Principle 2: Teachers and programs engage families in two-way communication

What it means: Communication takes multiple forms and is responsive to families’ linguistic preferences. Communication is both school- and family-initiated and timely and continuous, inviting conversations about the child’s educational experience as well as the larger program.

Creating truly welcoming and engaging environments for families is at the heart of establishing effective communication. When families feel welcomed and accepted by a program, they are more likely to become actively engaged. Programs often ask families about their preferred mode of communication, then communicate with families in the way that works best for them. Several programs document their formal and informal contacts with families—for example, The Family Schools uses an “Orange Book” documentation system to help catch families who may be falling through the cracks. 

Face-to-Face Communication. Meeting face-to-face is one of the best ways to forge a relationship. Some of the most common methods the programs use include

• orientation events and/or individual intake sessions
• regular parent-teacher conferences
• home visits (or personal visits in a location of the family’s choice)
• conversations at drop-off and pickup times
• phone conversations (although not face-to-face, these can be a valuable supplement or alternative when families’ schedules do not allow them time to talk in person)

Many programs go above and beyond to ensure that families have both the time and the desire to spend time in informal conversations with staff and with other families. Some programs provide free or low-cost meals and child care at meetings or schedule events at times that are convenient for families—often right at pickup, or sometimes midday. Many programs create a welcoming space families can use. For example,

• Egenolf Early Childhood Center has a family room with sofa, tables and chairs, a computer with Internet access, a bulletin board, and even a kitchenette.
• Dedicated space inside the entry area of Sheltering Arms Early Education and Family Center–International Village provides stroller and car-seat parking, convenient for families who walk and those who have different people drop off and pick up their child.
• BlueSkies for Children has an outdoor “transition zone” where families are encouraged to visit with one another. The area is well equipped with a basket of books and toys, which staff members take in at the end of the day.

Written Communication. At times, of course, early childhood education programs communicate in writing through letters and forms sent home in the child’s backpack. Programs emphasize use of open-ended terms inclusive of all family constellations, such as adult/guardian or domestic partner. If requested, some programs provide separate mail pockets and duplicate communications for divorced or separated parents who share child custody.

To keep families informed about what their children are learning, programs use

• log books
• daily or weekly reports
• newsletters
• handouts and fact sheets
• bulletin board posts

Online Communication. Many staff and families also rely on the convenience of online communication like e-mail and online communities to support family engagement goals. Programs determine whether families have easy access to the Internet or e-mail before relying on this method. Some of the most common forms of online communication include a detailed website sharing information about the program, regular e-mail to families, listservs, blogs, social media, and photo sharing. For example, The Family Schools keeps a digital camera and a laptop in each classroom. Near the end of the day, teachers upload photos, which parents view as a slide show at pickup time. At the end of the year, teachers give families DVDs of photographs documenting the school year documenting the children's activities, or they print and place photos in a keepsake album.

When English Is a Family’s Second Language. For families whose home language is not English, programs ensure that staff and families can communicate effectively. For example,

• Each program identifies and hires bilingual staff members, often encouraging parent volunteers to grow into assistant teachers and then teachers or family workers.
• In a typical year at Rainbow School, children and their families speak 8–12 different home languages. Multilingual staff, volunteers, and family members work together to make sure that the concerns and ideas of each family member can be heard, whether those concerns and ideas are spoken in Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, Japanese, or other languages.
• Sunnyside Child Care Center at Smith, Rainbow School, Montgomery County Community College Children’s Center, and Iowa State University Child Development Laboratory School are all programs connected to a college or university campus. Staff reach out to faculty and/or the international student center to find volunteers with the language skills needed to help with translation and interpretation.
• When possible, programs rotate classroom staff so that newly enrolled children have a teacher in the room who speaks the same language.
• Each program translates materials into families’ home languages, and teachers learn key words and phrases in the languages represented in the classroom.
• Photo sharing is an especially useful tool for sharing with families whose home language is not English. At Rainbow School, teachers share photographs, audio recordings, and videos of children with families during conferences. Families are thrilled to see and hear what their children have been doing and saying at preschool, and teachers are better able to share their interpretations of each child’s development when sharing photo, video, and audio anecdotes.

Developed for NAEYC's Engaging Diverse Families Project through a generous grant from the Picower Foundation.
© National Association for the Education of Young Children.