Research has shown that what happens at home can profoundly affect a child’s learning and healthy development.
Click on a grade level below for resources school staff can use to support parenting practices and family experiences that help children be well-prepared for school.
Articles
- Communicating With Parents During Sensitive or Difficult Situations
Links are provided to many resources related to practices that can help school staff talk with families about sensitive or difficult situations that involve a child in the program.
2015 Illinois Early Learning Project English Website - Connecting with Parents in the Early Years
This book covers a broad range of issues and related research regarding interactions between early childhood programs and the families they serve, including the role of relational trust and the need for a variety of ways of communicating with families.
2003 Early Childhood & Parenting Collaborative English Article - Families, Powered On: Improving Family Engagement in Early Childhood Education through Technology
This policy brief describes barriers that hinder family engagement and some ways that digital technologies may strengthen home-school communication and help families with their children's learning at home.
2014 RAND Corporation English Article - Handbook on Family and Community Engagement
This collection of brief papers covers a wide range of topics related to family and community engagement, including the "curriculum of the home," parents as leaders, and students' readiness for college and career.
2011 Academic Development Institute English Article - Involving Refugee Parents in Their Children's Education
This article addresses cultural, language/literacy, and logistical considerations often encountered by school staff when working with refugee families, and suggests optimal practices for engaging the families in their children's schooling.
2007 Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services (BRYCS) English Article - Making Data Come Alive for Families through Young Children’s Play
This article addresses some of the ways that formative data from children's play, particularly their "play plans," can be shared to support parent-child and parent-teacher relationships.
2010 Harvard Family Research Project English Article - Parents Come to Kindergarten: A Unique Junior Kindergarten Program for Four Year Olds and Their Families
This article describes a successful program for involving families in young children's education in Toronto, Canada.
2002 Harvard Family Research Project English Article - PTA National Standards for Family-School Partnerships
NPTA's standards, based on research into family involvement, are a useful resources for school personnel as they design and evaluate efforts to engage families.
2009 National PTA (NPTA) English Article - What Is Developmental Screening?
This IEL Tip Sheet defines "developmental screening," briefly describes what is involved in a screening, and summarizes the parent's role in screening.
2014 Illinois Early Learning Project English, spanish, Polish Article
Videos / webinars
- Best Practices in Family and Community Engagement
This collection of videos from the Office of Head Start covers a range of topics related to program/family relationships in the early years.
Office of Head Start English Video/Webinar - Engaging Teen Parents: Lessons from Teens about What Works for Them
This video (with transcript) about Head Start and Early Head Start provisions offers ideas to enhance program relationships with adolescent parents.
2014 Office of Head Start English, Spanish Video/Webinar - Resource Library: Video, Family
This page links to several CONNECT Module videos related to professional-family communication. Included are samples of real conversations from the beginning and later stages of a teacher-parent relationship.
Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge English Videos/Webinars - School Community: Education
These professional development video clips address systematic ways that schools can be involved in parent education to promote students’ school success.
2013 Academic Development Institute English Video/Webinar - The Role of Leadership - Strategies for Implementing and Sustaining Change
This Webinar discusses ways that early childhood program leadership can create opportunities for parent, family, and community engagement practices that promote positive family outcomes and children's school readiness.
2015 Office of Head Start English Video/Webinar
Podcasts
- How Domestic Violence In One Home Affects Every Child In A Class
This podcast, part of a series on mental health in schools, discusses the potential impact of domestic violence on classrooms. A key finding is that improvement is usually seen after a parent reports domestic abuse.
2016 National Public Radio English Podcast - Meet the Experts: Reading Rockets Podcasts
This podcast series provides parents and educators with opportunities to find out more about young children's literacy learning and development.
2010 Reading Rockets English Podcast - Partnerships Between Home and School: The Real Missing Link?
Participants in this 39-minute podcast discuss the need for family engagement, policies and practices that create and maintain engagement, and barriers to achieving family engagement.
