December 2006 Announcement
Dear FINE Member,
Here are this month's FINE member updates. As
always, please feel free to forward this information to your friends and other
education colleagues.
New From FINE
- Building Connections
With Families by Using Family Involvement Storybooks
Read more about our ideas for using family involvement storybooks in Young
Children, a journal of the National Association for the Education of
Young Children (NAEYC). This article by HFRP's Ellen Mayer and collaborators
describes five ways for teachers to use family involvement storybooks in
their early childhood education classrooms. The article also includes a
vignette about the impact of sharing a family involvement storybook in one
third grade class. You can access a free copy of the article via the Family
Involvement Storybook Corner section of our website.
- Family Involvement Storybook
Corner
For more resources on using storybooks to promote family involvement,
visit the Storybook Corner on our website.
- Complementary Learning
Using family involvement storybooks is just one way to put into action
Harvard Family Research Project's “complementary learning” approach
to closing the achievement gap. Complementary learning is a comprehensive
model that fosters partnerships between families, schools, and other nonschool
supports. You can learn more about complementary learning at the link above.
New From Harvard Graduate School of Education
Professional Development
- School, Family, and Community Collaboration for School Improvement
Dr. Mavis G. Sanders at Johns Hopkins University is offering a summer
2007 online course for school, community, and district leaders who would
like to engage in a systematic course of study focused on family and community
involvement. Enrollment is limited. For more information contact Professor
Mavis G. Sanders at msanders@jhu.edu.
Models and Approaches
- Computers for
Youth
Computers for Youth (CFY) is a nonprofit organization that promotes parent
involvement and student learning via computer technology to help close the
learning gap between low-income children and their more affluent peers.
CFY offers participating families home computers and coordinates workshops
for parents and teachers to use home technology to improve student performance.
- Starting
Strong
Starting Strong is a collaborative project between the Prichard Committee
for Academic Excellence and the University of Kentucky's Interdisciplinary
Human Development Institute. Early childhood teams participate in 18 hours
of training, developing a project designed to increase family involvement
and improve program quality.
- National
Institute on Drug Abuse
The National Institute on Drug Abuse offers free resources for students,
parents and teachers to strengthen families and emphasize the consequences
of drug abuse on the brain and body. For more information visit the link
above.
- The
Parent Academy
Launched by superintendent Rudy Crew at Miami-Dade Country Public Schools,
The Parent Academy (TPA) is a large-scale, privately funded, district-wide
parent involvement program. You can read about TPA in the article “Teach
Your Parents Well” recently published in Teacher Magazine.
Recent Articles and Reports
- “A
Variety of Early Childhood Interventions Have Generated Favorable Economic
Returns”
This article from the Rand Cooperation shows that effective early childhood
programs can bring about favorable economic returns. The article finds that,
among other strategies, a focus on home visiting or parent education, particularly
when coupled with early childhood education, produces positive outcomes.
- Home
Visitation: Assessing Progress, Managing Expectations
Chapin Hall and the Ounce of Prevention Fund collaborated to publish a
review of the evolution of home visitation programs. The paper discusses
research that has evaluated the effectiveness of home visitation programs
to improve the quality of life of young children. You can see the paper
abstract and access the full text at the link above.
- “Family
Meals”
Family meals can be important opportunities to develop strong parent–child
relationships and family connectedness. This article, by Child Trends DataBank,
reports statistics and trends on family meal patterns by youth's age, ethnicity,
economic status, and parent education level.
Upcoming Events
- Strengthening
Families
The Center for Parent Education and the College of Education at the University
of North Texas is holding its 15th Annual Conference on Parent Education
February 8–9, 2007. This national interdisciplinary conference is for
policymakers, students, and professionals, including parent/family educators,
child and family advocates, early childhood interventionists, family support
professionals, and school/parent liaisons. To learn more and to register,
visit the link above.
- Engaging
All Families
Family Friendly Schools is hosting its second national conference, Engage!
All Families, in Anaheim, California, on February 19–20, 2007. Featured
at the conferences will be Dr. Steven Constantino, founder of Family Friendly
Schools, and Dr. Karen Mapp, lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Agenda and registration information can be accessed at the link above.
Contact Us
Have a problem with the website or questions and comments concerning our work?
Send an email to fine@gse.harvard.edu.
Enjoy!
FINE – The Family Involvement Network of Educators
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