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< FAMILY AND COMMUNITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION>

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FAMILY AND COMMUNITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION> HDPS 2103>

TABLE OF CONTENT
ABSTRACT1
INTRODUCTION2, 3
CONTENT.4
DISAGREE WITH COOPERATION4, 5
RECOMMENDATION5, 6
AGREE WITH COOPERATION.6, 7, 8, 9
EXAMPLE9

CONCLUSION...10
APPENDIX...11
ATTACHMENT...12

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION> HDPS 2103>

ABSTRACT

This paper is demonstrating the children potential and academics development of the
level were influenced by family, peer, school and community. Research methods used by
conducting interviews with the preschool teachers for collect the data, as well as
conducting analysis. The initial result of research reflect that children are influence from
different environment, parental involvement enable to increasing children potential and
develop to the optimum level. In this paper had analyzed that teachers why agree and
disagree adopted the concept of cooperation with parent. And how the improve of the
child whose parent had participated the project of parental involvement. Some
recommendations and benefits had been provided in this paper, which encouraged parent
involving in the school life of their child.

INTRODUCTION
In accordance with Reggio Emilia approach, various preschools establish to realize and
emphasize the important of parental involvement and cooperation in early childhood
education. Parental involvement during early childhood education is a strengthen
connection that influences the childrens pre-literacy learning skill, obtaining
mathematical skill, gaining development social skill and possessing a heathy attitude tend
to school. (Arnold, Zeljo, Doctoroff, & Ortiff, 2008)
Similarly, based on the Bronfenbrenners theory that the micro system level, which was
highlighted preschool is one of the important element that contributes to the childrens
development, while the mesosystem emphasizes positive interaction at preschool, family,
parent and the community affect increasing children potential and their academics
development achieve to the optimum level. (Bronfenbrenner, 1986)

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION> HDPS 2103>

The Reggio Emilia approach is an innovative and inspiring approach to the early
childhood education, which values child as strong, capable and resilient; rich with
wonder and knowledge. Each child possesses innate curiously and potential that
facilitates them to find their interest, understand their world and which place appropriate
them.

Reggio Emilia approach was established at the town of Reggio Emilia in Italy.

Reggio approach is not a method, which is using adaption of the approach specific to the
needs of the community and all the town, such as school, preschool and home are been
Reggio inspired. For instance, the environment is the well potential to inspire the child,
which is the third teacher of the child. Using the natural material, like the shell, wood,
plastic and etc., arrange these natural materials in every corner with sequence for
stimulate the child to dig deeper and deeper their interest. In the Reggio approach, adult
is an observer who willing listen the child questions and stories that to find out their
interest and provide the opportunities for assist children to explore their interest deeply.
This approach is present based on childs interest.
The ecological systems theory is similar with Reggio Emilia approach. Both are
emphasizing

environment

influence

the

childs development,

particularly

the

microsystem that involves by direct environment. Family, friend, classmate, teacher,

neighbor and other people who have direct contact with the children are including in the
microsystem. Through by direct communicated with those people, which influence the
childs development.
As a teacher is involving in the school environment on daily, often facing the problem
and solving the problem with each different child that are difficult task. Some of problem
may solve by current basic, yet it not on the all problem. As the result, relationship and
cooperation between teacher and parent had been emphasized by various educators,
which are different types parental involvement influence the consequence had been
presented in this paper.

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION> HDPS 2103>

CONTENT
At the beginning, I plan some particular with appropriate questions to conduct my
interviews. I look for more than 10 preschool teachers from different kindergarten,
nursery and childcare center. All the particular questions related about cooperation
between parent and teacher. The questionnaire sees at the appendix A. The entire
interview was conducting within 30 minutes for each teacher. Ordinarily, as a preschool
teacher should be possessing the essential of awareness to the objectives by the parental
cooperation:
I.
II.

Parents involve in the teaching and educational process.

Unite the educational school and home environment.

III.

Parental cooperation enhances childrens developmental abilities.

IV.

Increasing the awareness of parent.

V.
VI.

Carried out the expectation of parent.

Creating a good partnership between parent and teacher.

