"…for almost all
children responsibility for parenting must lie with the parents,
supported by communities and services as required." |
Local communities are capable of identifying for themselves the type of services they need in their area. Early years centres which work with a wide range of partner agencies in the community to improve the work of the centre have positive outcomes for the community and families.
Success is achieved where agencies work together with parents and the community to create and develop services. This kind of joint working encourages members of the community to work alongside staff and share responsibility for providing a quality service. Families gain an increased awareness and access to community facilities and organisations work together to support the community.
Many education authorities have implemented a range of successful initiatives to involve and increase groups of parents in supporting their children’s learning. Examples include partnership working with libraries, encouraging fathers to play a more active role in their child’s learning, and support to families and children for whom English is an additional language. Through this kind of involvement, families are encouraged to increase the number of activities they share and enjoy, such as reading together, visiting the library and visiting new places of interest. They improve their capacity to communicate with their children.
From practice Challenge Dads was successful in involving fathers in actively supporting their children’s learning. It developed the self-confidence of parents involved, in enriching their relationships with their children, and in supporting their progression to further education, training and employment. |
Learner’s voice "For me it was life changing. My lack of drive and focus has turned around completely and now I feel so positive about my life. Instead of accepting my fate of being a robotic single parent, I have an amazing amount of ambition and determination to succeed. Instead of wishing I had a better life, I am making a better life for myself." |
Family learning can have a positive impact on children and families, with benefits that extend beyond adults, children and families and into the local community. These benefits can be seen in helping parents in their parenting role and promoting social inclusion. Critically, parents develop more confidence to tackle family situations. Parents, particularly single parents, gain confidence and self-esteem and, in some instances, their employability skills improve. Gaining more understanding and knowledge of the education system leads parents to become more interested and involved in their own children’s education. Their increasing understanding of children’s development helps them to recognise and support their children’s educational progress. The family as a whole can benefit from one or more members taking part in family learning activities.
Although the main motivation for many adults’ participation in family learning is the support of their children’s learning and development, participants often go on to address their own learning needs. They improve their own skills in the areas of parenting and communication, in literacy and numeracy, and develop an interest in and commitment to learning.
Children can then benefit from ‘positive role model effects’ when their parent undertakes further learning. Children are likely to gain from an increase in household income if their parent moves into employment as a result of participation in family learning.
Points for reflection
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Woodlands Nursery Centre
and Family Unit CASE STUDY 2 |
Woodlands Nursery Centre caters for children aged two to five years. It has two nursery buildings with a Family Unit housed in a separate building within the nursery grounds. The unit also provides vital early entrant places for children under three. Partnership with parents and effective working with a wide range of agencies provides high-quality support for children and families. Significantly, support is also given to families in the community whether or not their children attend the centre.
The Woodlands Family Unit works to address consequences of social issues such as deprivation, unemployment, low expectations and lack of confidence.
There is a positive impact on the development and care of young children and families. Work undertaken by the Unit includes parenting skills, health and nutrition support and budgeting advice. It supports access to a ‘credit union’ and a community food cooperative.
Impact for parents and families Family Workers in the Unit have established effective links with a wide range of local support services and voluntary agencies. The Family Unit recognizes the importance of engaging with parents at the earliest stage in a child’s life to allow appropriate support strategies to be identified and implemented. The effects of this are longer lasting than the length of time families are involved with the nursery and, in turn, make Woodlands Nursery Centre a vital community resource.
Publication reference www.ltscotland.org.uk/curriculumforexcellence/sharingpractice/hmieltsgoodpractice/index.asp |
(PEEP) Parents Early
Education Programme Child Development and Learning course CASE STUDY 3 |
PEEP includes Making the most of your children, an SQA-accredited programme, closely aligned to the national Birth to Three guidance. It offers support for community parent groups and gives formal recognition to the vital role parents and carers play as the most influential educators in the early years. The programme explores parenting and child development in the context of the family. It encourages personal development through the natural interest parents have in their children’s learning and in using the home as a learning environment. Essential to the success of the programme has been the development of a comprehensive training unit. This training unit advises Community Learning and Development (CLD) managers and practitioner trainers on how best to deliver PEEP within community programmes.