“All
learning takes place in the context of relationships and is critically affected
by the quality of those relationships” (Edelman, 2004)
I
believe quality relationships are the foundation for all success. My definition of a quality relationship is the
connection between 2 or more people that is respectful, reciprocal, and
responsive.
Children are shaped by the people, customs and attitudes in their
homes. When they enter an early
childhood program for the first time they have only the knowledge from their
home to help them understand the world.
To respectfully begin to build a relationship with a child and help them
develop to their full potential, an early childhood professional must understand
what a child knows and what they have learned from their first teachers… the
members of their family. Therefore early
childhood professionals must build respectful relationships with the child’s
family so they can understand who the child is.
This is done through reciprocal communication. Then the early childhood professional can
respond to what they learn from the families and build on it with the
child. Families can respond to what they
learn form the early childhood professional and build on it with the child.
“Research tells us that family-program
relationships
influence young children’s
outcomes. Family engagement, as well as teacher
perceptions of positive family attitudes and beliefs about preschool, are
linked to the development of cognitive and social skills. Not only do strong
family-program relations matter for children’s early outcomes, but the benefits
continue over time” (Lopez, 2009). Based
on this understanding family – teacher/program relationships must be a tenet of
any early childhood program, or system.
As I watched the Parent and Family Stories video clips on the
website of the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC) (http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/hs/about/stories/pfs,
2014) this week as part of this blog assignment, my belief in the importance of
relationships was well supported. It was
wonderful to hear the family members who participate with their children in Head
Start programs describe how important the family – program relationships were
to them. Hearing personal stories
allowed me to understand more deeply how important these relationships
are. I must say what struck me most was
how much the family members felt they learned and grew from their involvement in Head
Start. Taking the time to listen to
these dedicated family members was inspiring.
Edelman, L. (2004). A Relationship-Based Approach to Early
Intervention. Resources and Connections, 3(2). Retrieved from: http://www.cde.state.co.us/earlychildhoodconnections/Technical.htm
Lopez, M. (2010).
Valuing families as partners. Retrieved from http://www.hfrp.org/publications-resources/browse-our-publications/valuing-families-as-partners
I think families do grow and learn along their children when they are involved with the education and programs such as Head Start. The programs promote education for not only the children but also the family as well. The stories really opened my eyes to what the program truly is capable of and how it helps more people than we realize. It is an inspiration to me and makes me proud to be involved with the one in my community.
ReplyDeleteBetsy,
ReplyDeleteI agree that relationships are important in education. Children benefit from parent-teacher relationships and from parental involvement in the classroom. As a result, parents should be involved in their children's education. I have also learned that parents benefit from working with teachers to help improve learning for the children.