Table of Contents
Introduction
I strongly believe that parents should be fully involved in the learning of their children in order to promote effective learning and academic learning. This is particularly because recent empirical evidence consistently suggests that the input of the parents at home significantly impact on the learning and achievement more than their level of education and social class. For example, children tend to learn best in the context of loving and close family relationships. In addition, parents not only know their children better but are also the first educators known to their children. This is critically important as the skills and knowledge taught in early years of life will directly have impact of the success of the child as an adult in the current multicultural society (Smidt, 2007, p. 15).
The young children require the support from the caregiver and parents so as to feel secure within the environment of preschool. The parental involvement in the early childhood learning plays an essential role since it generates the links between school and home environment. Moreover, parental involvement in the school assists them to have the glance into the young children’s world (Sellers, 2013, p. 24). Consequently, parents are entitled to be involved in the learning of their children to enhance their learning and academic achievement. This paper explores the parent partnership principle with particular focus on how parental involvement in learning of the children can help promote effective learning and academic learning.
Rationale in Early Childhood Education
There are a number of important reasons why the parent partnership principle should be promoted in early childhood education. Firstly, parents are not only the first but also the most enduring educators known to their children. This makes their active involvement in their children’s learning to be critically essential. On the other hand, in the early childhood learning, the current trend is development of the curricula which guides actions of the teachers and specify content of the learning experiences which the children receive. Thus, there is the need for active participation and progress in general curriculum. Moreover, there is the necessity to know the technique of executing high quality early childhood curriculum so as to benefit the young children comprising the ones with disabilities and may be at risk for delay in development (Wyse, 2014). The early childhood learning is essential for the development of the young minds. The teachers need to be properly trained on early childhood learning and adequate and relevant facilities should be provided for learning purposes (Moss, 2012, p. 21).
We can do it today.
The Early Years Foundation Stage Principles
The principles for the early years foundation stage include positive relationships, a unique child, enabling environments, learning and developing. The children learn to be strong as well as autonomous from the base of loving in addition to secure associations with parents and other key individuals. Each child is the proficient learner from the birth and may be confident, self-assured, able and resilient. The environment plays a significant role in the support and extension of leaning and development of children. The children develop, and also learn in distinct ways, and at distinct rates and the entire areas of development and learning are equally essential and interlinked. The children are the foremost concern in each early years practice thus the early years foundation stage need to be strengthened by the principles that supports each area of the development of the child since they have equal significance and should be available when caring for the children (Mac Naughton, 2003, p. 25).
Parents Involvement in Early Childhood Learning
The parents are essential part of the learning of the child since they are their key educators. The good association between parents and milieu assist in building the strong link that enables parents to appropriately support their child and provide the continuity of experiences, anticipations and behaviour. The parental involvement in the early childhood education helps in making a considerable positive impact on growth and development of a child. The parents are the vital source of children academic attainment and effective learning since they create positive healthy learning environment for the children. Parental involvement in the school helps in building esteem, trust, respect and opens the two way communication amongst the parent and teachers. The healthy partnership frequently results in the positive living that enables the children to develop the good values in them (Eaude, 2011, p. 14).
The inclusion of the parents in the early years of the young children learning is essential because the parents are the key educators alongside the teacher. The parents’ role in young children learning frequently results in future success as the source in the early learning. The school needs to select the practice which assists to identify the main goal of every student. The kinds of practices which can be helpful include communicating. The teachers need to communicate to the families concerning the academic progress of their child through productive school to home as well as home to school communication. The teachers need to have conferences with parents regarding the progress of their child at least yearly. Effective decision making is realized through parental involvement in early years childhood learning. The parents need to participate in school decision, advocacy, committees and governance (Athey, 2007, p. 16).
Parental and family involvement in the early childhood expands a child to academic success. For instance, the parents’ interests in the learning demonstrate that they value and recognize education and know the best for their children. The parents who are linked with the school curriculum may expand their concepts on knowledge the child as acquired in school. The parents involved in school program know the contents of the program. Parental involvement is important in education success of the young children. For instance, the school which recognizes the relevance of the homes of the children and cultures and encourage parental involvement can develop the supportive milieu for learning through significant activities which engage and also empower the families (Alexander, et al. 2012, 27).
