Parent partnerships, then, clarify the expectations for everyone. Good relationships with day nurseries helps you manage your expectations and raise any concerns that you have about their learning. It also allows a school to set their expectation of how involved parents should be outside of the classroom.
Children learn at different rates. Monthly newsletters are a great way to ensure everyone is kept up-to-date on not only what the children are learning, but also on any changes that are made at school. There are multiple ways you can begin to put your partnership into practice. A few examples include:. For more information about our partnership with parents here at Stars, read our newsletter. Most daycare settings provide parents with a daily diary when their baby is in the younger rooms, but this is usually all about the care needs of the baby; what they have eaten and drunk, what their nappies were like and how long they have slept for.
All of this information is important, but it is not the real partnership with parents that is frequently talked about. Practitioners need to do much more if they are to say that they truly have a partnership with their parents. This partnership or relationship with parents can at times be very difficult; how do you establish a relationship with parents whilst maintaining a professional distance?
In Working with Babies and Young Children she eloquently describes her own personal experiences as follows:. I think I have been able to love children and I think families, throughout my career, have had a capacity to permit me to love their children: a kind of love that is acceptable and reciprocal but does not seek to equal or to undermine or threaten the love of a parent for their child, which is so unique.
If practitioners in all types of settings can achieve this balance in the relationship that they have with their families then I believe they will truly have partnership working. With technology advancing apace and much of society engaging in nigh instant communication, many settings today use email or other software to establish a conversation with their parents. These modern techniques of communicating can prove to be very effective, though if practitioners are to use these methods to communicate with their parents they must ensure that all the correct policies and procedures are in place to ensure confidentiality and security.
In some recent research I videoed mothers interacting with their babies and then had a discussion about the involvement of their babies within this interaction. By viewing the short video clips together, we were able to reflect on and discuss the importance of this interaction.
If practitioners ask parents for images of their family members, pets, etc. In this way, he or she can talk with their key worker about the pictures and the family can become a physical part of the setting too. Road Safety Week — November.
Curious Fox knows what makes good treasure baskets and collections. Hatching kits from Incredible Eggs. The interviews were conducted individually approximately 40 min each within two months of the final partnership session. The interview questions required the participants to reflect on their experience of attending the two partnership sessions and encouraged them to discuss what they perceived as the key characteristics of an effective partnership model.
The interview also encouraged participants to evaluate the impact that participating in the sessions had on their own perceptions of parent-practitioner partnerships and on their practices around this.
The interviews provided rich qualitative data and helped to identify individual views in relation to the usefulness and the impact of the partnership sessions.
The data analysis occurred in two phases. In the initial phase, the quantitative data obtained from the questionnaires was analysed. The results from the analysis guided the type of data to be collected in the qualitative phase.
The aim of the qualitative stage of the study was to further explore and validate the data obtained in the quantitative phase. For both pre- and post-questionnaires, before any correlation-based analyses were conducted with SPSS, two sets of raw data parents and practitioners were extracted from Survey Monkey and analysed in Excel initially to identify any patterns or emerging themes.
Meanwhile, it also provided the researchers with further lines of inquiry for one-to-one in-depth interviews. In relation to the qualitative data analysis, eleven interviews were transcribed using a commercial service.
All transcripts were imported into NVivo 11, a qualitative data analysis software package. As Gibbs argues, the heart of qualitative data analysis is to understand the meaning of the texts. To do that, the interview data was analysed using a typological method suggested by Hatch , which involves nine steps.
In the first step, the overall data set is divided into categories, which are derived from the literature review as predetermined typologies. After arriving at a set of codes, we searched for the linkages and identified themes and patterns across various data sets. The second step involved reading through the data and findings, classifying and highlighting the evidence in the data relating to the various typologies.
The third step entailed developing a summary sheet for each interviewee, which included a brief statement of the evidence identified and categorised by the typology in the second step. The fourth step involved identifying patterns, relationships and themes within the typologies. The fifth step involved identifying data that fit into the theoretical framework developed in the previous step.
