17 Learning With and From Families
Given that most children have at least one important adult who has known and loved them since they were infants and others have important adults who care for them every day, ensure that they have food to eat, and share their fears and joys along extended periods of time, we must always remember that families are the experts on their children. To best meet the needs of children, we must build trust with the important adults in their lives and work collaboratively with them to co-construct goals and the means by which their children will achieve said goals.
Some schools, school divisions, and agencies conduct home visits to build trust. The Parent Teacher Home Visit Model is an evidence based model used across the country. While this practice isn’t in every setting, multiple agencies and schools conduct home visits from pregnancy through high school. Wakefield High School in Arlington County has conducted home visits for over a decade.
Co-author Dr. Judy Paulick incorporates home visits into her teacher preparation courses. She provides future teachers with evidence-based training to conduct these visits in school divisions that incorporate these practices into their family engagement work. While you may or may not work in a clinical setting or school that conducts home visits, you can use some of the following questions to learn about the families and their goals:
- If given a choice, what would your child choose to spend their time doing?
- What were your favorite things to do when you were a child?
- What are your hopes and dreams for your child?
- Where do you consider home?
- What does our family like to do together?
- What traditions does your family enjoy?
By asking about their preferred activities and their hopes for their children, we can learn more about their priorities and, ideally, help to surface why these are their priorities.
