Description
This book reports initiatives to listen to parents and families, to ascertain what families believe and do as they seek to engage collaboratively with their children窶冱 educators, and what educators and educational systems might do to facilitate and/or establish barriers to such engagement.
Parental engagement in children窶冱 learning and development has many positive benefits. However, in the current environments of accountability and performativity which are pervading early childhood education in many countries, the opportunities for parents and other family members to be part of the development of respectful, collaborative relationships with their children窶冱 early childhood educators are becoming more and more restricted. Many educators feel forced to choose between curriculum outcomes and parental engagement, as both involve their time. There is a danger that the voices of parents and families in their children窶冱 early learning and development will not always be heard, seen, or fully understood. This volume addresses this important issue.
Researchers, educators, and families will all benefit from this book, to the ultimate benefit of the young children who are the future. This book was originally published as a special issue of the European Early Childhood Education Research Journal.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1. Parents窶� play beliefs and engagement in young children窶冱 play at home 2. 窶牢he thinks her toys don窶冲 understand Romanian窶�: family engagement with children窶冱 learning during the transition to school 3. Would it really matter? The democratic and caring deficit in 窶湾arental involvement窶� 4. 窶漏emote parenting窶�: parents窶� perspectives on, and experiences of, home and preschool collaboration 5. An observational assessment of parent窶鍍eacher cocaring relationships in infant窶鍍oddler classrooms
6. Chinese and German teachers窶� and parents窶� conceptions of learning at play 窶� similarities, differences, and (in)consistencies
7. How educators define their role: building 窶湾rofessional窶� relationships with children and parents during transition to childcare: a case study 8. Parental involvement in Finnish day care 窶� what do early childhood educators say? 9. How do early childhood practitioners define professionalism in their interactions with parents? 10. Written communication with families during the transition from childcare to school: how documents construct and position children, professionals, and parents
