Why involvement opportunities for parents and families benefit young children, families, and the early childhood field?
Involvement opportunities provide a multitude of benefits for young children, families, and the early childhood field. For parents and families it giving them the opportunity to become involved and engaged in their child's education allows them to learn how to advocate for their child. It helps to prepare them for when their child transitions into public schools. For young children, they get to see their parents actively involved in their school, share experiences with their parents and families, and tells them that they are important, building their self esteem. For the early childhood field it is a way for the field to demonstrate and educate parents and families on the importance of early childhood experiences, growth, development, and learning.
My opinion regarding why or why not parent / family involvement is an essential element for all strands of service in the early childhood field.
In my own personal opinion family involvement / engagement is an essential component of all strands of service in the early childhood field. Families and their young children are what make up the early childhood field. It is essential that they partner with early childhood professionals in order to build high-quality care and education services for their children. When families are a part of the process they become involved in their child's education, research shows that children have a higher school success rate when their parents are involved in their education.
As a past Head Start parent I have to say that Head Start had a major impact on my life and my children's lives. Both of my girls, and later my son, went to Head Start and from participating in the parent committees and volunteering in the Center and Classrooms it made me more aware of how important early childhood experiences and learning is for young children. I went back to school after my son was born and had the full support of all of the Head Start staff. When my son demonstrated developmental delays I know it is because of the experiences that I had with Head Start that I knew exactly what to do and how to proceed to get him the early intervention that he needed. I am thrilled to now be working for my local Head Start / Early Head Start program and am sure that the program will remain very dear to my heart. I now have my Bachelors in Child Development and will soon complete the required courses for my Master's Degree. I am sure that without the experiences in Head Start that I would not be where I am today and considering going for a PhD. in Early Childhood Education.
My children also continue to excel in school and to this day have a love of learning. They each remember their Head Start experiences and teachers and often look through their portfolios.
Involvement opportunities provide a multitude of benefits for young children, families, and the early childhood field. For parents and families it giving them the opportunity to become involved and engaged in their child's education allows them to learn how to advocate for their child. It helps to prepare them for when their child transitions into public schools. For young children, they get to see their parents actively involved in their school, share experiences with their parents and families, and tells them that they are important, building their self esteem. For the early childhood field it is a way for the field to demonstrate and educate parents and families on the importance of early childhood experiences, growth, development, and learning.
My opinion regarding why or why not parent / family involvement is an essential element for all strands of service in the early childhood field.
In my own personal opinion family involvement / engagement is an essential component of all strands of service in the early childhood field. Families and their young children are what make up the early childhood field. It is essential that they partner with early childhood professionals in order to build high-quality care and education services for their children. When families are a part of the process they become involved in their child's education, research shows that children have a higher school success rate when their parents are involved in their education.
As a past Head Start parent I have to say that Head Start had a major impact on my life and my children's lives. Both of my girls, and later my son, went to Head Start and from participating in the parent committees and volunteering in the Center and Classrooms it made me more aware of how important early childhood experiences and learning is for young children. I went back to school after my son was born and had the full support of all of the Head Start staff. When my son demonstrated developmental delays I know it is because of the experiences that I had with Head Start that I knew exactly what to do and how to proceed to get him the early intervention that he needed. I am thrilled to now be working for my local Head Start / Early Head Start program and am sure that the program will remain very dear to my heart. I now have my Bachelors in Child Development and will soon complete the required courses for my Master's Degree. I am sure that without the experiences in Head Start that I would not be where I am today and considering going for a PhD. in Early Childhood Education.
My children also continue to excel in school and to this day have a love of learning. They each remember their Head Start experiences and teachers and often look through their portfolios.
Head Start empowers families, promotes self-reliance, and educates young children and families. It's comprehensive system is one that the early childhood field can learn from. Parents and families learn and experience the importance of becoming involved in one's own community as well as their child's education.
