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The promotion of diversity acceptance and understanding is one of the goals, along with the incorporation of multicultural approaches. Based on potential cultural differences in the classroom, it aids students in developing greater empathy. "Incorporating multicultural viewpoints into the curriculum encourages critical thinking and a greater comprehension of global challenges by allowing pupils to view the world through a variety of lenses. It enables pupils to identify and confront systematic injustices, prejudices, and stereotypes. (Maya, 2024).

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Examine international case studies from various fields. For instance, examine Cape Town's "Day Zero" water scarcity (2018) and the Flint Water Crisis (2014–present) when studying water access in science or geography classes. Historical Connection: These case studies help students think like global citizens by illuminating how communities around the world deal with resilience and injustice.

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Group and individual projects where students investigate, debate, or present the given topic can be used to integrate or reinforce these tactics. One way to further encourage a multicultural classroom is to have a small library in the classroom with a variety of books that represent many cultures and make them available to children. Encourage students to relate what they are reading to their own experiences by using literature, folklore, and folktales from many cultures. Finding the ideal additions for an instructional unit may require some research, even though this appears like a straightforward and sensible place to start. 

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Incorporate art, music, and movies into your lessons as cultural texts. To illustrate African American tenacity, examine the Harlem Renaissance (1920s–30s) via jazz music, Langston Hughes poetry, and Aaron Douglas' artwork. Examine Diego Rivera's Mexican murals in social studies to talk about workers' rights.
Historical Link: These artistic movements are historical documents of cultural identity, activism, and transformation.

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Include poetry, short tales, and novels by a variety of authors in English language arts classes. For instance, employing Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Mildred D. Taylor) to analyze racial injustice in the South or The Joy Luck Club (Amy Tan) to investigate immigrant family situations. Historical Connection: Make a connection to the Civil Rights Movement (1950s–60s) or the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) to show how literature reflects past hardships and victories.

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When teaching history, incorporate the perspectives of underrepresented groups to go beyond a single dominant narrative. For example, combine the study of WWII with the narrative of the 442nd Infantry Regiment (Japanese-American soldiers) or westward expansion with Cherokee oral memories of the Trail of Tears (1830s).
Historical Link: By affirming each group's involvement in influencing events, these stories demonstrate how history changes when told from several points of view.

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Article 2 - Integrating Multicultural Perspectives into the Curriculum

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By Carlos Maya In an increasingly interconnected world, integrating multicultural perspectives into the curriculum is essential for preparing students to thrive in a global society. A multicultural curriculum not only broadens students’ horizons but also promotes understanding, empathy, and respect

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Category 2: Culturally Responsive Teaching Methods

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Category 2: Culturally Responsive Teaching Methods

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To have options for strategies that can be implemented in the classroom and to create a more multicultural classroom, the teacher must become knowledgeable about each student's culture. This includes respecting the cultures of the students, being cognizant of their individual needs, and offering them visual, auditory, tactile, or corporal forms of instruction. The teacher should also regularly assess the students' progress in order to make necessary adjustments to the teaching methods and create a supportive and inclusive environment in the classroom. By employing these techniques, educators can foster a more positive cultural reaction in the classroom, one that not only acknowledges but also embraces cultural difference. In addition to fostering an atmosphere of respect, comprehension, and empathy for the various cultures that exist and that their peers possess, this method aids kids' intellectual development. "The establishment of a supportive learning environment is essential to the success of any adaptive teaching technique. This will contribute to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment where all students are appreciated, respected, and aware of their part in fostering good conduct for learning. More information on how to establish a constructive learning environment may be found here. (Hawthorne 2023)

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Give English Language Learners (ELLs) scaffolds like multilingual literature, translation applications, visual aids, and sentence stems. Promote translanguaging so that students can learn in all of their languages. Historical Connection: The foundation for contemporary dual-language programs was laid by the Bilingual Education Act of 1968, which acknowledged the value of assisting pupils who do not understand English, particularly those who speak Spanish.