The sixth step involved identifying excerpts of evidence, which did not fit in the theoretical framework of patterns, relationships, and themes developed in the fourth step. Since this data did not fit into the framework developed, it was not analysed further as part of this study. This was decided based on the assumption that the degree of repetition links to degree of importance, and therefore those occurrences that were repeated more than 3 times from different participants were considered as key and were grouped together into themes.
These findings allowed us to move from breadth to depth and triangulate different views and perceptions from one individual to another and from one method to another. The study aimed to identify the key characteristics of an effective partnership model that will promote the development of strong parent-practitioner partnerships in the early years.
The partnership sessions provided the space and time for parents and practitioners to come together and identify and explore their perceptions of the key characteristics of an effective partnership model. In this part, the focus was on answering the research questions and presenting the key findings, as a means to developing the partnership model. Furthermore, the post-questionnaire indicated that after the partnership sessions, some settings started recognising the changing demands of family life and trying out new ways of communication, such as social media Facebook, Twitter , as suggested by Knopf and Swick , while they also looked for additional ways to engage in conversations around the learning taking place in the setting, without necessarily focusing on routines e.
The findings suggest that in some settings, managers might feel hesitant to make use of such open access platforms e. Nevertheless, the post-questionnaire data analysis reflected that few changes had been noticed by both practitioners and parents within two months of the sessions.
Some interesting and statistically significant differences were identified with the alpha value set at 0. More specifically, in relation to how practitioners and parents perceived their communication and their own role in developing effective practitioner-parent partnerships, it was interesting to note differences between them in both questionnaires.
Yet, parents did not feel the same, with only Therefore, communicating, identifying a common starting point, and clarifying these expectations would be beneficial when aiming to develop an effective parent-practitioner partnership. Besides while many of them This might suggest that when parents and practitioners meet, parents may find it difficult to discuss their specific needs directly with the practitioners, especially if the environment does not allow for privacy Mapp et al.
One explanation was that casual talks or chats, instead of meetings, were more likely to take place within the time length of the interval between the two questionnaires. This finding highlights the importance of providing a safe and open atmosphere for conversation, with spaces available for parents and practitioners to communicate Lee, ; Mapp et al. This suggests that practitioners may need to be more proactive and to specifically highlight the benefits and importance of partnership, by offering more opportunities for sharing information and encouraging the development of meaningful parent-practitioner partnerships Wilson, Yet, in the post-questionnaire, the first choice changed to "lack of staff time" which accounted for This change might reflect the practitioners' own reflection and a change of attitudes not only towards their own responsibilities but also regarding the way they perceive parents.
Interestingly, in the post-questionnaire, parents' first choice had also changed from "parents' lack of availability during setting's working hours" All participants agreed that the partnership sessions provided the space and time for them to discuss and to identify new ways to think about everyday practice and specifically partnerships.
Both parents and practitioners appreciated the opportunity to work together and to dedicate time to get to know each other and develop relationships of trust. The findings highlighted the importance of effective communication as a two-way process based on dialogue, as well as the importance of trust for both parents and practitioners, something demonstrated through the questionnaire findings as well.
During the interviews, one of the parents said that attending the sessions helped her realise that the onus is on parents just as much as on practitioners. In this case, it seems that the practitioners recognised the changing demands on family life and adapted their approaches in terms of communicating with parents, something noted as important by Knopf and Swick A practitioner specifically noted that before attending the sessions, she knew that something was wrong with their approach to working with parents and the kind of feedback given to parents during pick-ups and drop offs but attending the sessions helped her realise that what was lacking was the quality of what was being shared.
Even though, within the existing literature, there is an accepted understanding of the role parents can take, which includes talking, listening, role modelling, managing expectations, and ensuring school attendance Muschamp et al.
This can be the case for a variety of reasons, such as the challenges faced when performance in schools is prioritised over other matters Rogers, , even when partnerships have a solid theoretical background and are supported both rhetorically and legislatively. The findings of the study were used to develop a partnership model, with the aim of highlighting the key characteristics of a partnership model.
Both parents and practitioners agreed that collaboration and communication are key when aiming for a good partnership. Communication can happen at a basic level, but as part of this model it would represent more meaningful discussions including sharing values and beliefs, and developing pedagogy together Murray et al.