The involvement of the parent in preschool setting assists to develop trust amongst the parents and teachers. The parents’ involvement in school curriculum has the tendency to augment their interaction among their children and conscious of their child emotional, intellectual and social needs. Parental involvement helps the parents augment their confidence and decision making skills in schools and homes. Additionally, parental involvement enables the children have enhanced self esteem, more self disciplined and display higher inspiration as well as motivation towards the school (Athey, 2007, p. 20). The young children from the varied cultural backgrounds do better in academics when parents and the teachers work together so as to bridge the gap existing among home and school cultures. A broad research has demonstrated that the achievement of the student increase through parental involvement. Parental involvement results in increase in the academic attainment, better classroom behaviour, greater self-esteem, augmented motivation, positive attitude towards school, reduced rate of absenteeism, augmented school satisfaction and increased school climate (Pugh & Duffy, 2013, p. 27).
Practitioner Role
The comprehension of the individual needs of the child is attained through utilising observation, planning and assessment. The early years practitioner observes, assess, and plan for learning of the children within the setting. The day after day observations as well as evidence photos of the child are taken and enable the practitioner to obtain improved comprehension of the individuality of the child. The early years practitioner ensures that all the children are attaining their individual development objectives and attaining highest standard of education accessible. The early years practitioner guarantees that every child is appropriately observed, evaluated and planned for, together with maintaining productive associations with the child and parent. This is achieved through supporting the parent and child throughout settling in sessions in addition to in their time at the setting (Siraj-Blatchford et al. 2002, p. 17).
The practitioner has the role to observe the child daily within the early years setting. The practitioner can discover the likes, interests, dislikes and behavioural patterns of the child through observing the child. Moreover, observing the child enables the practitioner to assess the phase of development of a child and identify the patterns in the learning of the child. The practitioner can observe the child through looking and listening and involve in the activity. The child assessment has equal significance as compared to observing them and assists in identifying the achievement of the child and planning the next steps with regard to the learning along with development of the child (Einarsdottir & Wagner, 2006, p. 33).
The observations play an essential part in child’s development and they may be utilized in numerous ways. The learning journeys are stored for every child and display the biggest attainments of the child and offer the true picture of the development of the child (Siraj-Blatchford et al. 2002, p. 21). Assessment of the development of the child within the setting involves the use of tracking sheets as well as progress summaries. The tracking sheets shows whether the child is succeeding, uniting and secure in every age bracket whilst the progress summary gives the comprehensive information on the goals the child is presently attaining in every area of early years foundation phase. After obtaining information on the current development of the child through observation and assessment of their learning, the early years practitioner plans appropriate undertakings along with opportunities to further the learning of the child. The interests of the children play an enormous part on strategizing the correct experiences. The practitioners need to guarantee that the children play a key role in their personal development through giving the children the voice in addition to the chance to express their opinions and interests. This can be attained through utilising the voice of the child on the planning sheets, and utilising observation so as to generate the next steps for the child (Alexander, et al. 2012, 41).
Enabling Environment
An environment plays imperative role in supporting as well as extending the learning and development of children. The enabling milieus encourage the young children to play since they feel comfortable and relaxed. When the children feel psychologically secure and safe they have the capability to look at and learn concerning the place they exist and things they can touch, see, and control. The milieu is not just a physical space but contains feelings of the children who spend most of their time in it, teachers and other workers who operate there and the parents who engages their children in it (MacBeath, 2009 et al. p. 20). Emotional milieu is the measure of the feelings of the staff, children and parents and it is associated with both negative and positive feelings. Upholding positive feelings is essential for the children, parents and teachers nevertheless equally when they feel secured within the emotional milieu, the children may express their emotions in safe and sound manner having the knowledge that their teachers or parents are close by to assist them when they feel overpowered. Teaching the children the appropriate ways to speak about as well as express their feelings permit them to externalise them with safe instead of covering them up and leaving them concealed away. The feelings that are expressed in protection are less difficult to handle as compared to the ones that are left unsettled (Anning et al. 2008, p. 23).
The rich setting indoors usually have an instant impact on quality of leaning and development amongst the young children. The rich setting is appealing, good looking, comfortable and suitable for the children who utilise it. The environments should be attractive and make the children feel secure and safe and happy. The environment needs to be a suitable place in which the children play and learn. The indoor space should have careful planning since it must be flexible so as to have room for the ever changing needs and interests of the children. The resources need to be of highest quality and the books should be good-looking and well maintained and mirror fascinations of the children. The resources that include the blocks for building with, chalks, felt pens, pencils for making marks and other items comprising jigsaws and dolls need to be accessible by the children themselves (Anning et al. 2008, p. 28).