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Incorporate into your courses the abilities and information that students bring from their communities and families. A child from an agricultural background, for instance, can relate mathematical ideas to farming methods. Luis Moll's 1992 "Funds of Knowledge" study in Mexican-American homes serves as a case study, demonstrating how incorporating knowledge from the home into the classroom enhanced student learning and engagement. Use storytelling as a teaching method to reflect cultural customs in which identity is preserved through oral narratives. Knowledge was transmitted orally by Native American storytellers, African griots, and Latin American corridos. The WPA Slave Narratives Project (1936–1938), which documented the oral histories of former slaves, serves as a historical case study. Storytelling helps varied learners retain information and affirms cultural ways of knowing. Instead of depending only on standardized examinations, give students a variety of opportunities to show their learning, such as oral presentations, visual projects, or community-based assignments. This is consistent with the legacy of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, which contested unfair educational policies that silenced minority voices. Teachers adhere to the equality principle in learning measurement by broadening the scope of assessments.

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Give examples that are relevant to the topic and represent various cultural situations. For example, utilize African fractals or Islamic tessellations to teach geometry, and use Indigenous plant medicine examples to teach chemistry. Historical Connection: Algebra, astronomy, and medicine were developed during the Islamic Golden Age (8th–13th centuries), demonstrating the importance of non-Western knowledge in fostering global learning.

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Lessons should be modified to accommodate students' cultural learning preferences. For instance, assign independent inquiry tasks to students who do best on their own and cooperative group projects to students from collectivist societies. Historical Connection: The Code of the Navajo In order to develop an impenetrable military code, WWII talkers relied on oral traditions and teamwork. Their narrative serves as an example of how cultural learning customs can be advantageous.

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Encourage students to relate teachings to their personal experiences through discussions, storytelling, and dialogue circles. Historical Link: Established in 1964 during the Civil Rights Movement, the Freedom Schools focused on conversation and individual storytelling to equip African American youth with self-expression and civic awareness.

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Students learn at different rates and require different types and levels of support from their teachers in order to succeed. The rate and depth of support will vary depending on individual children's needs. It is, therefore, vital that teachers understand the varying levels of need within their classroom, as well as any barriers to learning students may face. Knowing this can help teachers to utilise adaptive teaching practice to provide their pupils with the targeted support needed to boost student outcomes.

In this article, we will outline what is meant by the term adaptive teaching, detail its importance, and provide you with a range of adaptive teaching strategies that you can use to help your learners excel and achieve.

What is Adaptive Teaching?

Adaptive teaching, as referred to within the Early Career Framework, relates to the adaptations made to teaching to ensure it provides all learners with the opportunity to meet expectations. It encompasses the importance of effective planning prior to the lesson, as well as the adjustments made to teaching and learning throughout the lesson. The term is inclusive and recognises the distinct and separate needs of every pupil in the classroom.

Adaptive teaching moves away from the idea of labelling individuals and groups according to their ability and is instead centred around the idea that teachers have high expectations for every pupil in their care. Within the practice of effective adaptive teaching, all learners experience the same high expectations set out by the teacher, with differing layers of support, to help them make good progress and achieve well over time.

What is the Difference Between Adaptive Teaching and Differentiation?

Early Career Framework, 2019

The term 'differentiation' is slowly being replaced with 'adaptive teaching' by many professionals working within education.

What we now perceive to be effective differentiation has changed dramatically from what was once considered to be good practice. Some, for example, still associate differentiation with three coloured worksheets or tasks for three distinct ability groupings. (Some even labelled these with lower, middle or higher attainers.) This practice poses numerous problems. Firstly, a child who always receives the pink sheet labelled L will begin to see themselves as merely a lower ability learner who cannot make progress beyond their allocated grouping. The level of challenge they experience remains stagnant and they become trapped and stifled by their teachers' fixed expectations.

In the creation of these time-consuming coloured worksheets, teachers may wrongly believe that all learners' needs are being met. However, teachers must make further adaptations for individual learners who may struggle to access their learning, such as some learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Differentiation in this form can have a negative impact on both attainment and progress, and therefore many professionals are leaning towards the term 'adaptive teaching' to help capture all the important aspects of differentiation, without its negative connotations.

