Learning at Home: One of the Six types of Partnerships

The Six Types

Researcher Joyce Epstein has identified six ways that schools can reach out to families and the community, known as The Six Types of Family-School-Community Partnerships. It's important to remember that every school is most likely conducting partnership activities that include some of these types; and that every partnership activity usually encompasses more than one type. Schools with the most effective partnerships offer many opportunities for parents of every student to become involved.

Type 4: Learning at Home

Provide information for families on how they can help children learn, including skills students need to do well in each class at school, helping with homework and monitoring school progress, and making decisions about courses and curriculum. Also, responding to families' ideas and questions for encouraging learning at home, meeting families' needs, and involving families in curriculum-related decisions at school.

Sample Practices

• Disseminate information on school homework and grading policies and how to help at home
• Tell families what children are learning in each subject and what resources are available to help at home
• Equip families with specific skills to supplement classroom learning and improve student learning (i.e., how to read aloud, how to multiply fractions, etc.)
• Invite families to help their child set annual learning goals and plan ahead for the next level of school or work
• Provide frequent opportunities for parents to talk with teachers about their child's learning in conferences, forums, e-mails, and phone calls
• Invite a panel of parents at teacher inservice to describe how the school can help keep families connected to children's learning

Challenges

• Eliminate barriers of understanding, distance, and time to keep all families well-informed about and engaged in the "learning loop" of studying, homework, grading, testing.
• Use the interest, service, and skills of families and community members to help students identify and improve strengths; overcome challenges.

Using the Six Types

Schools can use The Six Types as a tool to examine how each partnership activity engages families, and to focus on areas connected to school goals that need strengthening. For example, schools aiming to improve student math skills in Grade 3 may look at

• How parents share information (Type 1) and concerns with teachers about their child's performance in math
• How well the school communicates (Type 2) to families what children are learning in math
• How school volunteers (Type 3) help individual children strengthen math skills
• What parents need to help their children learn math at home (Type 4)
• Asking parents to help decide (Type 5) how written materials from the school can be clear and understandable for all families
• How community programs (Type 6) both after school and during the summer can reinforce math skills

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For questions about this information, contact Ruth Anne Landsverk (608) 266-9757

Last updated on 10/21/2008 3:03:55 PM