Helping Hands : creating a partnership between schools and family

Abstract

There is much more to education than reading, writing, and arithmetic. Countless factors can affect a child's ability to learn and succeed in school. Many of these factors come from outside the school building, staff, and even peers. A child's home life not only affects his or her personality and development, but it also affects his or her disposition toward school, motivation, and ability to achieve. Creating a partnership between schools and families can help both sides get a better picture of what the child needs to succeed. Teachers and families in communication can work together not only to understand the child, but also to help him or her go through life and be challenged appropriately through dialogue and enriching activities. I have created ten resources for families in an attempt to help them better understand, develop relationships with, and appropriately challenge their children. These resources open the doors of communication between schools and the home in an effort to best meet the needs of children. There is much more to education than reading, writing, and arithmetic. Countless factors can affect a child's ability to learn and succeed in school. Many of these factors come from outside the school building, staff, and even peers. A child's home life not only affects his or her personality and development, but it also affects his or her disposition toward school, motivation, and ability to achieve. Creating a partnership between schools and families can help both sides get a better picture of what the child needs to succeed. Teachers and families in communication can work together not only to understand the child, but also to help him or her go through life and be challenged appropriately through dialogue and enriching activities. I have created ten resources for families in an attempt to help them better understand, develop relationships with, and appropriately challenge their children. These resources open the doors of communication between schools and the home in an effort to best meet the needs of children.