The more helpful term of adaptive teaching is much clearer in its aim: it is teaching and learning practices that help all learners to achieve by better suiting their needs. It also encapsulates the importance of investigating the reason behind the struggle, as opposed to merely addressing the struggle itself.

Why is Adaptive Teaching Important?

Adaptive teaching is vital in ensuring that all learners achieve the best possible outcomes. Adaptive teaching:

Helps to cultivate a more inclusive classroom space, where each child's needs have been addressed.

Helps teachers to understand pupils' prior understanding of the subject matter, allowing them to plan more effectively.

Enables teachers to provide equitable learning opportunities for all children. Being adaptive in both the moment and as a result of considered, planned adaptive teaching strategies will help to yield better academic outcomes for pupils.

Gives every child the chance to succeed so that no child is left behind. This can help to decrease gaps in progress and attainment between learners.

Helps to nurture a greater respect and admiration for education, ensuring pupils are motivated and engaged in their learning. You can find out more about the importance of motivation in education here.

Supports both teachers and pupils alike. With considered and informed planning, teachers will feel more confident in their delivery as their planning will have anticipated any barriers learners may face. This helps teachers to have greater control over the outcome of lessons and it gives them the freedom and space to explore and strengthen their in-the-moment adaptive teaching strategies. This can help to increase teachers' long-term professional satisfaction.

Adaptive Teaching Strategies

The success of any adaptive teaching strategy relies on the creation of a positive learning environment. This will help to provide a warm and inclusive atmosphere, where all students are respected, valued and understand their role in cultivating positive behaviour for learning. You can find out more about how to create a positive learning environment here.

The first element of adaptive teaching lies in effective curriculum planning. Where the curriculum is well planned and considers the progression of skills across the age ranges, the need for in-the-moment adaptive teaching strategies will decrease - as teachers will have already considered the many barriers and challenges learners may face, and planned and resourced accordingly. This may be, for example, through the use of targeted teacher or TA support, pre-teaching vocabulary, releasing lesson content online early, or providing audio summaries or lesson introductions before the lesson.

Note that when considering the needs of all learners, teachers should not remove challenge entirely. Challenge is an essential aspect of learning. It needs to be present and pitched correctly.

Effective communication with pupils and parents or carers can help teachers to ensure the supportive strategies they use are personalised and, therefore, most effective for the individual. You can find out more about communication in the classroom here.

Assessment is also an essential aspect of adaptive teaching as it helps to steer teaching and learning to improve outcomes. Formative and summative assessment can be used to inform in-the-moment adaptations and future planning. For example, adaptive teaching may be required if a teacher identifies a gap in their students' knowledge through a formative assessment strategy, such as the teacher using skilful questioning and students recording their responses on mini-whiteboards. By gaining a snapshot of learners' current understanding, the teacher can then use a range of in-the-moment adaptations to address any gaps in knowledge or areas of misunderstanding.

In-the-moment adaptive teaching includes:

Rephrasing questions or content.

Adapting language to ensure all learners understand the content.

Providing exemplars or WAGOLLs - 'what a good one looks like.'

Highlighting and emboldening key learning points.

Prompting learners with key words, visuals, sound bites or other sensory stimuli.

Setting up temporary groups as an additional layer of scaffolding.

Gauging group responses to support individual answers.

Giving step-by-step instructions for tasks.

Effective adaptive teaching also involves careful evaluation. The strategies used must support progression if they are to be deemed effective. Teachers and teaching assistants should have a secure understanding of the elements of high-quality teaching and use them to best suit the needs of their learners. Finally, adaptive teaching strategies should be selected purposefully and used flexibly to ensure the best possible outcomes for all pupils.

