Engagement Practices for Latino Families, Teachers, and Communities

Family involvement is important in children’s lives, at home and in school. According to O’Donnell and Kirkner (2014), family involvement increases a child’s social and emotional functioning and academic skills. While increasing these skills, studies have shown that family involvement not only benefits the child but also the family as a whole. The purpose of this presentation is to summarize research regarding family involvement for Latino families in education systems. All of the information presented was found through a literature review. The number of Latino children entering the education system is increasing; therefore, models are needed to understand how parents can support their child’s education (McWayne et al., 2013). There are barriers between teachers and parents such as transportation, translation, and flexible scheduling. One way schools can help fix these barriers are by providing programs that meet the cultural aspects different families (O’Donnell, 2014). It takes teachers, parents, and communities to promote family involvement. Teachers should acquire knowledge about cultures and communities to better understand different types of families. Parents should be willing to actively support their child’s education, in and out of the school setting. Partnerships should be developed between families and school systems to ensure healthy development. Schools can encourage family involvement through specific programs. For example, parent education and techniques to enhance the parent and teacher partnership. Educators also have potential for supporting family engagement within schools by building bridges with community partners (Weiss et al., 2010). References: J. O’Donnell & S. Kirkner. (2014). The impact of a collaborative family involvement program on Latino families and children’s educational performance. School Community Journal. C. McWayne., G. Melzi., A. Schick., & J. Kennedy. (2013). Defining family engagement among Latino head start parents: A mixed-methods measurement development study. Early Childhood Research Quarterly. H. Weiss., H. Kreider., M. Lopez., C. Chatman-Nelson. (2010). Theoretical perspective on the mesosystem. Preparing educators to engage families (pp. 36). SAGE Publications, Inc