Family Engagement and School Readiness: How Family Engagement Contributes to Young Children's School Readiness

According to Bronfenbrenner (2004), the family is the primary force in preparing children for school and life, and children benefit when all the adults who care for them work together. The National Center on Parent, Family and Community Engagement describe school readiness as the process of development and early learning, from infancy to school age, when children gain the skills and attitudes they need to be successful in school.

The purpose of this workshop is to address how family engagement contributes to children’s school readiness.

Workshop participants will:

• Understand how Head Start and Early Head start programs can work together across systems and service areas to promote children’s family engagement and children’s learning and development.
• Recognize how parents and care givers nurture the capacities children will need to be ready to attend school. Know that children whose parents are engaged with their education have better academic outcomes.
• Be able to promote school readiness in a systematic, integrated and comprehensive way that focuses on family engagement that helps families prepare their children to thrive and learn in school.

Format: This workshop will be interactive. Participants will have the opportunity to brainstorm with colleagues and work in small groups.

Resources: Participants will be given resources supporting the workshop (handouts and digital)

MEET YOUR TRAINERS!

Ericka Williams, M.Ed.

Ericka Williams is the Manager of Family and Child Support Services for Catholic Charities Diocese of Joliet, Early Childhood Services Division (Early Head Start and Head Start). She is responsible for overseeing the social services component areas on a daily basis which includes managing the center’s transportation, child care, father engagement, family engagement, policy council, PROMIS data base, ReadyRosie date base, program eligibility, monitoring and maintaining reports and a center director. Ericka has a Master Degree in Early Childhood Education with a specialization in Family & Community Services and is currently working on a Master Degree in Social Work with a specialization in addiction. Ericka strongly believes that young children and families are the future of our nation's society. She feels that it is the responsibility of all Early Childhood Educators to nurture, motivate and educate parents in understanding the impact of their positive parenting in their children's lives.

Michele Jolivette, Ph.D.

Michele Jolivette, Ph.D., is an assistant professorial lecturer in education and a licensure officer at Saint Xavier University, teaching courses in early childhood and instructional methods. Jolivette earned her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction at University of Illinois at Chicago with concentrations in educational psychology and early childhood education, and she earned her master's degree in educational leadership from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has managed Title I, II and III ISBE grants as well as Head Start and State Pre-K grants. Jolivette also acts as a consultant for Head Start organizations where she conducts CLASS observations, handles professional development and acts as a coach to classroom teachers.