Adaptive teaching refers to the adaptations made to teaching to ensure it provides all learners with the opportunity to meet expectations. It may look different across schools, within subject areas and between classrooms. Speaking to pupils, making use of assessment outcomes and working closely with colleagues can help you to ensure that the adaptive teaching strategies you use have a positive impact. Similarly, strong professional development can help school staff to work together to shape, build and strengthen their understanding of what good adaptive teaching means to them, their subject area and their school.

Further Resources:

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Adaptive teaching is vital in ensuring that all learners achieve the best possible outcomes. Find a range of adaptive teaching strategies that you can use here.

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Category 3: Fostering a Multicultural Classroom Environment

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Category 3: Fostering a Multicultural Classroom Environment

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Establishing a classroom culture that celebrates and encourages the diversity of students' cultures is essential because it gives kids a sense of belonging. It also encourages empathy and an understanding of the diverse backgrounds that surround us. Furthermore, teaching children to think critically improves their learning. It helps prepare children for success in a world that is growing increasingly interconnected by exposing them to a range of perspectives and traditions. Two great strategies to promote cultural diversity in the classroom are, for instance, incorporating literature from different cultures into the English curriculum or teaching history from multiple points of view. "Cultural diversity is an essential feature of education that should be embraced and cherished," the statement reads. Students can increase their understanding of various traditions, practices, and beliefs by studying with varied communities. This exposure to various cultures fosters cultural awareness and encourages tolerance and appreciation for differences." (Mody, 2023).

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Be mindful of ethnic holidays like Ramadan, Juneteenth, and Lunar New Year. During these occasions, encourage students to share customs, cuisine, and tales. Historical Connection: African American hardships and accomplishments are reflected in Juneteenth (1865, a federal holiday in 2021), providing a significant link between classroom celebrations and American history.

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Involve students in co-creating classroom norms around fairness, inclusion, and respect. When students have ownership, they are more invested in fostering community. To support a variety of languages and worldviews, use multilingual labels, maps, and cultural symbols throughout the classroom. For instance, have global maps with Indigenous place names highlighted or identify school supplies in both Spanish and English. Give students organized chances to share aspects of their heritage in class projects, such as music, cuisine, family customs, or artifacts.

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Encourage children to share tales about their histories through "culture circles," identity maps, or cultural heritage projects. Historical Connection: Affirming one's identity is essential to empowerment, as demonstrated by the Chicano Student Walkouts in East Los Angeles in 1968, which called for bilingual education and cultural representation.

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Showcase literature, artifacts, posters, and images from various cultures to make sure students feel included in the classroom. Historical Link: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (2008–2015) promoted physical settings that represent cultural inclusivity and stressed the significance of Indigenous visibility in schools.

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Make class agreements emphasizing respect for different viewpoints, active listening, and empathy. Use role-playing and restorative techniques to reinforce this. Historical Link: The 1948 Delgado v. Bastrop ISD case established that all students should be treated with dignity and equality by forbidding the segregation of Mexican-American children in Texas schools.

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At a glance

Culturally responsive teaching is a rich, intentional approach woven into every aspect of student learning.

It focuses on the assets students bring to the classroom rather than what students can't do.

It raises expectations and makes learning relevant for all students.

Culturally responsive teaching is a research-based approach to teaching. It connects students' cultures, languages, and life experiences with what they learn in school. These connections help students access rigorous curriculum and develop higher-level academic skills.

Our brains are wired to make connections. It's easier for our brains to learn and store information when we have a hook to hang it on. That hook is background knowledge. Students bring this knowledge to the classroom every day.

But for students of color, English language learners (ELLs), and other underserved student populations, those assets are often overlooked. When that happens, educators miss the chance to use them to support learning. (See recent work by Zaretta Hammond for the neuroscience behind this.)

Culturally responsive teaching values and reflects the assets of all students. By doing that, it raises academic expectations for all learners. It also sends the message that multiculturalism is an asset.

Dive deeper

The benefits of culturally responsive teaching

How culturally responsive teaching, UDL, and SEL work together

For educators: Culturally responsive teaching in the classroom

For educators: How to partner with families

Lydia Breiseth (director of Colorín Colorado), Shivohn García, PhD (senior director of the Impact team at Understood), and Shaquala Butler (Understood Teacher Fellow) contributed to this article.