Establish a well cooperation and firm relationship between the school and family enable
various benefits for the children, school and family.
Disagree with cooperation

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION> HDPS 2103>

After the interview, I obtained the results that were five teachers disagree to co-operate
with parents. According by their reasons had been analysing as the following:
Lack of time for face to face communication with parents. Not willing and
impatience being a listener.
Assume the meeting might be change anything.
Believed the cooperation uninfluenced the childs behaviour.
Believed all the problems were belonging to the children personality, not about
influenced by the family and teacher, unable to change the whole complex
situation.
Lack time and uncomfortable space and environment to conversation with
parents.
Unable to cope parents problem.
According by their previous and bad experiences, they believed even effort to
create the relationship that may not successful.
Not willing to open their mind to accept others opinion
Become the teacher about the permanent benefits, not about real concern the
students. (Lim Meow Ling, Pak Yi Fen, Koh Siew Ling, Liu Poh Zhu, personal
communication, October 5, 2016)

Recommendation
In my opinion, the teacher enables to organise a face to face communication monthly. If
the teacher unable to organise the meeting monthly, at least 4-6 times each year that
discussing about the childs behaviour at school or home, reciprocal information enables
to help the child to achieve their academic achievement. Each face to face meeting shall

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION> HDPS 2103>

be privacy for prevent uncomfortable and unwelcome feeling to the parent. The meeting
room should be making available in the school.
My second opinion is as a teacher should be enhancing their knowledge and increasing
the new information. Varieties issues by the parent and child often occurred in the school,
as a preschool teacher often facing the problem and should be responsible for solve their
issues and requirement. Teacher have to learn understand and listen the desire of parent,
which a method to help the child reducing pressure came from their parent. Different
families different culture and different communities facilitate variety issues that a teacher
may not sort out alone, and teachers may enhance a lot of anxiety. As a teacher may be
facing the problem of family, students, supervisions and parents, which reflects
uncontrolled their emotion quality frequently that lead to punish and score students
unreasonably provided that school organise a group that forms by few teachers and
parents for discussing the cases and matters of student more effective, as well as balance
to handle the accomplishment. At the same time, able assisting child grow their cognitive
development.
Continuously, teachers should be finding out appropriate methods to improve
communication with parents. Consistent is one of the requirements to maintain the
relationship within the parents. For the example, teacher may use a small communication
book to contact with the parent, parent and teacher able to record the childs behaviour
and reciprocal convey the message that enhances and strengthens the cooperation affect
the child achieve their academics achievement. As well as reduce some misconception
between teacher and parent. Persistent maintenance of cooperation and relationship
between teacher and parent suppose both partys effort to participate able to help the
child, not the only a party to adopt the responsibility.

Agree with cooperation

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION> HDPS 2103>

On the other hand, 5 preschool teachers were agreed cooperation with parents, who were
realized and emphasized the advantages:
They possess the same goal, which concerns about the best development of the
children.
Unite the educational process between school and home, which provides a better
environment to influence the students.
Solving the educational issues with mutual decision.
Parents opinion able to influence the schools activities and planning.
Parent involve in school life becoming the teacher assistant to enhance child
growth to the optimum level.
Cooperation in greater trust and appreciation able to influence child on the school
life.
Building a friendly atmosphere between parent and teacher are conducive to
childs academic development.
Consistent to help the children are conducive to their learning attitudes.
Parental involvement able to balance overall program.
Parent assist teacher handling their childs problem and making the child feel
safety in the school life.
Ensure the childs growth and development achieving their optimum level. (Adice
Ng, Terry Lau, Jackson Leong, Lim Mei Lee, Chan Moi Yee, personal
communication, October 12, 2016)

Via conducted interview and obtained the information about the method, which built up
the relationship and cooperation between parent and teacher. Every year of the first day,
the school may be organising an orientation program for the new students parent, which
fosters good relationship between parent, child and teacher. Before the orientation
program, parents able to provide their personal information that are first interaction
communication within family and school.

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION> HDPS 2103>

Principle enables to introduce each teacher and their role in the school during the
orientation. Beyond providing information about schools rule and procedure, which are
leading comfortable atmosphere to the parents, encourage them involve in the school life
with their children.
When parent attend the orientation together with their child, which makes the children
feel appreciated their parents spending the time to adopt the environment of school.
Children often feeling nervous for the first time contact the new environment, as well as
parent companion them to attend the orientation able to reduce their pressure. Parental
involvement on the first day in the school influences the feeling of children.
The second approach parental involvement is passing the information reciprocally within
home and school. Teacher is using the daily book record the childs homework, activities
and behaviour. Parent may study the communication book obtain the information of their
child in the school. Parent may be passing the childs information to teacher through by
communication book that may unite and consistent the academic education process
within school and home.
For instance, some parents are lack of time face to face communication with the teacher,
and their child who have violent behaviour in school, such as damage the schools
equipment, fight with other students and etc., teacher have to highlight the issue and
parent need to know the bad habit of their child. Using the communication book is a good
method to pass the information and at the same time to co-operate for rectify the childs
bad habit. Ordinarily, inconsistent educational process within school and home may make
the children feel confusing. Via daily communication book able to prevent this
occurrence and solve the problem efficiently.
The third method of parental involvement provided by the teacher is year-end graduate
observance. This ceremony provides a lot of opportunities for parents to participate with
their child, such as parents involve in teaching dance, singing, playing drama. Some of

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION> HDPS 2103>

parents may assist the teacher doing the preparation, such as arrange the attire, make up,
hall decoration and etc.
When children had participated in the observance may enhance their self-esteem and
facilitate their other interest or abilities. In fact, their parent involve together with them
may influence the children performance achieve the optimum level. Parental involvement
is demonstrating fully support their child by real action not using the mouth only that
may be making safety atmosphere for child. Besides, parents present the graduate
observance may affect children emotional and performance that appreciates by their
child.
Parental involvement enables to balance overall program. Teachers possess their own
opinion, sometimes might not be care about childrens need. In fact, parent can solve or
neutralize the issue with their participating that the ceremony achieves optimum
effectiveness.

