Epstein's Framework of Six Types of Parental Involvement Done by : Reem Saleh H00385615 ECE 3703 Building Learning Communities Submitted to Ms. Rasha AlZaabi
Table of content Introduction ...................................................................2 Joyce L. Epstein .........................................................3 Parenting .........................................................................4 Communicating .........................................................5 Volunteering ................................................................6 Learning at Home ....................................................7 Decision-Making .......................................................8 Collaboration with the Community ............9 Interview with MST .................................................10 Evaluation of School Policy .............................13 Challenges ...................................................................14 Recommendations ................................................14 Instructional Guidelines for Parents .........17 Activities for Parents to Suppor Children's Education at Home ................................................19 References ...................................................................20 Chapter One: Chapter Two: Chapter Three: Chapter Four: Chapter Five: 1
Introduction
E-Book is About
This e book is about Epstein's framework of six types of involvement. I will discuss each type of Epstein's framework and include the challenges and recommendations. In addition, I will present the school policies for parental communication based on Epstein’s approach by interviewing my MST in teaching practice.
The Importance of Parental Involvement
Parental involvement is necessary to increase children's progress, however, parents are an influence positively to their children's performance. In addition, several studies illustrate the benefits of parental involvement in children's education. One of the benefits is the engagement process support children's acquisition of knowledge and skills as well as a sense of self efficacy for academic success (Hoover Dempsey & etc., 1995).
The Definition of Epstein's Framework of Six Types of Involvement
The six categories of involvement interactions serve as a framework for categorizing actions taken by school staff, family members, and community members. They cooperate to increase involvement and student accomplishment that operate under the theory of overlapping spheres (Caño et al., 2016, p.152).
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Joyce L. Epstein
More about her: The director of the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships and a professor of education at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education is Joyce L. Epstein, Ph.D. in sociology.
She founded the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) in 1995, which offers leaders professional development to create family and community engagement programs that are based on research.
She has published more than 150 works, among them School, Family, and Community Partnerships.
Dr. Epstein earned the Elizabeth Cohen Award for Applied Research from the AERA's Sociology of Education Special Interest Group in 2009 and was inducted as a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association in the same year (Joyce, 2022).
This figure shows the six types of parental involvement
Dr. Epstein studied the six types of parental involvement.
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Six Types of Parental Involvement
1- Parenting:
Purpose
Parenting provides a maintaining a healthy home environment, parents may help their children's education in the first step. By providing parenting classes, directing families to necessary support services and government aid programs, and encouraging parents to set a positive example for their children by reading to and in front of them, educators can assist parents (Caño et al., 2016, p.152).
Example
In my TP, there was reading day and the school asked the parents to be involve in that event to support their children. Also, to read with them and the parents were free to ask the teachers any questions to guide them about reading skills.
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Those pictures show students reading stories.
Six Types of Parental Involvement
2- Communicating:
Purpose
Parent involvement is crucial, and it must be simple for parents to ask questions or voice concerns. Hold parent-teacher conferences (and use interpreters if necessary), send student work home with grade explanations, send out regular emails or memos outlining the work you're doing in the classroom, and be accessible to parents for calls and parent teacher meetings (with an administrator present, if needed) (Caño et al., 2016, p.152).
Example
While I was in TP the school did parent meetings after school time to discuss the student's progress and improvement, however, my MST prepared the notes and evaluation paper. Also, she discussed how she graded the work and give some advice.
Those pictures show how my MST will evaluate students' grades.
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Six Types of Parental Involvement
3- Volunteering: Purpose
Volunteering in the classroom or at school is one of the most straightforward methods for parents to get involved in their kids' education. You should welcome parents to assist in the classroom and let them know about the school's volunteer possibilities, such as helping with office work, supporting safety patrols, manning concession stands at sporting events, etc (Caño et al., 2016, p.152).
Example
I did a lesson for storytelling about "We're going on a bear hunt" and I asked my MST to involve the parents to share and volunteer in the lesson. Moreover, to encourage their children in their activities work. One of the activities was creating a character related to the story.
This picture shows the student's work with their parents.
This video shows students watching the story of the week.
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Six Types of Parental Involvement
4- Learning at Home:
Purpose
Students can learn a lot from their parents and other family members. You should notify parents about homework assignments and projects to assist them in providing at home learning. You can also give them resources that are intended to make the material you're presenting easier for them to understand. Additionally, parents may ensure their kids have opportunities to study outside of the classroom by giving home lists of optional reading and other activities (Caño et al., 2016, p.152).
