I.  Parent’s Support for Children’s Learning in the Home Environment
 

Use of Literacy Materials  

Use of TV/Video

Learning Opportunities 

Family Priority on Learning

1. Home has few books or writing materials; little or nothing is age appropriate.

1. There is no monitoring of TV; child watches whatever and whenever they choose.

1. Parent does not yet recognize play as important.  Parent limits child’s opportunities for play, exploration, and inquiry or does nothing to support play.

1. Family stresses prevent family from devoting time to family activities.

2. Home has some books and writing materials but they are not appropriate nor accessible to child.  Parent accepts books from others to use with child.

2. Parent is aware that it is his/her role to limit television but has not successfully done so.

2.  Parent is interested in opportunities for child’s development but parent’s choices for child often do not match child’s age or ability.

2. Parent is aware of the importance of family learning activities and expresses desire to initiate them.

3.The home has some examples of age-appropriate reading and writing materials.  Parent seeks out books for child and uses books several times a week.

3. Parent encourages some watching of child-appropriate programming.

3.  Parent seeks information about age-appropriate learning opportunities and uses information to carry out appropriate learning activities.

3. Family relies on support from outside the immediate family to participate occasionally in family learning opportunities.

4. Home includes books and materials that parent has selected because parent believes children will like them.  Parent uses literacy materials every day with child.

4. Parent tries to set some viewing limits and works on consistently reinforcing them.

4. Parent often bases his/her choice of activities on observations of child’s skills and interests.  Parent facilitates learning opportunities for child several times per week.

4. Family members routinely make an effort to initiate family opportunities that foster learning, e.g., attending field trip.

5.      Home has a variety of

materials for reading/ writing that are accessible to child.  Materials are used daily.  Parent and child select books based on child’s interests and skill levels.

5.  Parents uses television as a learning tool; parent watches with child and moderates messages from TV.

5. Parent regularly uses “teachable moments” with child.  Parent takes cues from child and allows child to guide choices of learning activities.

5. Family members take pleasure in family learning opportunities.  Parent is able to make learning opportunities from everyday activities.

Expressive and Receptive Language

 Reading With Children

Supporting Book/Print Concepts

1. Parent’s verbal interactions with child are predominately commands or discouragements.  Parent responds inconsistently to child’s verbal or behavioral cues.

1.  Parent tells stories, sings or reads infrequently to or with child.  Shared reading or storytelling is a frustrating experience for parent and child.

1.  Parent is not yet aware of their own role in modeling reading and writing with child.

2. Parent has limited verbal interaction with child, but the tone is more positive than negative.  Language is characterized by simple sentences and questions that can be answered yes/no.

2. Parent sometimes tells stories, sings, or reads to child but does not attempt to engage child in the story or in the process of reading or telling the story.  Parent has low comfort level.

2. Parent occasionally demonstrates awareness of child’s development of book and print understanding, e.g., points out words, shows book pictures to young children.

3. Parent is aware of the impact of their own speaking/language and listening to child on the child’s language and behavior. Parent sometimes tries out strategies to support child’s development of language.

3. Parent is interested in learning how to tell stories or read to child and tries out suggested strategies for engagement.  Parent becomes comfortable with at least 1-2 strategies to support/reinforce reading and oral language, including, rhymes, songs, word play with younger children..

3. Parent begins to help child understand how print works, e.g., letter names connected to sounds, left to right progression, book handling.

4. Parent regularly adjusts own language or uses strategies to support child, e.g., choice of vocabulary, variation in words, asking questions, and listening to the child.

4.  Parent regularly uses a variety of different strategies for engaging the child in reading books, storytelling, or singing.

4. Parent uses strategies with child to develop meaning for print, e.g., writing letters and words, playing games with sounds and words, child dictating stories to parent.

5.Parent actively engages the child in discussion, using strategies such as paying attention to the interests of the child, using open-ended questions, providing verbal encouragement, or giving the child an opportunity to process information.

5.  Parent matches reading or storytelling strategy to situation, e.g., child’s developmental level, child’s mood, setting.  Parent verbalizes connections between stories and the child’s experiences, and encourages child to make similar connections.

5. Parent takes advantage of every day activities to frequently make the connection between sounds, oral language, and print.

