Monitoring Your Childs Progress in the Middle Childhood Years.

Victoria Martinez ECE 497 March 31, 2014

Middle Childhood Years

Children who are 6 to 11 years of age are the in the midst of their middle childhood years. During this time children are of elementary school age and can think in a more organized fashion. They are able to understand the reasons that things happen, and can even make predictions about what might happen. At around the age of 6 to 10 years old children can begin to pay close attention to tasks, and are able to remember and understand crucial information and even how other factors will impact it.

The Teachers Role

As your childs educator I am here to work you the parent to build an understanding of how your child learns, how he/she is impacted by family and culture, and work together with you to build a foundation that will foster their learning.

Monitoring Your Childs Progress

During the elementary school years children will develop strategies that will maximize their learning and will become aware of what influences it. During this time it is important to guide your children in learning how to monitor their progress and use their learned strategies to stay focused (Berk, 2013). Here is where you the parent play a significant role in the monitoring process.

The Mesosystem
Theorist Uri Bronfenbrenners developed an approach to understanding families through a systems theory and families are enmeshed within this system. The Mesosystem is near the center of the system and within it are the child, family, community, and schools. Through examining it we can develop an understanding of the dynamic nature of the family, their culture, their relationships, and their strengths and needs. (Swick & Williams, 2006).

Involvement

Parent involvement plays a significant role in a childs school progress. There are six areas that are important to parent involvement called Epsteins Types of Involvement. They are as follows:

Type One: Parenting

Home visits can be performed at transition points from pre-school to elementary school. School orientation meetings to help families understand school and to help schools and teachers understand families. This will enable families to share information with schools about the family culture, relationships, children's strengths and needs.

Students can develop important qualities such as, good values, habits, and awareness of family culture. They can also develop an awareness of the importance of school and the relationships between family and teachers.
Parents will develop a feeling of support from school and other parents. Teachers will learn to understand and respect the family background, cultures, concerns, goals, needs, and views of their children as well as their effort and input.

Type 2: Communicating
Parent/teacher conferences will be held once or twice a year with language translators to assist families as needed. The students work can be monitored with a weekly folder that is sent home to inform of assignments and progress. Creating a clear channel of communication between home and school.

Students will develop awareness of their own progress and what they may need to do in order to maintain good grades.
Parents will learn to closely monitor and stay informed of their childs progress. Parents will become comfortable about interacting with teachers because they are staying current on their childs strengths and needs. Teachers will increase diversity awareness which will foster an understanding in the most effective way to communicate with parents.

Type 3: Volunteering
Parent volunteer program is vey helpful to teachers, administrators, students, and other parents. Parents will have the opportunity volunteer in their childs classroom, attend meetings, and will valuable resources for other parents. It is important that parent volunteers communicate their availability so that the school can utilize their talents and interests in the best possible ways. A flexible schedules will be made that is accommodating to volunteers and so they have opportunities to take part in assemblies, and events. Students will develop awareness of skills, talents that their parent and other volunteers have to offer their school.

Parents will develop an understanding teacher's job, will become knowledgeable about how the school functions, and will develop confidence in their own skills as well as understanding their own childs education.
Teachers will understand the importance of parent volunteers, their talents and skills, and how they can contribute positively to the learning environment.

Type 4: Learning at home

The school will provide information on how parents can help to improve their childs study skills. And will provide homework that requires students to have conversations and interact with families on what they are learning. Interactive homework is meant to create responsibility in students and will help parents stay aware of their childs assignments. Children will develop a positive attitude toward school, their strengths, and their work. Parents will learn ways of supporting and encouraging and their child with homework assignments.

The teacher will respect that family time is important and will create assignments that are not overwhelming or too time consuming.

Type 5: Decision Making

It is important that parents become active ins school and parent organizations, advisory councils, or committees. This will facilitate understanding of how schools make decisions. Training is offered to enable parents to serve as representatives. Parents of all racial, ethnic, or income level are welcome and encouraged to play a role in these committees. Children will become aware that their parent or other parents represent the students and will have a strong role making important decisions on behalf of the school. Parents will have valuable input into policies that impact their child's education and will feel that they have voice that is heard.

Teachers are aware that the parents voice is important for the schools development of policies and decision making.

Type 6: Collaborating with the Community

The school will provide families with information on community resources that can assist families with health issues, family counseling, welfare issues, etc. There will also be information provided on community activities that will benefit the childs education. Parents will be informed of community programs for students, that provide mentoring or tutoring. Students will be connected with their community and become aware of programs, services, resources, and opportunities that are available to them. Parents will gain knowledge of local resources and will have opportunities to use them to increase skills and talents or to obtain needed services.

Teachers will use community resources as a way to enrich their curriculum and instruction.

References Berk, L.E. (2013). Child Development. Illinois State University. Pearson Education. Epstein, J.D. Epstein's Framework of Six Types of Involvement. Partnership Center for the Social Organization of Schools Swick, K.J., Williams, R.D., (2006). An Analysis of Bronfenbrenners BioEcological Perspective for Early Childhood Educators: Implications for Working with Families Experiencing Stress. Early Childhood Education Journal, Vol. 33, No. 5. DOI: 10.1007/s10643-006-0078-y