2011 ASCD English Podcast
Websites
- Building Capacity for Family Engagement in the Early Education Field
This Web page provides links to issues of the Harvard Family Research Project's FINE Newsletter that address engaging families as decision-makers for their children's education.
Harvard Family Research Project English Website - Complementary Learning
This Web page links to research-based resources on complementary learning -- the idea that a systemic approach to integrating school and nonschool supports for learning can help all children gain essential skills.
Harvard Family Research Project English Website - Family and Community Involvement in Student Learning
This Web page provides brief descriptions and links to Webinars and other resources produced by SEDL for professionals involved in efforts to engage families with their children's schools.
SEDL English Website - Harvard Family Research Project
The Harvard Family Research Project has produced a wide range of research based materials for educators regarding family involvement in children's learning, in and out of school.
Harvard Family Research Project English Website - Illinois Early Learning Project
The Illinois Early Learning Project features a wide range of resources that teachers can share with families, related to children's healthy development and learning at home.
Illinois State Board of Education English, Spanish, Polish, Chinese, Korean, Arabic Website - National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement
This Website is a portal to a wide range of information about family and community involvement in Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
Office of Head Start English Website - One And ALL
This website contains resources to help teachers and school leaders with strategies for treating each other respectfully, managing hostility, supporting vulnerable students, and talking across divisions.
2017 Harvard Graduate School of Education English Website - PBS KIDS Family Creative Learning Facilitator Guide
This is a facilitator guide that provides a basic framework to implement five workshops of Family Creative Learning. This guide is for educators, community center staff, and volunteers interested in engaging their young people and their families to become designers and inventors in their community.
2014 PBS KIDS English Website
Modules
- Family Connections Training Modules
These four modules focus on ways that early childhood program staff can support mental health while engaging families in their programs.
Office of Head Start English Modules - Family-Professional Partnerships
This multimedia CONNECT Module takes a problem-based approach to helping early childhood professionals learn effective practices for building relationships with families.
Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge English, Spanish Modules - Head Start’s “Interactive Homelessness Lessons”
These six interactive lessons for educators define homelessness and address such topics as outreach to homeless families, using cases of specific families as examples.
2014 Office of Head Start English Modules - Reaching Out to Hispanic Parents of English Language Learners
This "toolkit" describes recommended practices for educators, and includes detailed suggestions for 5 literacy-related family workshops, handouts in English and Spanish to give families, and lists of recommended children's books.
2012 Colorin Colorado English, Spanish Module - Refugee and Immigrant Family Engagement in the Schools
Using the National PTA Standards for family involvement as a framework, this training module covers key issues in and optimal practices for engaging refugee and immigrant families with their children’s schools.
Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services (BRYCS) English Modules
Articles
- Handbook on Family and Community Engagement
This collection of brief papers covers a wide range of topics related to family and community engagement, including the "curriculum of the home," parents as leaders, and students' readiness for college and career.
2011 Academic Development Institute English Article - Involving Refugee Parents in Their Children's Education
This article addresses cultural, language/literacy, and logistical considerations often encountered by school staff when working with refugee families, and suggests optimal practices for engaging the families in their children's schooling.
2007 Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services (BRYCS) English Article - PTA National Standards for Family-School Partnerships
NPTA's standards, based on research into family involvement, are a useful resources for school personnel as they design and evaluate efforts to engage families.
2009 National PTA (NPTA) English Article - What Is Complementary Learning?
This article summarizes the concept of complementary learning, provides some concrete examples, and uses the case of a fictional teen to show the potential positive influence of complementary learning.
2008 Harvard Family Research Project English Article
Videos / webinars
- School Community: Education
These professional development video clips address systematic ways that schools can be involved in parent education to promote students’ school success.
2013 Academic Development Institute English Video/Webinar
Podcasts
- How Domestic Violence In One Home Affects Every Child In A Class
This podcast, part of a series on mental health in schools, discusses the potential impact of domestic violence on classrooms. A key finding is that improvement is usually seen after a parent reports domestic abuse.