About the author

About the author

Educators Team at Understood is made up of passionate writers, editors, educators, and subject matter experts who have worked in classrooms and with students who learn and think differently.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Karla Vigil, MAT is the chief executive officer and co-founder of the Equity Institute.

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Culturally responsive teaching helps create learning environments that validate and reflect the diversity, identities, and experiences of all students. Learn more.

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Category 4: Engagement with Families and Community

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Category 4: Engagement with Families and Community

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Enhancing cultural interaction, understanding, and suitable learning environments can be achieved by incorporating community members and students' families into the educational process and the educational area. "For good reason, developing and sustaining partnerships with families is an essential part of developmentally appropriate practice: families are experts on their children and are vital to their learning and development." (Steen, 2022)

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To enhance classroom instruction, collaborate with local nonprofits, museums, libraries, and cultural groups. For instance, during a social studies unit, ask Native elders to share their oral history. Historical Connection: The Indian Education Act (1972) set the stage for community-based partnerships in education by encouraging cooperation between Native communities and schools.

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Send newsletters, announcements, and classroom updates in the home languages of families. Use apps or interpreters to bridge language barriers. Engage community leaders and parents in decision-making by forming advisory committees that offer input on the curriculum and school environment. Plan cultural fairs for the entire school where families can set up booths or give presentations on their arts, cuisine, and heritage. In order to learn from each culture, students rotate.

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Get students involved in practical initiatives with cultural institutions, like helping out at a refugee center or conserving oral histories with seniors in the area. Historical Connection: The 1964 Freedom Summer served as a potent illustration of civic involvement in action, inspiring communities and students to band together for social change.

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Host evenings where families share food, music, stories, and traditions with the school community. Students can interview family members beforehand and present their findings. Historical Link: The Ellis Island immigrant experience (1892–1954) shows how cultural traditions sustained families through hardship; today, family cultural nights validate and celebrate that heritage in schools.

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Provide seminars on using digital technologies, multilingual materials, and school system navigation. Make sure there are interpreters and culturally appropriate facilitators on hand. Historical Connection: Parent workshops continue the advocacy tradition of the 1968 East Los Angeles Walkouts, which exposed the ways in which parents and kids battled for equal resources and bilingual education.

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Developing positive partnerships with the families of the children you teach is one of your most important tasks as a teacher. It can also be among the scariest or the most challenging tasks! I offer five Rs-respect, responsiveness and reassurance, relationship, reciprocity, and reflection-to help you build trust and promote positive family engagement in your preschool classroom.

Families Want Respect

Showing families respect is more than being polite-it is esteeming or honoring families. Family members want to feel respected as their child's first and most important teacher; they also want to see that you respect their family values, culture, and home experiences. Respect does not equate to agreeing with every decision made by families. It means being aware of your own biases and making sure that your own ideas, beliefs, and opinions don't interfere with your work to understand each families' choices and circumstances.

Respect also calls on educators to embrace a strengths-based approach to their interactions with children and families. In other words, a strengths-based approach demonstrates respect for families by recognizing, appreciating, and celebrating what they bring to a program or school. Families are viewed as contributors, creators, and participants.

Here are strategies you can utilize to develop respect:

Listen to families. First and foremost, allow enough time to truly listen to families. This confirms for families that their thoughts, suggestions, and opinions matter and are valued.

Maintain constant communication with families through apps and other means. Use an app (like Seesaw or Bloomz.com) or design a private, secure webpage that includes the classroom newsletter, weekly plans, photos of the children, a resources and upcoming events section, a forum for asking questions, and an activity for families to complete with their children each week. Activities should be meaningful and doable, such as an "all about me" questionnaire (which you might complete first to help introduce yourself to children and families). You can also share photos and videos. Include the same items on a family bulletin board inside or near your classroom.

