Empowering the Community to Teach the Child - An Integrated Approach to Tackling Educational Disadvantage Presentation by Josephine Beach, Early Learning Initiative

1. Empowering Parents
Dr Josephine Bleach
13-07-12

2. Early Learning Initiative
 Provides learning support
programmes, which enables
positive educational change
in the local community
 Works collaboratively with
local educators to improve
teaching and learning
 Uses community action
research

3. Open, caring, respectful relationships
Collaboration with community organisations which includes networking by
families
Parental involvement in Parental involvement Home-service
the home curriculum in services communication
The basic obligations of Parental involvement The basic obligations
families, which included in services particularly of services which
building positive home as volunteers and primarily revolve around
conditions that support audiences at events home-service
learning and behaviour communications
Parental involvement These include
Parental involvement in in decision-making, Children’s progress
learning activities at home governance and Events and activities
advocacy Policies & procedures

4. Home is the place where
language,
social skills,
moral values and
citizenship
are taught
(Macbeth 1994; Wolfendale 2000)
The Home Learning Environment
is a powerful influence on
children’s educational and social
development
(Melhuish 2011)

5. Priority (N=27)

6. Vocabulary (3 years)
It’s during the first three years of life that thinking
structures are being built into the brain.
Open Questions
Child
Typical Interaction Equal Discussion (WHY?)
Hears
Pretend Play
10m One word direction with non- Stop children from exploring
words verbal signal– ‘bathroom’ language or their world twice
for every one time they
encourage them
30m Identify stimulus – ‘Your hands Encourage children to explore
words are dirty’ language and their world five
Provide the meaning – ‘We’re times more than they stop it.
going to eat’
Suggest a strategy – ‘So go
wash your hands’

7. National Children’s Strategy
2000
Goals:
Strong community based response
— Inclusive & non-stigmatising
– Local plans
Emphasis on prevention and early intervention
Integrated and easily accessed supports and
services
– Closer working relationships
– More innovative approaches

8. Supports and Services
 Information and advice
 Home Visiting Programmes
 Parent Toddler Groups
 Parenting Courses
 Early years care and education
services
 Schools
 Health, therapies and other services
 Family and adult support services

9. Parental Capital
 Financial
 Educational (GUI)
 Interpersonal/social
 Intrapersonal/emotion
al
 Cultural

10. Sources of support and N %
advice
Family 198 78
Grandparents 170 67 (89-91% GIU)
Partner 162 64
Child’s teacher 159 63
Friends 136 54
Their children 107 42
Other parents 107 42
Books 95 37
Parenting courses 65 26
School principal 58 23
Newspapers and magazines 51 20
Television 46 18
The Church 43 17
Neighbours 36 14
Public health nurse 34 13
Doctor 31 12
Internet 23 9
Home school teachers 13 5
Social workers 11 4
Gardai 7 3
Therapist 7 3