This Assignment is a Performance Task in which you will apply strategies that support effective communication and collaboration, establishing foundations for respectful, reciprocal, and responsive partnerships. In addition, you will apply principles of effective communication through the development of communication plans.
Specifically, you will imagine that you are a teacher at Blue Stream Early Learning Center, and you have been assigned the 4- to 5-year-old classroom for the new school year. It is two weeks before classes begin, and you have received a list of the children who will be in your classroom, as well as the contact information for their families. You have never met these children or their families.
Your response to this Assignment should:
- Reflect the criteria provided in the Rubric.
- Adhere to the required assignment length.
- Use the APA course paper template available here.
- Download the Writing Checklist to review prior to submitting your Assignment.
This Assignment requires submission of one (1) document that includes:
- One two- to three-page family engagement analysis.
- Three two-page individualized family communication plans.
- One two-page family newsletter
Document
#2: John Hall: Beginning of the Year Questionnaire
Tell Me A Little Bit About Your Child
All information will be kept confidential
.
Your Name: Stephanie Hall___________________________________________________________
Your Child’s Name: Jonathan Hall______________________________________________________
Nicknames: Jonny, Jon_______________________________________________________________
Does your child have allergies or any other health conditions we should be aware of?
He has illness-induced asthma and is allergic to strawberries._______________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
_______
What is the most important thing I should know about your child?
He is painfully shy around new children and adults, but he can be talkative once he gets__________ comfortable with someone. One-on-one interactions are the best way to get him out of his shell._
_________________________________________________________________________________
Briefly describe your child’s personality.
Jonny is very shy. He prefers to play by himself instead of with other children. He is very curious and
will ask a lot of questions, once he is familiar with a person.__________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
What are some of your child’s favorite activities?
He likes to build things with Legos and read books with pictures of dinosaurs in them______________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
How will your child go home from school (bus, carpool, other)? By car__________________________
Is there anyone else who will regularly pick up your child from school?
No_________________________________________________________________________________
Please share any other information that you think will be important for me to know.
Jonny works best in a structured environment, and he can sometimes have difficulty with unstructured time. He doesn’t usually have tantrums, but when he does, the best way to handle it is to give him____ activities that he can do by alone–puzzles, blocks, coloring books, etc.____________________________
Tell Me A Little Bit About You and Your Family
Do you speak another language at home? If so, which one?
No________________________________________________________________________
Do you read to your child? How often?
Yes, every night before he goes to bed.___________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Who else lives at your house (grandparents, siblings, pets, etc.)?
No one else aside from me, Jonny, and my husband. We have two cats._________________
___________________________________________________________________________
What is your preferred method of communication (email, phone call, note, meeting, etc.)?
Phone call, but email, meetings, and notes are all fine.______________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
How would you like to be involved in our classroom? Please check all that apply.
_X_ Cut out materials at home
_X_ Help at class parties/events
_X_ Help make art projects and crafts
_X_ Attend field trips
_X_ Other I’m a stay-at-home parent, so if you need an extra adult, I’m always__
available and willing to help. Please don’t hesitate to ask.____________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
.
©2014 Walden University 2
Document #4: Irene Segers: Beginning of the Year Questionnaire
Tell Me A Little Bit About Your Child
All information will be kept confidential
.
Your Name: Jason Segers_________________________________________________________
Your Child’s Name: Irene Segers___________________________________________________
Nicknames: None_______________________________________________________________
Does your child have allergies or any other health conditions we should be aware of?
No.___________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What is the most important thing I should know about your child?
She learns best with hands-on activities.______________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Briefly describe your child’s personality.
She is very stubborn and likes to do things her way. But she is also very kind, always willing to share
toys or treats with other children.______________________________________________________
What are some of your child’s favorite activities?
Irene likes being outdoors and running around the park. She likes to dance and put on little skits._
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
How will your child get home from school (bus, carpool, other)? Car__________________________
Is there anyone else who will regularly pick up your child from school?
Her nanny_________________________________________________________________________
Her mother every other Monday, Wednesday, and Friday___________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Please share any other information that you think will be important for me to know.
Her mother and I recently separated, and it’s been hard on Irene. If she acts out somewhat, that may
be the reason. Please let me know if she does._____________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Tell Me A Little Bit About You and Your Family
Do you speak another language at home? If so, which one?
Her nanny is fluent in Spanish and English, but I don’t speak any other languages to her besides____ English.____________________________________________________________________________
Do you read to your child? How often?
Her nanny reads to her before bed during the week. I try to read to her during the weekends. I’m not sure if her mother does.________________________________________________________________
Who else lives at your house (grandparents, siblings, pets, etc.)?
No one; just the two of us.______________________________________________________________
What is your preferred method of communication (email, phone call, note, meeting, etc.)?
Email____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How would you like to be involved in our classroom? Please check all that apply.
_X_ Cut out materials at home
___ Help at class parties/events
___ Help make art projects and crafts
___ Attend field trips
___ Other ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
.