Foster classroom community with a Family of the Week backpack. To foster cross-cultural learning and deeper relationships in an ongoing way, ask family members to complete an "all about my family" activity that you package in a backpack. Ask families to include items that are important to them in the backpack and to unpack it in class as they share information about each item and answer children's questions. If family members are not able to join in person, don't worry. They can join virtually using video conferencing (like Zoom) or share a recorded video of themselves unpacking the backpack and explaining the items they pull out. If families are unable to participate directly, the child can share the backpack while showing pictures of their family. Suggest that families include items that represent their culture, a favorite family memory, and a family interest or hobby.

Use the information and experiences shared to connect with the broader curriculum so that families' funds of knowledge are integrated into learning in meaningful and sustained ways. For example, find children's literature that mirrors cultures, languages, and experiences shared. (Check out weneeddiversebooks.org or tfcbooks.org/best-recommended/booklist to find children's books that celebrate diversity.)

Families Want Reassurance and Responsiveness

Family members need to be reassured that you care about meeting their child where they are and that you are knowledgeable about their child as an individual and as a part of social and cultural communities. They want to be reassured that their child will not be singled out, labeled, forgotten, or harmed-but will be kept safe and be engaged in activities that are suited to their child's unique strengths, interests, preferences, and needs. They also want to feel that you are responsive and that they can trust you to address their concerns and questions. For educators to be responsive, they must embrace flexibility. Educators who are flexible in their understanding, their expectations, and their responses to the families they serve will build that trust.

Here are strategies you can utilize to offer reassurance:

Take a lot of photos and videos. Keep a device nearby to take photos and video recordings (and keep in mind which families have agreed to have their children photographed and what types of sharing they are permitting). Families want to know what their child does during the day, who they play with, the activities they enjoy, and how they are progressing. Most love keeping up with these things through photos and videos. Sharing photos and videos weekly gives every family regular opportunities to peek into their child's daily school routine, which also helps to reassure them that their child is happy and is learning at their program. Make sure you gather documentation for every child on a regular basis to share with their families. (To learn more, read Experiences Can't Go Home in Cubbies: Using Digital Technology and Documentation to Connect with Families, by Stephanie Haney.)

Provide daily or mid-week talking points. Unlike more thorough weekly updates, talking points can be just a few sentences to let families know topics, concepts, or vocabulary words that their children are learning and how to expand on those things at home.

Pick up the phone. Responding to family members is the most important and easiest way to develop a trusting relationship with them and to reassure them that you are on their team. Respond to phone calls, emails, and other messages within 24 hours. Returning these in a timely manner reassures families because it shows that their questions, thoughts, and concerns are important to you.

Families Want a Relationship

Creating and maintaining partnerships with families is a critical component of developmentally appropriate practice and for good reason: families have expertise about their children, and they play a critical role in their child's growth and learning. When families do not feel that they are part of the classroom community, they might distance themselves from the school or program. This might impact their willingness to interact with you and to volunteer in classroom activities.

Here are strategies you can utilize to build relationships:

Say "Hello!" It is amazing how far a simple Hello! will go toward building a positive relationship. Just by acknowledging a family member's presence, you are being welcoming. Short, inviting conversations can lead to positive relationships and family engagement.

Invite family members into your classroom community. Some families may not know whether they are allowed to be involved in their child's classroom and may not be clear about how to support their child's learning at home. This provides a great opportunity to help the family become engaged with your program's community and to share activities for extended learning. Invite families to serve as a mystery reader or a mystery guest speaker (virtually or in-person). Ask children to guess the mystery reader or speaker by providing clues. For at-home learning, provide a weekly calendar (such as the one provided at RIF.org) of activities families can do at home with their children.

Make it easy for families to ask questions. Offer opportunities at the program and online for families to communicate any questions, concerns, comments, or suggestions they may have. You could create forum space on your classroom webpage, in your newsletter, or on your family bulletin board. You could also have a comment box in your classroom for families to share more private communications.

Families Want Reciprocity

Reciprocity often involves a shift in thinking about engagement and communication because it relies on interdependence, or depending on each other to accomplish something. One member of a relationship must coordinate their thinking and actions with others to reach shared understanding and decision making. Such coordination involves being flexible with our approaches and expectations. When we do so, we can foster a supportive and trusting relationship with families and enhance their motivation to communicate and participate.