Example
I saw that my MST had a WhatsApp group with parents to share the homework and remind them about the requirements.
Those pictures show one of the communication apps with parents.
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Six Types of Parental Involvement
5- Decision-Making: Purpose
Parents and educators work together to operate good schools and districts. Parents should be encouraged to join the PTA/PTO and take part in neighborhood lobbying and support groups for education. Similarly, you must inform parents about local elections for school boards (Caño et al., 2016, p.152).
Example
In the school, they have a mother's council and I always saw them come to school to decide on events or any progress in the school. However, they did a decision about Flag day by preparing the reception for the parents and visitors.
This picture shows parents meeting. This picture shows Mother's work on Flag day.
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Six Types of Parental Involvement
6- Collaborating With the Community: Purpose
Parents that are active in the community are likely to be active in the educational system as well. You can create community service projects that unite parents, teachers, and administrators, inform them about community activities at nearby museums and parks, ask community leaders to speak in the classroom and at parent gatherings, and give information about these activities (Caño et al., 2016, p.152).
Example
The mother's council did a hospitality corner for the teachers on Flag day. Also, the parents were involved with the school community and they involve their children by providing distributions to students.
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This picture shows the student's participation on Flag day.
This video shows Mother's hospitality corner for teachers.
Interview
I did an interview with my MST about the school policies for parental communication based on Epstein’s approach about the framework of parental involvement.
Type 1: Parenting
Question: Do you think that parents provide a safe environment at home which supports their children’s learning? If yes, how? Yes. Students come to school well cared for and nourished. If students are not well cared for or hungry, they will not be able to focus in the classroom.
Question: Do you feel that your students have a healthy lifestyle and good nutrition? Most of the students do, yes.
Type 2: Communication
Question: How often do the school communicate with parents to inform them about school?
The school has an open communication policy. Parents are able to contact the social workers and teachers at any time. Parents are contacted and informed of events/changes to timetables/celebrations as they are decided. There is daily communication with parents.
Question: How do parents communicate with their children’s teachers? Email, phone calls, whatsapp, telegram
Question: Are the communications two-way channels? For example, do you communicate Yes. If parents contact me I will respond as soon as I am able to.
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Interview
Type 3: Volunteering
Question: Do you provide the opportunity for parents to volunteer in school-related experiences? If yes, what volunteering opportunities have you provided this year? Yes. Parents have been involved in cancer awareness campaigns and healthy eating campaigns. Parents are also invited to come in to the class and volunteer with group teaching.
Type 4: Learning at home
Question: Do you inform parents about the instructional program and what the child is learning in each subject and how? Yes. Every week a detailed parent letter is sent out where each subject lists the learning objectives for the coming weeks, what activities will be done, what needs to be prepared and presented as well as assessments.
Question: Do you think parents have the authority to work with the curriculum and help children learn at home?. Yes. Because each lesson is sent to them to follow the curriculum, also if they need help they always send me a message to support them.
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Interview
Type 5: Decision making
Question: Do have a parent association or committee in your school? Are they involved in decision-making? For example, do parents give their opinion and participate in school events, activities, and programs? Yes. There is a Mother's Council that often meets to decide what to do for the events or activities such as Flag day and National day.
Type 6: Collaborating with the Community
Question: Do you integrate resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student development? If yes, how? Yes, the social workers work with members of the community to hold workshops and seminars that are presented to the students and require their involvement and participation. This year there have been presentations on safety and security at school, healthy eating and lifestyle, bus safety as well as excursions in the field of food and health safety.
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Evaluation
Evaluating the School Policy During TP
Al Asalah primary school policy is successful because the social workers follow specific strategies to provide better parental communication and learning in the school. However, the two strategies that the school used were our daily communication with the parents and several ways to contact the parents such as Telegram and Email as my MST mentioned in the interview. In addition, I think the one key to success is when the social worker contact daily with parents. Also when the Mother’s council had a meeting to discuss and communicate about events, that allow the parents to share and make decisions with school workers. The volunteer opportunity for the parents was to invite them to normal classes to support the academic performance of their children. Moreover, the parents are always invited to attend activities in the school to support their children and there was an activity that the community did about the safety and security in the school. However, my MST is sending parent letters each week for all subjects about what their children will do during the week.
