Addressing Family Maintenance Systems Through Family Life Education

In day-to-day life and in response to adversity, families employ innate adaptive systems to sustain an appropriate level of family functioning. The family maintenance adaptive system’s role in sustaining a family’s basic needs is an understudied area of family resilience. We propose 1) an overview of family maintenance system functioning, 2) four domains of family maintenance, and 3) how family maintenance systems work in concert with other family adaptive systems. Application of the family maintenance system will be modeled to guide the development, implementation, and evaluation of prevention or intervention based family life education programs.

Objectives

(1) Provide an overview of family maintenance systems as a key domain of on-going family life with potential to contribute to both family competence and resilience(2) Identify domains of family maintenance (3) Discuss how family maintenance systems work in concert with other family adaptive systems.

Improving Kindergarten Readiness in Appalachia Through Mobile Classrooms

The current study explores how direct delivery of educational services to residents in rural Appalachia improves kindergarten readiness among five-year-old children not currently enrolled in Head Start.  Children demonstrated mastery of 18 age-appropriate tasks adapted from the BRIGANCE Early Childhood Assessment at the start of receiving services and again after a series of visits.  Preliminary findings show a statistically significant increase in kindergarten readiness and an increase in guardians’ participation in reading activities with children.  The findings suggest the need to provide culturally-affirming, activity-based pedagogies for improving kindergarten readiness and family support.

Objectives

To explain how a two-generation approach contributes to kindergarten readiness and guardian self-efficacyTo substitute deficit models of education in poor rural settings with cultural affirmationTo encourage recognition of bias and negative stereotyping in educational interventions

SES-Related Differences in the Quality of Parents' Teaching Strategies to Promote the Development of Early Mathematical Knowledge

Children from families of lower socioeconomic status (SES) have been found to enter kindergarten with significantly less mathematical knowledge than children from families of middle SES.  This SES-difference in mathematical knowledge has implications for both long-term academic achievement and educational attainment.  In this qualitative study, we analyzed video recorded observations of middle and lower SES parents and their children engaging in learning activities at home. Our findings suggest that there are qualitative differences in parents’ teaching behavior, specifically in relation to the amount of support parents provide during the interaction.

Objectives

1. To analyze SES-related differences in parents' teaching strategies when engaged in home learning activities with their preschool children.2. To describe the types of activities parents do with their children to support early math.3. To analyze home influences on early math development from a family science perspective.

Opening Doors for Families of English Learners: Recommended Practices to Overcome Challenges

Guided by Epstein’s Six Types of Involvement (2009), this paper expands the framework with best practices for engaging parents of English Learners (ELs). In this concept-based article, practical strategies and techniques are addressed for educators. With the continual growth of ELs in districts across the U.S., educational policy changes, and growing importance placed on family engagement, it is vital to identify the specific challenges and opportunities that exist when engaging ELs and their families. By expanding Epstein’s framework to include strategies for engaging families of ELs, educators will enhance their understanding of the various ways to effectively partner with families.

Objectives

To examine the impact policy change has on engaging families of English learners.
To discuss best practices and strategies for engaging caregivers of English learners.
To demonstrate modifications to Epstein’s framework of Six Types of Involvement when engaging families of English learners.