2016 National Public Radio English Podcast - Meet the Experts: Reading Rockets Podcasts
This podcast series provides parents and educators with opportunities to find out more about young children's literacy learning and development.
2010 Reading Rockets English Podcast - Partnerships Between Home and School: The Real Missing Link?
Participants in this 39-minute podcast discuss the need for family engagement, policies and practices that create and maintain engagement, and barriers to achieving family engagement.
2011 ASCD English Podcast
Websites
- Complementary Learning
This Web page links to research-based resources on complementary learning -- the idea that a systemic approach to integrating school and nonschool supports for learning can help all children gain essential skills.
Harvard Family Research Project English Website - Family and Community Involvement in Student Learning
This Web page provides brief descriptions and links to Webinars and other resources produced by SEDL for professionals involved in efforts to engage families with their children's schools.
SEDL English Website - Harvard Family Research Project
The Harvard Family Research Project has produced a wide range of research based materials for educators regarding family involvement in children's learning, in and out of school.
Harvard Family Research Project English Website - One And ALL
This website contains resources to help teachers and school leaders with strategies for treating each other respectfully, managing hostility, supporting vulnerable students, and talking across divisions.
2017 Harvard Graduate School of Education English Website - PBS KIDS Family Creative Learning Facilitator Guide
This is a facilitator guide that provides a basic framework to implement five workshops of Family Creative Learning. This guide is for educators, community center staff, and volunteers interested in engaging their young people and their families to become designers and inventors in their community.
2014 PBS KIDS English Website
Modules
- Reaching Out to Hispanic Parents of English Language Learners
This "toolkit" describes recommended practices for educators, and includes detailed suggestions for 5 literacy-related family workshops, handouts in English and Spanish to give families, and lists of recommended children's books.
2012 Colorin Colorado English, Spanish Module - Refugee and Immigrant Family Engagement in the Schools
Using the National PTA Standards for family involvement as a framework, this training module covers key issues in and optimal practices for engaging refugee and immigrant families with their children’s schools.
Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services (BRYCS) English Modules
Articles
- Handbook on Family and Community Engagement
This collection of brief papers covers a wide range of topics related to family and community engagement, including the "curriculum of the home," parents as leaders, and students' readiness for college and career.
2011 Academic Development Institute English Article - Involving Refugee Parents in Their Children's Education
This article addresses cultural, language/literacy, and logistical considerations often encountered by school staff when working with refugee families, and suggests optimal practices for engaging the families in their children's schooling.
2007 Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services (BRYCS) English Article - PTA National Standards for Family-School Partnerships
NPTA's standards, based on research into family involvement, are a useful resources for school personnel as they design and evaluate efforts to engage families.
2009 National PTA (NPTA) English Article - What Is Complementary Learning?
This article summarizes the concept of complementary learning, provides some concrete examples, and uses the case of a fictional teen to show the potential positive influence of complementary learning.
2008 Harvard Family Research Project English Article
Videos / webinars
- School Community: Education
These professional development video clips address systematic ways that schools can be involved in parent education to promote students’ school success.
2013 Academic Development Institute English Video/Webinar
Podcasts
- How Domestic Violence In One Home Affects Every Child In A Class
This podcast, part of a series on mental health in schools, discusses the potential impact of domestic violence on classrooms. A key finding is that improvement is usually seen after a parent reports domestic abuse.
2016 National Public Radio English Podcast - Partnerships Between Home and School: The Real Missing Link?
Participants in this 39-minute podcast discuss the need for family engagement, policies and practices that create and maintain engagement, and barriers to achieving family engagement.
2011 ASCD English Podcast
Websites
- Complementary Learning
This Web page links to research-based resources on complementary learning -- the idea that a systemic approach to integrating school and nonschool supports for learning can help all children gain essential skills.
Harvard Family Research Project English Website - Family and Community Involvement in Student Learning
This Web page provides brief descriptions and links to Webinars and other resources produced by SEDL for professionals involved in efforts to engage families with their children's schools.