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Evaluation
Type 1: Parenting
Challenges:
Students are not getting care from their parents.
Parents didn't provide well environment study at home.
Recommendations:
Teachers send instructions about the importance of care from parents because that will support their progress and focuses in the classroom.
Teachers or social workers make the meeting about environment learning at home and how it influences the student's work.
Type 2: Communication
Challenges:
If parents have an issue with the English language that affects communication with the teacher.
If the missed parents meeting with excuses.
Recommendations:
The school must provide a translator to make communication easier.
The teacher should prepare a letter about the student's progress for the parents who don't attend.
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Evaluation
Type 3: Volunteering
Challenges:
Parents don't know strategies for group activity. Students feel uncomfortable when their parents volunteer in the classroom.
Recommendations:
The teacher may do some guides for the parents about group work.
The teacher should motivate the students such as telling the students "if you show your Mom or Dad your excellent work they will reward you, also I will reward you " so through this the students will focus on their work to get rewards.
Type 4: Learning at Home
Challenges:
The parents may find the curriculum too difficult. The parent's education is low and they don't have enough opportunities to learn their children at home.
Recommendations:
The teacher should send letters about objectives with clear steps for learning at home to make it easy for them.
Schools may support parents' education, especially in the English language which will influence their children's progress.
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Evaluation
Type 5: Decision Making
Challenges:
Some parents don't accept the opinions of other parents.
Failure to implement the agreed plan on a day of implementation.
Recommendations:
The social worker may do a voting strategy to make fair to the parents' opinions and a higher vote will implement. The social worker will let the parents sign a letter for the implementation plan if they get a higher vote. Also, if they didn't the social worker will not allow them to make any decisions about school events and learning.
Type 6: Collaborating with the Community
Challenges:
The parents don't know how is important of parents involve with the community.
If the parents missed the events or services from the community.
Recommendations:
The school should inform the parents about the necessary instructions that impact their children's progress. The social worker may prepare a letter about the events with important points and send it to the parents, so they can share it with their children.
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Instructional Guidelines for Parents
Type 1: Parenting
You should provide a good environment for learning for your child at home.
Make sure to give enough care to a healthy lifestyle for your children.
My MST used this paper to show parents the progress of their children in meeting parents.
Type 3: Volunteering
The school has an opportunity to volunteer in events school.
You have a chance to involve in the classroom with your child to support him/her.
Type 2: Communication
Parents must attend the parents meeting in the school to discuss the student's progress. Use any app you are comfortable with to contact us like WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.
Parents support their children on Flag day by preparing distributions for their friends.
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Instructional Guidelines for Parents
Type 4: Learning at Home
Every week the teachers will send letters about objectives that your child will learn during the week.
If you need any help with homework or learning you eacher.
Mother's council decide to prepare a corner in the reception for the parents.
Type 6: Collaborating with the Community
You are allowed to join community events with your child.
You can collaborate with the school to make events or activities for the students.
My MST was using WhatsApp to send letters for the week.
Type 5: Decision Making
You have an opportunity to make a decision about school events like Flag day.
Parents can provide any support such as Mother's word on Flag day for the school event or activity.
Mother's council collaborates with the school to involve Flag day activities. And this video shows parents saluting the national flag.
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Activities for Parents to Suppor Children's Education at Home
Parents can borrow storybooks from the school library to support their children's reading abilities at home. Also, they can ask for the appropriate books for their children's age.
Teachers may send online games to parents for their children to do online activities at home. In this example, the students can practice more about what they learn with their parents' support at home.
This student play online game.
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The library school.
Reference list
Caño, K. J., Cape, M. G., Cardosa, J. M., Miot, C., Pitogo, G. R., Quinio, C. M., & Merin, J. (2016). Parental involvement on pupils’ performance: Epstein’s framework. The Online Journal of New Horizons in Education, 6(4), 143 150.
Hoover Dempsey, K. V., & Sandler, H. M. (1995). Parental involvement in children's education: Why does it make a difference?. Teachers college record, 97(2), 310 331.
Joyce L. Epstein, PhD - JHU School of Education. (2022). JHU School of Education. Retrieved November 29, 2022, from https://education.jhu.edu/directory/joyce-l-epstein-phd/
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