• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

PICs –n– Pieces Parent Information Center & Parent Education Network Wyoming State PIRC Parents Helping Parents of Wyoming, Inc. INCREASING PARENT INVOLVEMENT: WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS Kathleen Hoover-Dempsey is a prominent researcher in the arena of parent involvement. Over the course of her research, Hoover- Dempsey has identified 5 levels of parent involvement, along with questions schools and teachers can ask themselves to assess their proficiency at each level. This can serve as a helpful model as February/March schools seek to increase parent involvement, which research has shown can lead to significantly improved outcomes for students. 2010 Level 1: Level 1 Tip Get Helping motivate parents to be involved; your helping parents feel invited to students in on the fun! Having participate, and understanding and kids draw invitations for their honoring factors that affect parent families is a great way to participation. encourage parent participation— not only does it .How does your school/classroom help reinforce writing skills, but reinforce parents’ confidence that that interests children and in turn will they as parents can effectively help their interest their parents! children? .How do you and your students make invitations, general and specific, to encourage parent participation? .How are you asking parents about cultural factors in your school community/classroom that would affect parent participation and student learning? What have you learned? Level 1.5: Where parents can influence their children’s In This Issue: learning behaviors and beliefs. M. Jacobson Ability Award 3 .How does your school/classroom help Family 2 Family 4 parents understand what they can do at Cyberbullying 5 home that supports what is being Family School Partnership 6 taught in the classroom? Assistive Technology 7 .How does your school help Positive Intervention 8 maintain effective 2-way Level 1 Conversation Skills 10 communication between parents and the school/teacher? What’s Happening in WY 11 Hoover-Dempsey has identified 5 levels of Research 12 parent involvement— each level building Legislation 13 on the previous, ultimately working to Subscription Information 15 increase student achievement and Continued on Page 2 learning! WWW.WPIC.ORG Volume 18 - Issue 2 February/March 2010 PICS –N– PIECES Volume 18, Issue 2 (February/March 2010) Hoover-Demsey Continued from Page 1 Level 2: What parents can do to influence their child’s Link to learning! Every learning behaviors and beliefs. Level 2 Tip time you invite families .How does your school/classroom help parents to in—make sure what you are telling them gives specific tips on how they can reinforce what you understand how to positively encourage their children are teaching at home! A little bit of instruction and to succeed academically? explanation on how or why you are teaching the .How does your school/classroom help parents to subject goes a long way! understand how to provide instruction that supports their children’s learning? Level 3: Don’t be afraid to ask! Checking to see what children are learning from Level 3 Tip Students need to be their parents. learning at home. That doesn’t mean to break out the .How does your school/classroom help parents chalkboard—it simply means that parents need the determine what messages related to positive skills to encourage, reinforce and provide some instruction. Since they often don’t know modeling, encouragement, reinforcement, and what you are teaching—ask them what they instruction parents provided resonate with their struggle with—ask their children how homework can children? be more meaningful! Level 4: The learning attributes students need to possess that have a direct connection to increased learning We don’t enter the world Level 4 Tip equipped to study or and achievement. to regulate our own learning. We need to provide .How does your school/classroom help parents opportunities for families to learn how to support understand if students feel confident about their ability their child’s learning at home. Having a quiet to succeed academically? place to study, or setting the expectation that we read each night for 20 minutes is just as .How does your school/classroom help parents important as how to ask for help. understand if students are able to regulate their own learning? Level 5: Increased student achievement and learning. In addition to these levels for schools and teachers to consider, Hoover-Dempsey’s research has identified three of the most effective lessons that parents can teach their children in order to ensure school success. Those lessons are: .You need to try hard .Homework is very important .School is very important. These are lessons that parents, regardless of their background, have the power to instill in their children. As a learning