SEDL English Website - Harvard Family Research Project
The Harvard Family Research Project has produced a wide range of research based materials for educators regarding family involvement in children's learning, in and out of school.
Harvard Family Research Project English Website - One And ALL
This website contains resources to help teachers and school leaders with strategies for treating each other respectfully, managing hostility, supporting vulnerable students, and talking across divisions.
2017 Harvard Graduate School of Education English Website - PBS KIDS Family Creative Learning Facilitator Guide
This is a facilitator guide that provides a basic framework to implement five workshops of Family Creative Learning. This guide is for educators, community center staff, and volunteers interested in engaging their young people and their families to become designers and inventors in their community.
2014 PBS KIDS English Website
Modules
- Refugee and Immigrant Family Engagement in the Schools
Using the National PTA Standards for family involvement as a framework, this training module covers key issues in and optimal practices for engaging refugee and immigrant families with their children’s schools.
Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services (BRYCS) English Modules
Articles
- Handbook on Family and Community Engagement
This collection of brief papers covers a wide range of topics related to family and community engagement, including the "curriculum of the home," parents as leaders, and students' readiness for college and career.
2011 Academic Development Institute English Article - Involving Refugee Parents in Their Children's Education
This article addresses cultural, language/literacy, and logistical considerations often encountered by school staff when working with refugee families, and suggests optimal practices for engaging the families in their children's schooling.
2007 Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services (BRYCS) English Article - Promoting Self-Regulation in Adolescents and Young Adults
This brief article describes the importance of self-regulation for adolescents and young adults and provides guidelines for supporting self-regulation development for 14-25 year olds.
2017 U.S. Office of Planning, Research, & Evaluation English Article - PTA National Standards for Family-School Partnerships
NPTA's standards, based on research into family involvement, are a useful resources for school personnel as they design and evaluate efforts to engage families.
2009 National PTA (NPTA) English Article - What Is Complementary Learning?
This article summarizes the concept of complementary learning, provides some concrete examples, and uses the case of a fictional teen to show the potential positive influence of complementary learning.
2008 Harvard Family Research Project English Article
Videos / webinars
- School Community: Education
These professional development video clips address systematic ways that schools can be involved in parent education to promote students’ school success.
2013 Academic Development Institute English Video/Webinar
Podcasts
- Partnerships Between Home and School: The Real Missing Link?
Participants in this 39-minute podcast discuss the need for family engagement, policies and practices that create and maintain engagement, and barriers to achieving family engagement.
2011 ASCD English Podcast
Websites
- Complementary Learning
This Web page links to research-based resources on complementary learning -- the idea that a systemic approach to integrating school and nonschool supports for learning can help all children gain essential skills.
Harvard Family Research Project English Website - Family and Community Involvement in Student Learning
This Web page provides brief descriptions and links to Webinars and other resources produced by SEDL for professionals involved in efforts to engage families with their children's schools.
SEDL English Website - Harvard Family Research Project
The Harvard Family Research Project has produced a wide range of research based materials for educators regarding family involvement in children's learning, in and out of school.
Harvard Family Research Project English Website - One And ALL
This website contains resources to help teachers and school leaders with strategies for treating each other respectfully, managing hostility, supporting vulnerable students, and talking across divisions.
2017 Harvard Graduate School of Education English Website
Modules:
- Family Engagement for High School Success Toolkit: Planning and Implementing an Initiative to Support the Pathway to Graduation for At-Risk Students
This toolkit is designed to support efforts of schools and community agencies to engage families of high school students who are considered at risk of dropping out, with the goal of developing strategies to keeping the students in school until graduation.
2011 Harvard Family Research Project English Modules - Refugee and Immigrant Family Engagement in the Schools
Using the National PTA Standards for family involvement as a framework, this training module covers key issues in and optimal practices for engaging refugee and immigrant families with their children’s schools.
Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services (BRYCS) English Modules
