Description
Research has indicated that positive parent-teacher relationships are key for a stimulating and welcoming learning environment for the children and their families. The Parents as Partners intervention program is an interactive workshop that targets early childhood educators and other school staff. The purpose of this intervention program was to help pre-school teachers/early childhood educators build positive relationships with the parents of the children they teach, and promote parental involvement in the classroom and at home. This program utilized research-based strategies that educators have found effective in creating positive and meaningful relationships with their parents and children. Elements the program used for implementation were: presenting research-based information, role playing activities, self-reflective discussions, evaluation forms, and a question and answer portion at the end of the workshop. The participants were 14 early childhood educators and school staff. The program was implemented during a staff meeting at Kinderhouse Montessori School in San Diego, California. A process evaluation of this intervention program was conducted that included assessing: fidelity, feasibility, participant satisfaction, and impact. The program was implemented with high fidelity, and implementation was feasible. The results also indicated that participants: were satisfied with the intervention program, enjoyed the role playing activities, and appreciated the willingness of the speaker to address questions and concerns the participants had. The participants were very receptive and engaged throughout the duration of the workshop, and they particularly appreciated the sections active listening strategies and recommendations for working with difficult parents. This program and process evaluation indicated that the workshop focused on engaging parents as partners in early childhood education settings that can be used to teach early education teachers and staff strategies for working positively with the parents of the children they serve. These programs can be implemented as part of the childcare center’s regular meetings and trainings to make the material accessible to all teachers and staff