Here are strategies you can utilize to practice reciprocity:

Involve families by dialoguing and including them in making decisions. Inquire about a family's goals and expectations for their child, their child's teacher, and their child's school. Telling families about their child is a one-way form of communication. Two-way forms of communication give families opportunities to collaborate with you and to actually talk about their concerns, wants, goals, and dreams. In addition, keep them informed about upcoming plans or changes, with sufficient time to consider their options and preferences, to ask questions, and to communicate with you. As stated in NAEYC's position statement on advancing equity, educators should "uphold every family's right to make decisions for and with their children."

Consider culture, language, and literacy when communicating with families. This means knowing about the families and ensuring that accommodations are made so that every family can access and respond to the information you share. Translate documents into families' home languages and use interpreters to help strengthen the two-way engagement and communication between you and families.

Families Want Teachers to Reflect

True reflection is ongoing and an essential part of assessment and teaching. Reflecting helps teachers engage children and families intentionally instead of falling into routines. You may find it most useful to reflect daily or weekly (such as taking an extra 10 minutes before you write your weekly update for families). As long as you find time to reflect while your memories are still fresh, you'll have new insights that will positively impact your instruction and your interactions with each child and their family.

Here are strategies you can utilize to promote reflection:

Ask yourself: How well do I know each of the children and their families, and how can I learn more about them? How often do I interact with each family? What strategies do I use to ensure they know they are an important part of the learning community?

Ask family members: How would you like to be involved in the classroom? Is there a book you would like to read to the class, a cultural tradition you would like to share, or an activity related to your job or a hobby (like bird watching) you would like to lead? What do you think your child needs to have an even more enjoyable and educational experience in the classroom?

Ask your colleagues: How do you engage families? Is there something we should do together-like host a family science and art night-to get to know family members better and show ways to extend learning at home?

Conclusion

At its best, early childhood is a time when teachers, children, and families open themselves to each other, inviting joyful play, collaborative inquiry, thoughtful observation, and deep caring. Together, families and early childhood educators nurture positive social, emotional, and intellectual development.

One More R: Sharing Resources with Families

By using the five Rs, educators can build trust and foster positive family engagement. Families will know that you have their child's best interests in mind, and they may want to learn about resources they can use at home. Here are strategies you can use for sharing resources:

Include family-friendly resources on your website or family communication app and bulletin board. Free events, concerts, educational websites, local places of interest, book fairs, and more are examples of valuable resources for all families. In addition, list (and regularly update) support services and organizations, like food banks, the local United Way office locations, and clinics offering free dental care, eyeglasses, and flu shots.

Create a monthly Family Fun calendar. To support playful learning at home, you could create a monthly calendar with suggested activities that may be completed by families to supplement their child's classroom learning. Suggest easy-to-use apps along with readily available non-digital materials at home that promote learning and engagement. For example, check out:

Rif.org/literacy-central/calendars-This literacy-based website equips educators with interactive calendars. Each day on the calendar provides either information about that day, an activity to complete with an adult, or a question to ponder.

Pbskids.org-This interactive website offers resources and tips for families. In addition, the free website includes games and videos.

Readingrockets.org-This literacy website provides articles, videos, blogs, and PBS television shows related to reading.

Recommend family-oriented magazines. Highlight available magazines and articles related to child development, parenting, or early education during family conferences and back to school night. Also display them on your bulletin board, online communication platform, or in the waiting area during family conferences. Many have free subscriptions: Family Magazine, Family Fun Magazine, Working Mother, and Highlights.

Photograph: © Getty Images.
Copyright © 2022 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. See permissions and reprints online at NAEYC.org/resources/permissions.

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Five Rs for Promoting Positive Family Engagement

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I offer five Rs-respect, responsiveness and reassurance, relationship, reciprocity, and reflection-to help you build trust and promote positive family engagement in your preschool classroom.