Learning Environment and my ARP

The pursuit of quality education for children can only be effective when parents and teachers collaborate, brainstorm and find ways to effectively teach the students since each one has individual learning needs. Without parent communication and support at home and at school, an effective learning environment will be more difficult to reach.
Since I work in an elementary school as a 1st grade teacher, I am constantly surrounded by concerned parents wanting to know how their child is doing in school. Since I work with mostly only Spanish speaking parents, it is difficult for them to know how to help their children in school. Even if they want to help, most parents feel uncomfortable to volunteer in the classroom, or even help their children in their studies for fear of not being able to understand the material being taught. My struggle, then, is: How can I get parents in my classroom to support the learning of students at home?
Currently, the school setting in which I work is very supportive of creating environments favorable to inviting parents to actively participate in their child’s education. LAUSD has distributed handouts for parents to read that discuss the importance of parent involvement. Suggestions that are outlined in the Parent-Student-Teacher Compact 2007-2008 include:
• see that my child gets to school regularly and on time
• provide a home environment that encourages my child to learn
• insist that all homework assignments be completed
• communicate regularly with my child’s teachers
• support the school in developing positive behaviors
• talk to my child about his activities at school everyday
• encourage my child to read at home
• volunteer time to my child’s school
• support my child, teacher and school

As members of a school community, our goal as educators is to prepare our students to be literate, creative, collaborative thinkers who will be given unconditional guidance and support from their parents as they strive to reach their academic and personal potential and become lifelong learners and productive citizens in a multicultural society.
The goal will be to get parents involved by having the children video-taped during their regular reading time. For example, the film will include the students singing their ABC’s (letters and the sounds) while I would be pointing out the letters. Also to be included will be student responses to questions on reading letters to make words. Hence, the primary target will be phonics and word blending. Essentially, this video will help the parents who have difficulty with learning English, as well as provide an easier way for parents to get involved with their child’s education in a fun and interesting way. Most importantly, the parents can feel valued as an integral part of their child’s education as they spend quality time watching the video together. For parents whose native language is not English, this video will provide valuable assistance to those struggling to learn English since they will be able to study with their children at the same time and promote a positive learning environment at home.
Ultimately, the goal of Cycle 1 will be to examine the active roles parents can take in the pursuit of positive parent engagement and involvement. Parents of disadvantaged and minority children can and do make a positive contribution to their children's achievement in school if they receive adequate training and encouragement in the types of parent involvement that can make a difference. Even more significant, the research dispels a popular myth by revealing that parents can make a difference regardless of their own levels of education. Indeed, disadvantaged children have the most to gain from parent involvement programs (Epstein, 1995).

The evaluation in my plan is critical to its success. This would include parent meetings to evaluate on-going parent involvement. My goal will be to continue with up-to date monitoring of parents and their active role with their children at home. I believe positive encouragement and support will enhance their participation. At the same time, I will evaluate their progress as I will send reminders through weekly newsletters and parent meetings of the LAUSD Information Guide: “Learning Can Take Place at Home.”
These concepts of active participation, as suggested by the LAUSD Guide, include the following:
• Develop routines with your child at home. For example, set a bedtime hour, a homework time and place, and wake-up time.
• Ask the teacher what activities you can do at home to back up what is learned in the classroom.
• Visit the library and take part in story hours at the library.
• Have your child read daily and interact with him or her in this reading time.
• Keep track of how much television your child watches. According to the National Assessment of Education 1994 Reading Report Card for the Nation and the States, if your child watches more than three hours of television a day, his or her reading will suffer.
• Monitor your child’s homework daily.
• Talk to your child and keep the lines of communication open.
• Choose toys that are creative such as blocks or educational puzzles or board games.
• Give your child lots of praise when he or she deserves it.• Display your child’s work and show an interest in what he or she is learning.