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Strengthening Developmentally Appropriate ProgramThrough Family EngagementVesna SokFresno Pacific UniversityStrengthen Developmentally Appropriate ProgramThrough Family EngagementMost developmentally appropriate program is designed to “inspire challenge and support leaders in early childhood to embrace and move towards vision of families as agent of change in their children’s lives, communities and early childhood systems.” (Franklin, n.d.). There are several components in having a successful developmentally appropriate program. One essential factor is through family engagement, where there are collaborating practitioners and family members working together to creates a strong foundation in the program. Programs that take initiative on understanding about the changing dynamic of family structure and culture has the tool in creating the appropriate approaches to better serve family’s needs and involvement. This paper will explore culture, family engagement, and the supporting tools and strategies use to strengthen the connection of the community with early childhood education. Changing Dynamic of Family CultureCulture is a substantial part of people’s lives. It shapes how people perceive things and behave per their beliefs. The early childhood practitioners that know the understanding of why a group of people acts the way they do encompasses acceptance. It helps to eliminate miscommunication and perspectives that permits in seeing diversity as unique attributes. By recognizing the differences of cultures and its ideologies, will bring equanimity to the program. No matter of the person skin color, gender, physical/mental abilities, socio-economic status or sexual orientation, practitioners can provide a positive and nurturing environment for them. A successful program recognizes the unique differences and embraces the diversity that resonates respect and acceptance. Hence creates healthy relationships with family members and influences parent’s engagement (Sok, 2017). When practitioner understands the nature of culture, it helps in giving the insights of the family’s upbringing to better support the corporation of home and school learning. Part of the changing family engagement in early childhood education can include barriers. The home and school relations experiences can come out negatively due to several barriers that can from the family member. Some of these barriers are the fact that that the family feels inadequate of specific skills that are needed to be a successful contribution to the child’s learning. Family members do not know how to get involved in the program. They believe that their participation and help does not make a difference and not appreciated by their efforts in the child’s learning at home. Family members feel that the invitation to go to the program is insincere and they only care about the bits of help that is needed for fundraising. The program presents itself as a comfortable place for family member to attend. Often, family engagement is affected by families of low-income or poor living conditions. These barriers create limitations to family member motivation to participate and engage, which can post the adverse educational outcome for the children (Kostelnik, Soderman, Whiren, & Ruppiper, 2015). Supporting toolsKostelnik et al. (2015) describes that research has indicated that family involvement in early childhood program correlates to academic success. The NAEYC has set standards that identify the essential criteria use as the guide in building excellent early childhood program that meets family dynamics. These standards necessitate to comprehending diverse family and community characteristics, putting efforts in establishing respectful relationships and promoting the family members to take part in children’s learning process. The standards show early childhood professional the appropriate actions and expectation in strengthening family engagement. Having partnership between family members and professional can form a common understanding in the child development and promote healthy outcome for optimal growth. As professional work with families to understand children’s ability, behaviors, and tools used to overcoming obstacles that involve their development, serves as the beneficial factor for achieving goals set for children. The six types of Family Engagement guideline are a favorable supporting tool that is implemented in ensuring successful learning outcome between family members and teachers. It comprises on how teachers can approach parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with the community. In Type 1: Parenting, it involves the practitioner facilitating the developmental skills that help improve learning in the home setting. The family members at home will need the specific teaching skills that support how to guide the child development. In Type 2: Communicating, the practitioner will effectively keep ongoing contacts with family members and access how they are doing in the program. In Type 3: Volunteering, the practitioner will collaborate with family members and encourage them to be involved in the child’s learning and development. In Type 4: Learning at Home, require parents’ involvement as the key to the child’s development. Also, the practitioner provides the supporting tools and guidance for appropriate engagement at home. Type 5 Decision Making contains that the practitioner supports the family members at the micro and macro level of decision making. The family member is motivated to be active members of the community and advocates for change when fitting. Lastly, Type 6 the Collaborating with the Communities entails that the practitioners provide resources and education to meets the learning needs of the children as it relates to their sole communities (Kostelnik et al., 2015).Effective Family Engagement Strategies“Parental engagement is often seen as a method used by educators in child care, preschool, and school settings to encourage parents’ efforts to support their child’s learning” (Shannon & Ramos, 2014 p. 4). Being aware that family engagement is crucial to children’s learning and the obstacles that cause the bombardment of not achieving productivity, practitioner can effectively influence family engagement through the four key elements: collaborations, variety, intensity and individuation. The vital outcome for having an effective collaboration is that practitioners and family member understand that both party play a significant role in the child’s development and there is an ongoing open communication towards a common goal for the child. Practitioners and family members can share important information they know about the child to guide in better support the learning outcome. A program that provide variety for family engagement shows their interest and acceptance that family ability to participate all not all the same. It is imperative to provide the intensity of contact with family members to build trusting relationship the practitioner. Also, presenting several engaging opportunities will allow family member’s attribute to match in their preference in choosing their desirable participation. Allowing individuation in the program promotes a positive response on fruitful family engagement to tailors the family members unique needs and sensitivities (Kostelnik et al., 2015).Kostelnik et al (2015) emphasizes on taking account of appropriate collaboration, variety, intensity, and individuation as helps in fostering families engagement with the child’s learning. However, there are specific strategies that must be implemented to create the partnerships with families around the child’s education. Practitioners must establish a relationship with families by showing their care and concern of the children. The practitioner takes time to make personal contact with families and is available for meetings. As practitioners are communicating with the family members, it comes across as seeing members as individual and not just the child’s parent. Come across to family members with interest and enthusiasm with listening carefully and responding. Also, early childhood program need to learn how to use the new forms of communications channels through which parents can be reach like using communicational apps, emails, texts, and so forth (Daugherty, Dossani, Johnson, & Wright, (n.d.). Be courteous to family members by greeting, communicating with familiar language, provide translated materials for each family’s language and newsletters that entail “Dear Family Member” as the family structure is diverse. The program is maintaining family confidentiality. Professionals can improve the possibilities for building relationship when they look for family strengths rather faults. By keeping an open mind and consider the differences in views/perspectives as well as culture. Provide active listening, praise as well as feedback to families to help better serve their needs. Also, share control with families by understanding cues, learn from family members, and collaborating on the decisions making on the child’s educational goals (Kostelnik et al., 2015). Strengthening developmentally appropriate program through family engagement acquires the knowledge, strategies, and approaches ensuring a positive relationship with the practitioners and families. Some standards and guidelines assist the program in creating a high-quality environment that consolidates relationship with the families, which influences successful development outcome for the children. Seeking out cultural information and understanding cultural and community structure helps in building trusting and healthy relationships. Understanding socio-economic backgrounds or life’s situation and the barriers that affect family participation provides the insights on how to support the unique and diverse family. In turn, families are more comfortable to participate. As the early childhood program continue to create a place that where there are cultural competence and understanding; family members are more motivated to be part children education. Positive experiences will strengthen relationships. ReferencesDaugherty L., Dossani R., Johnson E.E., & Wright C., (2014). Families powered on: Improving family engagement in early childhood education. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, Retrieved from: Franklin, M. (n.d). Ripple of Transformation: Families leading change in early childhood systems. A family engagement toolkit for provider and program leaders. Retrieved from: . Kostelnik, M.J., Soderman, A.K., Whiren, A.P., & Rupiper, M.L. (2015). Developmentally appropriate curriculum: Best practice in early childhood education. Boston, MA: PEARSONShannon, M., Ramos, M. (2014). Culture counts: Engaging Black and Latino parent of young children in family support program. Child Trends. Retrieved from: , V. (2017) Journal entry. ECD course. 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