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Program 1 – Mobilizing Parents to Help Their ChildrenThis videotape is built upon four themes or cornerstones:
- Families need to nurture learning.
- Every parent is the child’s first teacher
- Partnerships are vital between families and educators.
- Programs can provide training to families.
A summary of the essential attributes important for successful parent involvement programs are presented:
- Focus on the unique educational role of the family.
- Provide parents with specific help and practical activities.
- Prepare environment: offer transportation if necessary; provide child care and food; be punctual with beginning and ending; have meeting place comfortable and non-threatening; start groups even if they are small; schedule meetings to be convenient.
- Recognize the professional contribution of teachers and the vital and caring role of parents.
Program 2 – Home Activities for Learning
A sampling of successful home learning activities is provided for families to help their children.
A preview of “Home Recipes for Learning” is presented from the MegaSkills© program. The ten MegaSkills© include: Confidence, Motivation, Effort, Responsibility, Initiative, Perseverance, Caring, Teamwork, Common Sense, and Problem Solving.
Learning activities crated at home ideally meet the following MegaSkills© criteria:
- Tie them to schoolwork but not to schoolwork.
- Keep them serious but fun at the same time.
- Have a teachable focus.
- Have them be easy to do, take little time, and cost little or no money.
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