This course will examine ways of creating an environment where parents and teachers work in partnership for the education of young children. Attitude, understanding and skills which lead to effective communication and cooperation between home and school will be shared and explored.
Together we will explore effective and productive ways of engaging parents and families in partnering with day care, preschool, and other school professionals on their children's education. Current research and best practices in the field of early childhood will be presented.
Effective partnering with parents begins with our understanding of what families do at home and in the community to support their children’s learning and development. It also means providing systems of ongoing communication that engage families of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) identifies effective family engagement as an important and necessary practice of early childhood educators.
Online Traditional courses have a structured learning environment and fixed deadlines. This course is largely self-study with instructor guidance and includes online learning modules, assignments, and/or quizzes. All course materials and assignments will be available on Canvas, our learning management system.
For this section, student access begins on January 6, 2026. All course work must be completed by 11:59 pm on February 17, 2026.
You will be granted access in Canvas to your course site and course materials approximately 24 hours prior to the published start date of the course.
Required Text:
From Parents to Partners, 2nd ed., Janis Keyser, Redleaf Press, 2017. ISBN: 9781605545141