According by Bowman (1994), children often face in differences academic achievement:

Children possess certain characteristics such as low self-esteem and limitation in
learning
Different values between home and school is one of barriers for children to
achieve academic success.
Emphasize the poor and wealthy influence some disadvantages to the poor
students.
If someone oppose the children that influences them to achieve academic
achievement, which is one of characteristics of child.
Parental involvement is the dominant support for the childs overall development, such as
enhance their self-esteem, increase their vocabulary, sensory development and cognitive
development.

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION> HDPS 2103>

For an example
For a case provided by preschool teachers, one of their student refuse to school
proximately more than one week, utilize the face to face communication between teacher
and parent, they may be to make child feel safer by parent companion him to school on
one week. Both teacher and parent observe and evaluate the child had been reducing his
anxiety, parent just stop companion to school. Continuously, both of them utilize the
communication book to record the childs emotion, behaviour, level of participate with
other classmate and etc., during interaction communication teacher and parent co-operate
to assist child enjoy the school life. As this case, certify the parental involvement and
cooperation influence the childs self-esteem and growth development of the child.
For another case, one of students who come from the single family had occurred violent
behaviour in school. Sometimes, the child would tear the other students book or throw
their belonging to the dustbin. Initially, the child denies all his behaviour and often
quarrels with the teacher. All teachers of school unable to handle the child even wish to
terminate he comes to school. Subsequently, had been discuss by the school counsellors
form by few of teachers and few of parents, they decided to co-operate with the childs
mother. Via 6 months cooperation and mother involvement, the child had been rectifying
his violent behaviour in school, increase his social skill and enhance his participation. In
fact, cooperation is one of important element to enhance the childrens development.
CONCLUSION
After conducted interview and analysed that certify parental involvement is one of
important element in the microsystem by the Bronfenbrenner. And the cooperation among
school and home must be emphasizing that assists to achieve the childs need. Different
level of parental involvement carried out different dominance. The cooperation must be
persistent, consistent and efficient, which are impacting the result of academic
achievement by the children. This is a certain hard task to every teacher, and the school
must provide the certain support off the teachers that they just can challenge and accept
10

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION> HDPS 2103>

the task, as well as raising the parents awareness for communicate with the school. Not
believe in rectifying child behaviour beyond of the teachers responsible. Family is the
first on teacher of the child. The entire environment including teachers, parents and
families should be offering the opportunities in a well cooperation and firm relationship
that efficient in the educational process. I hope that the advance and analysis will
contribute to change in school and lead to real effects and changes in the environment.
Finally, fosters a good and healthy behaviour of children must establish since their early
childhood, not occurs the bad habits just to regret it.

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FAMILY AND COMMUNITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION> HDPS 2103>

APPENDIX
QUESTIONNAIRE -FOR TEACHER

1. How often do you face to face communication with the parents? Why?
2. Are you able to co-operate with parents in shaping and maintaining in two-way
communication? Any difficulties?
3. Can teachers listen and accept parents views, understand goal and choices of
students and respect different family culture?
4. Are parents being informed regarding the program actives and curriculum through
letters, telephone call, email, etc.?
5. Do you find it hard to communicate with parents based on mutual trust and
respect?
6. Do you agree or disagree with the involvement and cooperation between school
and family can enhance the children potential and development to the optimum
level?
I.
II.

Agree, why?
Disagree, why?

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FAMILY AND COMMUNITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION> HDPS 2103>

ATTACHMENT

REFERENCES
1. Kendall Jeffries. (January,2012). Increasing Parental Involvement in Early
Childhood

Education

[PDF

document].

Retrieved

from:

http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5536&context=etd
2. WHAT IS THE REGGIO EMILIA APPROACH? Retrieved October 10, 2016,
from

http://www.aneverydaystory.com/beginners-guide-to-reggio-emilia/main-

principles/
3. Ecological systems theory. (n. d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 8, 2016, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_systems_theory
4. Sabariah Siron (August, 2009). HDPS2103 Family and Community in Early
Childhood Education. Open UniversityMalaysia (OUM).

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