Nowadays people have to work hard to earn for living. In most cases,
parents do not spend much time with children and do not have time to control the
study process. It results, of course, in poor literacy skills. I would like to discuss all “for” and “against” of this program. In my opinion, it''s nice when the cooperation between parents and
teachers is close. First of all, parents have to be interested in it even more than teachers because the first study steps are of great importance. When the child gets good grades and understands that he/she needs to have knowledge, the parents feel that they make a contribution. Secondly, it''s good when teachers know more information about the children''s background as it makes the study process easier. For example, when teachers know the relations of the child in the family, some information about his/her past, hobbies, and interests, the interaction with the teacher can be more pleasant and fruitful. The information, as for me, can be mastered better. Moreover, this
program can help to resolve some problems with the behaviour of a child. Teachers are partly psychologists and they know how to get on with people. For instance, when a teacher is aware of such problems, he/she can cooperate with parents and make a contribution to resolve this problem. When a child feels that not only parents but also teachers worry about him/her and do their best to help a child, the result can be positive. One more advantage, to my mind, consists in the following: teachers can tell parents what strategies to use for better study process at home. Parents, of course, have to be interested in it. As teachers are pedagogues, they know the best study methods. Sometimes parents become irritated at a child can have some problems to master specific information. On the whole, as educational specialist, teachers can suggest the best approach to the child as well as the best study method. Furthermore, this program helps parents to know everything about development of their child to literacy skills. It is really nice when parents know what the problem consists in (if there are some problems) and help to resolve it. Parents have to help children to overcome such obstacles. Besides, when a child studies well and parents praise him/her for such a progress, this is a stimulus to study none the worse. Next benefit is that literacy classes can help their children to study better. Sometimes children do not know how to do a homework and parents can not help them. As a result, children do not master a specific topic and are not prepared for classes. I would also like to make one remark. This program has to take the peculiarities of every country into consideration. Every community has its mentality, relations between children and parents, educational system etc.
Now I would like to go on to disadvantages of this program. First of all, this program is aimed at parents whose native language is English. For this reason some components of this program have to be changed and adapted for families whose native language is not English. Secondly, it''s not very safe for teachers to go to students home. One more drawback is that all the program is focused on kindergartens. The first study steps are undoubtedly important. But schools and colleges have their own problems which should also be resolved. That is why there must be either worked out a program for other educational institutions or this program has to be supplemented with additional information for other grades. Moreover, there is one point I would like to discuss in more detail, namely
home visits of teachers. As for me, such visits are not a very good idea as teachers do not receive a remuneration for them. Secondly, in most cases teachers simply do not have time to do such home visits. I think that it''s better to meet with parents in the educational institution and discuss all problems there. If parents want to have well educated and literate childrave to put effort and cooperate with teachers. In addition, teachers and parents are not friends. That is why home visits have to be substituted for
site visits. It''s possible to organize meetings every three months or even more often. Actually it depends on the initiative of parents. To my mind, the environment of such parent-teacher conferences is more official and helps to resolve the problems and find out the necessary information more. The preparation for home visits is more complicated as both teachers and parents have to do many things in advance (what to ask, how to ask, how to present the information etc). I think such conferences do not have so many strict requirements. In short, teachers are always ready to help both parents and children to improve the literacy skills and master profound knowledge. But parents have to be more interested in the educational process of their child as they are responsible for their child''s upbringing. First of all, parents want their child to have profound knowledge.
Bibliography Waldbart, Adria, Meyers, Barbara, and Joel Meyers. “Invitations to Families in an Early Literacy Support Program”. The Reading Teacher 59. 8 (2006), 774-785. 31 January 2007 <http:www.reading.org/publications/journa ls/rt/v59/i8/abstracts/RT-59-8-Waldbart.html>.
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