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Preparing Educators to Involve Families : From Theory to Practice
Preparing Educators to Involve Families From Theory to Practice This book is a valuable resource for my course because I want students to think deeply about issues affecting children and families and to be advocates for them. Without serious reflection about systems theory, students are not able to move beyond simplistic solutions. The author does a superb job in conveying the books usefulnes... more »s.
Leo R. Sandy, Plymouth State UniversityThe authors frame the issues well, integrate the literature, and place the cases in theoretical perspective. The cases have the virtue of being grounded in experience. It is jargon free. The sections are crisp. Its very readable. Its a good starting point for further research.
Helen M. Marks, Ohio State UniversityThis is a thought-provoking and dynamic text that brings to light many key issues facing todays educators.
Amy J. Malkus, East Tennessee State UniversityThis book is guaranteed to engage readers in thoughtful consideration of their role in family involvement and the important role played by parents and children themselves.
Ithel Jones, Florida State University
Family involvement in childrens education is widely considered critical to student achievement. Yet teachers and other education professionals often feel unprepared to engage families in childrens learning. The goal of Preparing Educators to Involve Families is to help prepare teachers and other professionals to partner effectively with the families of children in elementary school. Using a framework of ecological systems theory, editors Heather B. Weiss, Holly Kreider, M. Elena Lopez, and Celina M. Chatman pair child development theory with research-based teaching cases that reflect critical dilemmas in family-school-community relations, especially among families for whom poverty and cultural differences are daily realities. The reader is encouraged to link theory and practice, honing analytic and problem-solving skills for use in real-world situations with students and their families.Preparing Educators to Involve Families brings together a highly esteemed group of scholars from the MacArthur Network on Successful Pathways through Middle Childhood. These scholars share a long history of collaboration with one another, a solid commitment to applied research, and recognition as respected theorists and researchers in child development and education. This book is ideally suited as a text for courses in elementary education, school psychology, child development, and family studies. Professional researchers, psychologists, educators, and consultants will also find this a welcome addition to the literature and a much-used desk reference.« less