The children gain huge benefits from outdoor learning. The children need to have access to the outdoor space each day in spite of all excluding the most unpleasant weather. Staying outdoors permits the children to move around with no numerous of the limitations of being indoors. The outdoor milieu supports the confidence and permits chances for the immense scale play, solving glitches as well as creativity in company of other children. The outdoors enhances physical activities and supports the active learning of the children (MacBeath, 2009, p. 51).
Children Experiences
The early life of a child is filled with opportunities for learning which are essential to their future. The high quality early childhood learning enables the children to interact with the caring adults. The teachers involved in the early childhood learning program assist children learn through listening to them, offering safe along with supportive milieu for learning and answering their questions. The play enables the preschoolers to develop the essential skills which assist them question, think and explore the world. The children learn how to interact with other individuals and solve glitches in distinct situations (Moyles, et al. 2005, p. 19). The early childhood learning helps in social development of the child. The learning setting enables the children start learning how to express their feelings and regulate their emotions. The children learn how to solve hitches themselves and with the others. The experiences are very valuable when the children arrive at the school (Wood & Attfield, 2005, p. 23).
Early childhood learning enables the children to link fresh ideas and the skills to what they have learned and can apply. The teachers and parents assist the young children build adequate knowledge which links to the interests of the children. The early experiences of the children with regard to the relationships they form with their parents and initial learning experiences profoundly influence their imminent cognitive, social, emotional and physical development. The high quality preschool experiences predict constructive adjustment to the kindergarten and enhanced learning results and also enhance cognitive abilities that include better language and math skills (Sylva, et al. 2010, p. 9).
The National English Curriculum in England
English has the greatest and unmatched place in education as well as the society. The high quality learning in English teaches the learners to speak and write easily so as to convey their emotions and ideas to others and also through their listening and reading, other may talk with them. The young children have the opportunity to develop psychologically, socially, spiritually, culturally and intellectually through reading. The main goal for English in the England national curriculum is to encourage the high standards of language as well as literacy through equipping the students with the robust command of both written and spoken language and to establish a wider knowledge on literature. The England national English curriculum intends to guarantee that all learners establish the culture of reading broadly and frequently for gaining information and pleasure (Broström & Wagner, 2003, p. 18).
The England national curriculum for English mirrors the significance of the spoken language in the development of the pupils across the entire curriculum socially, linguistically and cognitively. The spoken language strengthens the development of writing as well as reading. The variety and quality of the language which the pupils speak and hear are essential for developing their grammar and vocabulary and their comprehension of writing and reading. The teachers needs to guarantee incessant development of competence and confident of the pupils in listening and spoken language skills. The pupils need to develop the capacity to make clear their comprehension of books and other materials for reading and prepare their concepts prior to writing (Anning & Edwards, 2006, p. 30).
In England, the programmes of the study for English are developed yearly for the key stage one and two yearly for the key stage two. The single year blocks at the key stage one mirror the faster pace of the development in word reading throughout the two years. The schools are, nonetheless merely necessitated to teach the pertinent programme of the study by culmination of the key stage. In every key stage, the schools thus have the flexibility to initiate the content earlier or afterward than establish in the study programme. Moreover, the schools can commence the key stage content throughout an earlier main phase when appropriate. Besides, all the schools are necessitated to develop their curriculum for English yearly and make the information accessible online. The pupils are anticipated to be acquainted with, apply and comprehend the skills, matters in addition to processes that are specified in the pertinent study programme at the end of very key stage. As regards the spoken language for years one to six, the pupils need to be taught to pay attention as well as respond properly to the adults as well as their peers, ask pertinent questions so as to extend their knowhow and understanding and utilize appropriate strategies in order to develop their vocabulary (Anning & Edwards, 2006, p. 35).
Conclusion
In conclusion, parental involvement in early childhood learning is very essential for the development of a child. The children feel safe and protected when the parent is involved in the preschool curriculum. The parental involvement in early childhood education can give the parents the opportunity to know the academic development of their children. The parents who dedicate sufficient time to their children develop healthy as well as happy lifestyles. The schools need to engage and collaborate with the parents so as to enhance the school success in learning and academic achievement. There is the need to ensure that learning and teaching are appropriately informed by research, make the concerted exertion to guarantee that the language specifically spoken language attains the complete potential as the key to the cognitive development, learning as well as successful teaching.
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