Parent-School Communication

 Expectations of Child and Family 

Monitoring Progress/Reinforcing Learning  

1. Communication between parent and child’s teacher is infrequent.

1. Parent is not aware of school’s expectations for child.

1. Parent does not know about nor question child’s progress in educational setting.

2. Parent attends some school or center functions, e.g., open house, meetings--probably with outside support.

2. Parent knows that school has expectations but has not taken actions to learn specifics.

2. Parent acknowledges that he/she has responsibility and begins to monitor child’s progress, at least in formal ways, e.g., review report card/progress report.

3. Parent verbalizes awareness of the importance of own role in communication with teachers.   Parent usually responds positively to requests on own, e.g., for attending parent-teacher conference.

3. Parent finds out information about school’s specific expectations of child.

3. Parent questions child and/or teacher about how child is doing.

4. Parent initiates contact with child’s teacher and others in school/center setting in relationship to child’s needs and interests.

4. Parent assesses expectations and the school’s approach to helping children meet them.  Parent begins to supplement school initiatives with actions of his/her own.

4. Parent inquires about ways to help child make more progress and works with child to reinforce what the child is learning.

5. There is ongoing exchange of information between parent and child’s teacher; each is comfortable initiating contact with the other.

5. Parent finds out information to place the school's expectations in context, e.g., what others are asking of children of the same age.  Parent works with others to promote system improvements for quality education for all children.

5. Parent takes an interest in what and how their child is learning and finds ways to extend child’s learning beyond what is required by educational setting.

As A Partner With Educational Setting

 Expectations of Child’s Success in Learning

1. Parent takes no role or has no understanding of parent role connected to educational setting.

1.      Parent has not formed expectations of child’s success or has low expectations.  Parent gives negative or mixed messages to child about child’s ability. 

2. Parent would like to be connected to school but does not feel ready or is not in a position to do so.  Parent may reluctantly agree to participate in school-connected activity—perhaps with support for doing so. 

2. Parent sometimes verbalizes concerns about the effects of negative expectations, e.g., verbal messages or actions, on child.  Parent often demands more of child than is realistic for developmental level.

3. Parent occasionally participates in school-connected activities.

3. Parent tries to use positive and consistent messages with child.  Parent asks for information about child development.  Parent takes active role in helping the child reach appropriate expectations. 

4. Parent sees that he/she could be involved with school in a variety of ways.  Parent tries more than one type of involvement, e.g., going on field trip, making game for class. 

4. Parent uses lots of different ways to encourage high but achievable expectations, including creating experiences that build the child’s success.

5. Parent participates in a variety of different ways on a consistent basis, i.e., 4-6 times a year.

5. Parent sets benchmarks to help child achieve longer term expectations.  Parent creates opportunities that are challenging for child. 

Choices, Rules, and Limits 

Managing Stresses on the Family 

Safety and Health

1. Parent operates from an extreme position or moves between extremes, sometimes setting no limits and other times rigid rules.  Parent does not provide choices for the child.

1. Parent is absorbed in own needs or needs of one member of the family.  Parent does not acknowledge responsibility for whole family.

1. Parent is not aware of issues in the home settings/environment that affect child’s learning and development, e.g., nutrition, smoking.

2. Parent observes the behavior of other adults with children and acknowledges that there is a connection between parenting strategies and child behaviors.

2. Parent is able to identify family problems, issues, or needs and express a desire for change.

2. Parent is aware that he/she has a role and responsibility to create a safe and healthy environment for child.

3. Parent seeks out information about strategies to develop child’s skills to make choices, solve problems, and stay within limits.

3. Parent recognizes the various demands of different family members and also the strengths of the family.  Parent sees his/her own part in family system.

3. Parent seeks out information on how to create environment that protects and nurtures children.

4. Parent applies strategies (as above) in appropriate situations.  Parent begins to discriminate among strategies appropriate for particular situations. 

4. Parent tries out various strategies to strengthen family.  Parent engages other family members in strengthening family.

4. Parent engages other family members in ensuring a safe and healthy environment for children.

5. Parent consistently provides opportunities for child to make choices within limits, e.g., age, safety.  Parent is comfortable with and able to apply a range of strategies that match the situation. 

5. Parent thinks about the family as a whole and balances the needs of different individuals and the whole family.  Parent accepts that role of parent is to take responsibility for the well-being of the family as a whole.

5. Parent makes informed decisions to improve the health and safety of the environment.