children and families. Showing how early years practitioners can collaborate effectively with parents, the book includes case studies of parents and children who have attended the centre, studies which chart developments in learning for…

Focus group findings from 34 African American parents in an urban southern school district unmask subtle and concealed aspects of involvement. In contrast to formalized school-sponsored parent activities, involvement is described by participants as their encompassing a physical presence at the school to monitor their children's behavior, receiving…

This cross-cultural study examines early childhood professionals' perceptions of their social status, working conditions, and public appreciation in seven countries/territories: Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Mexico, Peru, and the United States of America. One hundred eighteen participants, consisting of preschool and elementary school…

Increasing diversity in the student population intensifies the need for and the difficulties of establishing culturally sensitive and meaningful communication between teachers and parents. This study examined the practices of early childhood and elementary teachers concerning culturally sensitive home-school communication. As a second phase of a…

Conjoint behavioral consultation (CBC) is an ecological model of service delivery that brings together parents and educators to collaboratively address shared concerns for a child. This study provides exploratory data investigating the effects of CBC on home and school concerns for 48 children aged 6 and younger. Single-subject methods were used…

The importance of parental choice, and parents' participation in educational processes, continue to be highlighted in strategies, acts and policies around the world. Partnership with parents is given an even higher profile in relation to educational opportunities for children with special needs. Yet many trainee teachers have only limited…

Increasing numbers of young children with disabilities are receiving services in inclusive settings such as Head Start. It is important to note that positive outcomes for young children with disabilities are due in large part to practitioners' understanding and implementation of both recommended practices in both early care and education and early…

The IMPACT Project is a parental involvement initiative originating in London, England. This book aims at a kaleidoscopic approach reflecting a variety of perspectives on the work in this project over five years. Chapters are grouped according to particular aspects of parental involvement. Part I, "Starting IMPACT," contains only one…

Each school's version of a partnership with parents is unique, and no generic model exists. Designated in 1988 as one of 14 model schools in the New Jersey State Department of Education "Parents as Partners in Learning" project, the Mildred Magowan school in Edgewater Park has followed a systematic approach that has consistently led to…

This document presents one module in a set of training resources for trainers to use with parents and/or professionals serving children with disabilities; focus is on parent professional collaboration. Each training module takes about 2 hours to deliver. The module guide has eight sections: a publicity flyer, topic narrative, overview, trainer…

This book is a guide for educators to help them work with parents to improve schooling. It is particularly geared to dealing with some of the problems that have become greater in recent years owing to changes in family life such as high divorce rates, teenage parents, and working mothers. Chapter 1 deals with types of parent-school involvement,…

A mother of a highly gifted son gives her observations of life with a gifted child, the educational needs of the gifted, and suggestions to teachers of the gifted. Stressed throughout is the fact that gifted children are first and foremost children with all the needs and characteristics of children. Stereotypes of the gifted child are exposed…

This handbook for teachers on conducting a successful parent-teacher conference offers suggestions on: (1) key factors of a successful conference; (2) kinds of individual conferences; (3) creating a positive conference environment; (4) preparing for the conference; (5) conducting the conference; (6) concluding the conference; (7) following the…

An account of one school's home-involvement program and its benefits. (BRT)