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CONNECTING FAMILIES AND SCHOOLS
HOW THE PRESENCE OF FAMILY MEMBERS CAN POSITIVELY IMPACT STUDENT LEARNING
BY Reggie Dogan
STUDER COMMUNITY INSTITUTE
Connecting with students’ families is an important part of creating a strong school community. And by family, that could mean the people who are most important in a student’s life.
Donuts with Dads, Muffins with Moms, and Moms for Tea and Me all have become popular family-themed breakfast events to promote family engagement and strengthen relationships between schools and families.
Shona Person, principal of Montclair Elementary School, understands the connective relationship.
“We know how influential a dad’s or father figure’s presence in a child’s life can push kids toward positive behaviors and choices,” said Person. “Donuts with Dads felt like an obvious choice to promote the importance of that relationship.”
Person anticipated about 50 or so dads would show up for an early morning program to enjoy a donut and some time with their kids.
Much to her surprise, a standingroom crowd of more than 200 dads, granddads and other special father figures and role models packed the school’s cafeteria.
If we ever expect to improve the quality of life in our diverse community, families must be at the forefront. The adage still holds true that the home is a child’s first school, and parents are the first teachers.
Getting children ready for school and life starts at birth, and Studer Community Institute’s emphasis on family engagement, the power of words and parent-talk are critically important steps to take.
Family engagement traditionally centers around parent interaction with children. But there is ample research on how siblings affect one another, and new research shows that siblings may well have as powerful an effect on each other's lives as parent interaction.
Sibling Brain Builders is designed to encourage sibling bonding and family engagement through reading, sharing
and learning. SCI believes the sibling relationship is the perfect place for younger children to learn, develop and grow.
While Sibling Brain Builders is an innovative program to foster family engagement, its main goal is to help prepare children for school and life.
Early education plays a critical role during the important developmental years of a child. While family engagement is important to that success, having fathers involved is a critical part.
Breakfast-themed events like Donuts with Dads are also a great way to make parents feel welcome and appreciated.
The hope is that everyone who participated in Donuts with Dads finds value and will include Sibling Brain Builders in their family activities.
By taking advantage of family connections already in place, programs like Sibling Brain Builders and events like Donuts with Dads maintain an element of choice that generates new links between home and school.
Research by The Fatherhood Project and Lifeway shows the lifelong impact of fathers being actively engaged in the early years of their child’s life.
→ Children whose fathers are
actively involved are more likely to have successful careers, stronger marriages and improved ability to handle stress. → Involved fathers who set loving and clear boundaries and expectations enhance their child’s emotional, academic, social and behavioral growth. → Children with involved fathers have higher levels of sociability, confidence and self-control, making children less likely to act out in school and engage in risky adolescent behaviors.
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