Level 5 Tip community, the For more about increasing and improving parent expectations at school and at home need to be involvement in your classroom or school, contact the focused on student achievement. Making that Parent Education Network central office at 1-800-660- known has to be a two-way, systematic communication goal. Talk with families about how they 9742, or contact the parent outreach liaison in your can reinforce this at home, as well as sharing how you area. focus on it at school—by working together, you can overcome obstacles! WWW.WPIC.ORG 2 Parents Helping Parents of WY, Inc. PICS –N– PIECES Volume 18, Issue 2 (February/March 2010) PHP Presents the “MORRIS JACOBSON CHAMPION FOR KIDS” Ability Award “Teacher Karen-Teacher Karen”…..! These I still remember words were usually followed by some child her starting this throwing him/herself into the arms of this lovely difficult lady, accompanied by a big, BOLD, and warm conversation laugh. Teacher Karen always came with a with…. “There’s huge smile, warm laugh and hugs for every this law--called 94- child. There is no-one better in my mind to 142 (now known receive PIC’s very first Champion for Kid’s as the Individuals Ability Award. Karen Martin Kocurek, also with Disabilities known as Teacher Karen, epitomized the word Education Act, or Morris Jacobson, 2008 Champion in every sense of the word. IDEA)-- and it is going to make a huge difference in Ted’s life!” Starting her teaching career in North Dakota at She did not know then how much I took her the Grafton State School for the Deaf and words to heart, and how a few years later I Blind, Karen came to Buffalo, WY where she would put them to action to help start the taught for 21 years. In 2000, she became Parent Information Center. Teacher Karen Education Diagnostician for Johnson County taught our children and families in Johnson School District # 1 in Buffalo, where she County to trust in their own ability and strength worked until her retirement in January 2010. and to expect the best from all of our children. During her years of teaching, Teacher Karen She never gave up, and she never allowed us worked with kids of all sizes and abilities and to give up. always did so with a smile. She was a strong advocate for all kids and families, making sure She did so with a smile, a laugh and a big hug. they were comfortable with services and Karen Martin Kocurek died on January 10, supports and understood their rights and 2010 in Buffalo after a long fought battle with responsibilities under special education law. pancreatic cancer. In fact, she was the first teacher/provider my husband and I had contact with 24 years ago Karen Martin Kocurek– when our son was diagnosed with Down our CHAMPION FOR KIDS! Syndrome at 5 weeks old. PARENTING TIPS: BUILDING LANGUAGE EVERY DAY! Children learn language .If you think she might be trying to say a real by listening all day, word, say it for her, and see if she agrees every day. Here are that you’ve got the right one. some ways you can help: .Be a good example. If your child mispronounces a word (like “wabbit”), don’t .Talk to your child– criticize her. Instead say it correctly: “Yes, starting at birth. that’s a rabbit.” .Describe what you .Sing, tell stories and read to your child. are doing and ask questions. Use short .If you’re concerned that your child has sentences and lots of different words. difficulty with speech, talk to your doctor or pediatrician. .Don’t expect perfect speech from your Taken from Parenting Counts of Talaris toddler or even your 7-year-old. Learning Research Institute. how to make sounds correctly takes time. WWW.WPEN.NET 3 Parents Helping Parents of WY, Inc. PICS –N– PIECES Volume 18, Issue 2 (February/March 2010) Calling all parents of children and youth with special input to the Wyoming Department of Health and work health care needs! Are you struggling to find health as partners in making our system of care work better. care services for your child? Are you lost in the maze We would also like to build a support system of of paperwork and all the extra appointments and families supporting other families whose children scheduling you have to keep track of in caring for your child with special health care needs? have similar health care issues. For instance, we have a family of a young teenage son who has had to The Wyoming Family to Family Health Information have a colostomy, and is looking for another young Center ( WY F2F HIC) is looking for you! This new man who might have had this experience and support project is gathering input from families who have each other. struggled with the health care system and have come To get on our list of supporting families, and/or more out of it with a new understanding of how things work, information about F2F, call (307) 684-2277 or toll– or at least have figured out which questions to ask.

Load more

  16

Copy Link