Positive Family Engagement: The Five R's

The Five Rs for Promoting Positive Family Engagement

• The five Rs can help build trust and promote positive family engagement in preschool classrooms.
• The five Rs are respect, responsiveness, reassurance, relationship, reciprocity, and reflection.
• Developing positive partnerships with families is one of the most important tasks as a teacher.

Families Want Respect

• Showing families respect means esteeming or honoring families. Family members want to feel respected as their child's first teacher.
• Respect doesn't mean agreeing with every family decision, but being aware of your own biases and ensuring they don't interfere with the understanding of each family's choices and circumstances.
• Educators should use a strength-based approach when interacting with children and families.
• This recognizes, appreciates, and celebrates what families bring to the program or school.
• Families are seen as contributors, creators, and participants.
• Allow time to listen to families, confirming that their thoughts, suggestions, and opinions matter.
• Maintain constant communication with families through apps or a private webpage.
• Include the classroom newsletter, weekly plans, photos, resources, and a forum for questions.
• Include a weekly activity for families to do with their children, such as an "all about me" questionnaire.
• Foster classroom community with a "Family of the Week" backpack.
• Families include items important to them in the backpack and unpack it in class, sharing information.
• If families cannot join in person, they can participate virtually via video conferencing or a recorded video.
• If families are unable to participate directly, the child can share the backpack while showing pictures of their family.
• Families can include items that represent cultures, family memories, and family interests or hobbies.
• Use the information and experiences families share to connect with the curriculum so that families’ funds of knowledge are integrated into learning.
• Integrate books that reflect cultures, languages, and experiences shared.

Families Want Reassurance and Responsiveness

• Family members need to be reassured that educators meet their child where they are and are knowledgeable about their child.
• They need to be reassured that their child will be safe and engaged in activities suited to their needs.
• They also want educators to be responsive to their concerns and questions.
• Educators should be flexible in their understanding, expectations, and responses to the families they serve.
• Keep a device available to take photos and videos, keeping in mind which families have agreed to have their children photographed
• Families want to know what their child does during the day, the activities they enjoy, and how they are progressing.
• Share photos and videos weekly to give families regular opportunities to peek into their child's routine.
• Provide daily or mid-week talking points instead of weekly news letters, offering just a few sentences to let families know the topics and vocabulary for the week.
• Respond to family members by phone, email, or other messages within 24 hours.
• This shows their questions, thoughts, and concerns are important.

Families Want a Relationship

• Creating and maintaining partnerships with families is critical.
• Families have expertise about their children and play a critical role in their growth and learning.
• When families don't feel part of the school community, they may distance themselves or be less willing to interact or volunteer.
• Greet family members to build a positive relationship.
• Invite family members into the classroom community, as some may not know if they are allowed to be involved.
• Provide opportunities to engage them in the program's community and share activities for extended learning.
• Invite families to serve as mystery readers or guest speakers.
• For at-home learning, provide a weekly calendar of activities families can do with their children.
• Make it easy for families to ask questions.
• Offer opportunities at the program and online for them to communicate questions, concerns, or suggestions.
• Creating a forum space on the classroom webpage or in the newsletter, or a physical comment box.

Families Want Reciprocity

• Reciprocity involves interdependence, where members coordinate their thinking and actions to reach shared understanding.
• This involves being flexible with approaches and expectations.
• It enhances motivation to communicate and participate.
• Involve families by dialoguing and including them in making decisions.
• Ask about a family's goals and expectations for their child, the child's teacher, and the school.
• Tell families about upcoming plans or changes with enough time to consider options, ask questions, and communicate
• Educators should "uphold every family's right to make decisions for and with their children."
• Consider culture, language, and literacy when communicating with families.
• Make accommodations so every family can access and respond to information shared.
• Translate documents into families' home languages and use interpreters to strengthen engagement.

Families Want Teachers to Reflect

• Reflecting helps teachers engage children and families intentionally instead of falling into routines.
• You can reflect daily or weekly on family behaviors and interactions with students
• Ask yourself how well you know each of the children and their families and how you can learn more about them. Reflect on how often you interact with each family.
• What strategies do you use to ensure families know they are an important part of the learning community?
• Ask family members how they would like to be involved in the classroom and what their child needs for an enjoyable experience.

One More R: Sharing Resources with Families

• Educators can build trust and foster positive family engagement using the five Rs.
• There are strategies one can use for sharing resources.
• Include family-friendly resources on a website, communication app, and bulletin board.
• These resources can be free events, concerts, educational websites, and local places of interest.
• List and regularly update support services like food banks and clinics.
• Create a monthly Family Fun calendar with suggested activities to supplement classroom learning.
• Suggest easy-to-use apps and non-digital materials for learning and engagement at home.