FAMILY ENGAGEMENT Family engagement is a collaborative process through which educators and caregivers partner to support children’s learning. According to data from the U.S. Department of Education, less than 20 percent of a child's time is spent in school, with the remainder mostly spent with family or in areas of the community. Because of this, the role that parents and the home environment play in a child’s life can have a major influence on their academic development. Research has also revealed the positive impact higher levels of family engagement can have on their children's outcomes. Studies show that high levels of family engagement are associated with:
• Increased student achievement (Park & Holloway, 2017; Jeynes, 2005)
• Improved attendance and behavior (Smith, et al., 2019; Sheldon, 2007; El Nokali at al., 2010)
• Improved social-emotional skills (Smith et al., 2020; Van Voorhis et al., 2013)
• Increased graduation rates (Ross, 2016; Hoover-Dempsey, et al., 2005)
To successfully encourage family engagement, educators must first build positive relationships with families and then find genuine and meaningful ways to involve them. Moody and Matthews (2022) describe the importance of cultivating a more inclusive and successful school-and-home learning environment by creating “an ecology where both generic and home literacy practices are valued.” In their model, teachers are empowered to:
• Recognize and value the cultural literacy practices of bi/multilingual families
• Involve families in program creation
• Design reading activities that are both meaningful and effective
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