©2014 Walden University 2
Document #1: Blue Stream Early Learning Center Overview
Center Information
Founded in 1978
Five Different Classroom Levels
· 6 weeks to 1 year old
· 1 year old to 2 years old
· 2 years old to 3 years old
· 3 years old
· 4 years old and 5 years old
Classroom Size: Up to 12 children
Teacher/Child Ratio: 1:4 to 1:12 (varies by level)
Current Enrollment: 46
No
.
of Teachers: 12
Student Demographics
Race/Ethnicity
White: 76%
Asian: 13%
Black: 3%
Hispanic: 8%
Gender
Female: 59%
Male: 41%
Household Income
Less than $25,000: 8%
$25,000 to $49,999: 23%
$50,000 to $74,999: 32%%
$75,000 to $99,999: 27%
$100,000 or more: 10%
Single-Income Household: 39%
Dual-Income Household: 61%
Household Type:
One-Parent: 17%
Two-Parent: 78%
Other (Grandparents, Relatives, etc.): 5%
.
©2014 Walden University 1
Document #3: Annie Xun: Beginning of the Year Questionnaire
Tell Me A Little Bit About Your Child
All information will be kept confidential
.
Your Name: Alan Xun_______________________________________________________________
Your Child’s Name: Annie Xun________________________________________________________
Nicknames: None__________________________________________________________________
Does your child have allergies or any other health conditions we should be aware of? No.______________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
What is the most important thing I should know about your child?
She doesn’t like to sit and do nothing.__________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Briefly describe your child’s personality.
Very friendly. Sometimes bossy. Likes to play with other children.____________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
What are some of your child’s favorite activities?
She likes to draw pictures and look at books with pictures. She like to go to the park and play on__ swings.___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
How will your child get home from school (bus, carpool, other)? Bus__________________________
Is there anyone else who will regularly pick up your child from school?
Yes, grandma or grandpa.____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Please share any other information that you think will be important for me to know.
My wife and I work long hours and are not able to spend lot of time with Annie. My parents take
care of her. They don’t speak a lot of English. My son speaks English to Annie sometimes.________ _________________________________________________________________________________
Tell Me A Little Bit About You and Your Family
Do you speak another language at home? If so, which one?
Chinese.__________________________________________________________________________
Do you read to your child? How often?
No, her brother reads to her sometimes.________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Who else lives at your house (grandparents, siblings, pets, etc.)?
Grandma, grandpa, uncle, big brother__________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
What is your preferred method of communication (email, phone call, note, meeting, etc.)?
Email or note._____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
How would you like to be involved in our classroom? Please check all that apply.
___ Cut out materials at home
___ Help at class parties/events
___ Help make art projects and crafts
___ Attend field trips
___ Other ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
.
©2014 Walden University 2
CC003 PERFORMANCE TASK ANALYSIS
Please citate all information and include reference page on each part.
Part I: Family Engagement
As you begin to consider how you will engage families at the start of the new school year, it is important to reflect upon why family engagement is necessary and beneficial for children, families, and early childhood programs.
Review Document #1: Blue Stream Early Learning Center Overview
.
In two to three pages, do the following:
· Explain why family engagement is important for the healthy development of children and why it is essential to creating a foundation for effective early childhood practice.
· Describe at least two strategies that you would use to engage families prior to the beginning of the school year.
· Explain why you chose these strategies and how each strategy can be used to promote a respectful, reciprocal, and responsive partnership with the families.
Part II: Individualized Family Communication Plans
Imagine that it is now the second week of the school year. You have received the completed Beginning of the Year Questionnaires that you sent to the children’s families as seen in the following documents:
·
Document #2: Jon Hall: Beginning of the Year Questionnaire
·
Document #3: Annie Xun: Beginning of the Year Questionnaire
·
Document #4: Irene Segers: Beginning of the Year Questionnaire
Based on the questionnaires, create an individualized plan for how you would communicate and collaborate with each of the three children’s families.
Each of the three individualized plans should be two pages in length and include:
· An explanation of the initial method of communication you will use with the family. Explain why you chose the method for this specific family.
· A description of at least one potential obstacle you might face in communicating with the family.
· Describe at least one strategy you might use to overcome the obstacle you identified, so you can effectively communicate and collaborate with the family.
· An explanation of how you will communicate information to the family about their child’s overall development and academic progress. Provide a rationale for your choice.
· An explanation of how you will communicate to the family the opportunities for them to engage in the classroom. Provide a rationale for your choice. Include an explanation of why building a partnership with this family is essential to the healthy development of the child(ren) in this family.
· A description of at least one strategy you would use to obtain information from the family. Provide a rationale for your choice.
Part III: Family Newsletter
A month has passed, and it is time to update the families on their children’s progress.
Your newsletter should should include:
· An overview of learning and development that has taken place in the classroom since the first month of school.
· A welcome to families and an invitation to volunteer or become involved in the classroom community at Blue Stream Early Childhood Center. Provide at least one specific way families can volunteer or become involved in the classroom community.
· At least one recommendation for promoting their child’s emotional, social, cognitive, or physical development at home.