Chapter 14
Including Families in the Community
1. Families and day care centers are assuming new important roles in the education of infants and toddlers.
A. In today’s economy it is often necessary for both parents to work, and the responsibility of rearing children is now shared between parents, care givers and teachers (Click &Korkas, 356).
B. Through parent education activities parents can reinforce what their children are learning. Schools play a crucial role in educating parents.
II. These new roles of parents and teachers require dynamic forms of interaction between both.
A. The goal of parent involvement is to create partnerships between schools and parents to ensure optimal development in children (364).
1. Successful programs like Head Start where there is close interaction between parents and staff, children make gains in learning that last into adulthood.
2. Even when there are limitations to parent involvement because of job responsibilities, they can be helpful in numerous ways Involvement in their children’s education is an opportunity for parents to grow and to increase their participation in the community.
B. The goal of parent education is to educate parents about child rearing practices and family life (364).
C. Among other things, teachers can:
1. Help parents understand the way children learn.
2. Introduce parents to a wide range of educational materials and learning experiences.
III. Integrating the school into the community is a positive force that benefits all—students, parents, teachers, and the community itself.
A. Senior citizens and students in child development courses can be a useful source of volunteers to assist teachers with children’s activities with adequate direction from school personnel.
B. Schools can promote themselves in many ways to remain competitive and visible in the community.
1. They can hold an open house.
2. They can create a brochure, either printed, electronic or both.
3. Community activities such as fundraisers can bring the community into the school.
Chapter 15
I. High quality early childhood education is essential for future academic achievement and socially adjusted behavior. Nevertheless data from the National Accreditation for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) suggests that the quality of child care in most institutions in the United States is at best mediocre (Click & Karkos, 382).
II. The authors outline three ways to upgrade the quality of day care programs.
A. Day care centers can choose from among many accreditation system to conform to established standards and gain accreditation.
B. By taking child care education courses caregivers can boost the quality of the program which they serve.
C. If they want to retain qualified personnel, day care center need to strive to allocate a good portion of their budget to caregivers and teachers’ salaries.
III. A discussion of early childhood education must touch on the issue of child abuse. The authors outline several categories of child abuse (Click & Karkos, 387).
A. Physical abuse
B. Physical neglect
C. Emotional abuse
D. Emotional deprivation
E. Sexual abuse.
IV. There are many reasons for child abuse. Among the reasons the authors outline are
A. Parents were abused
B. They live in crowded conditions
C. They are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol (387).
V. The leadership skills of the director of the day care center is crucial in making sure the center operates smoothly and safely. The director needs to avoid liabilities, ensure fair personnel practices and enforce safety standards.
Reading Chapters 14 and 15 in the text Administration of Programs for Young Children by Click &Clark has made me aware of the enormous complexity of providing education for young children. In many ways throughout the chapters, the authors emphasize the importance of the director of the day care center as a dynamic leader who can manage parent involvement, direct the teachers and caregivers toward achieving high standards, in educating children, involving members of the community, and preventing adverse situations such as child abuse and unsafe standards for teachers and children.
Another important theme I will long remember is the merging of responsibilities of parents and caregivers in the earliest stages of education. The clear-cut traditional roles of rearing children at home by their parents and educating the children by their teachers and caregivers at school have vanished. Because of the changing economy, there has been a merging of these roles: now parents and teachers need to rear and educate doing the best they can to coordinate each other’s activities.
The fact that many young children spend more of their waking hours in day care centers than they do at home makes it vital that day care centers strive to adopt the highest standards. Establishing high standards is not always easy because it is expensive to pay high salaries in order to retain qualified teachers and caregivers. Maintaining adequate clean and pleasant facilities takes a good chunk of the school’s budget. It is no easy task for the director to stand up to financial administrators to make appropriate budget allocations. The director must question all expenses if the school budget is to be used in the best interest of teachers and students.
The issue of child abuse is clearly explained. I found particularly helpful the sections on the types of child abuse, its causes and preventing strategies. I also appreciate the fact that the authors make a point to remain sympathetic to parents, children and all those involved in cases of child abuse. .
Works Cited
Karkos, Kim, & and Phyllis M. Click. “Including Families and the Community.” Administration of Programs for Young Children Karkos, Kim Phyllis & M. Click. Wadsworth: Gengage Learning, 2013.
_____________________. “Maintaining the Quality of Child Care.”.” Administration of Programs for Young Children Karkos, Kim Phyllis & M. Click. Wadsworth: Gengage Learning, 2013.