Another key aspect derived from the findings was the two-way dialogue, something which both parents and practitioners identified as vital in order to keep both sides actively involved in the relationship. As one of the parents said during the interviews, realising the impact of her active engagement and the importance of having a two-way dialogue was revolutionary for her.
The findings also highlighted the importance of providing time and space for parents and practitioners to share and develop relationships of trust and respect. A friendly and safe environment in which both groups can actively communicate and collaborate is important, as many stated in both the questionnaires and interviews. Such an environment would enable both sides to develop a relationship and to exchange ideas in a safe and organic way Murtaza, Finally, the environment in which this takes place is also important because of the physical and emotional space needed to feel safe and open, with space available to communicate and discuss in confidence Lee, ; Wilson, Both parents and practitioners highlighted the importance of having the space and time to communicate and develop their partnership.
Such an environment would promote the development of relationships of trust and recognises parents and practitioners as equals, who are working together to ensure best outcomes for the children. This is a key aspect of the CAFE model, especially since previous models, such as the family-centre model Dunst et al. With the CAFE model in place, parents and practitioners can be empowered and develop relationships of trust, which would help to sustain and further develop the partnership between them.
These findings illustrate not only the contrasts between the pre-questionnaire responses of parents and practitioners, but also highlight a deeper shared understanding of the value of a two-way relationship. The CAFE model also builds on the third point, highlighting that this must be a two-way relationship which requires the provision of a safe space, whether that is virtual or face to face.
This too is present within the Hoover-Dempsey framework which heightens the relevance of the research findings and thereby shares a consistent message that effective collaboration and communication can drive strong partnerships.
The literature also indicates that partnerships are important to counteracting disadvantage, but so far, little is known about how to facilitate partnerships in practice Khan, ; Wilson, This is especially important given that the early years are varied and transient, thus requiring partnership models to be flexible and localised Barton et al.
It is our view that partnerships in early years need to be examined and re-examined, because circumstances and parental experiences change with time, as do the circumstances and experiences of nurseries and practitioners. In this study, we worked with parents and practitioners and identified the key characteristics of an effective partnership. The mixed methods approach which, in a unique way, engaged both parents and practitioners as participants, facilitated a better understanding of what both groups perceive as the key characteristics of an effective partnership, based on their own experiences.
The partnership sessions provided a platform for thinking together about the importance of partnership and the elements of the partnership CAFE model were subsequently developed.
By focusing specifically on the partnership, participants were able to value the engagement and commitment demonstrated and develop a more reflective and empathetic perspective to their counterparts. The findings revealed that both parents and practitioners agree that there are some key ideas that a partnership model should incorporate, which would lead to creating a collaborative, communicative, active, and friendly environment that would recognise them as equals and promote the development of trust.
Leading on from this, tasks to build partnerships could be identified as:. Reflecting on how well practitioners know and understand the needs of the parents with whom they are working. Addressing the challenges of time poverty, either by finding more effective ways to enable parents to become involved, or more effectively communicating the importance of parental involvement so that parents feel more motivated to invest their time in this. Reviewing direction of travel of communication: ensuring that practitioners are listening to the diverse needs of parents and valuing their comments, to develop trust.
The above led to the development of the CAFE model, which recognises parents and practitioners as equals that can work together and empower each other in the process, recognising their strengths and weaknesses and supporting each other while supporting the children.
The CAFE model is flexible and contemporary and could be used to support the development of effective parent-practitioner partnerships in different contexts, while considering the need for stability and sensitivity of interaction between practitioner and parents. The CAFE model offers a reflective framework whereby some of the main findings of this study can indeed be explored further. It is possible that because of attending the partnership sessions, parents and practitioners then tried to communicate more regularly and more meaningfully, which is a key aspect of effective partnerships that they themselves noted during the sessions.
The need for further sessions and other opportunities for the two parties to work together and build partnerships is apparent, and clearly points to the necessity for similar activities to take place in the future. One of the main drivers for this study was the focus on parental perceptions and employing a methodological approach that brought parents and practitioners from different settings together. For this study, the value was on parents and practitioners working together to identify and develop a partnership model that works for both, the CAFE model.
This model helps to address the gap between theory and practice in terms of unpicking the key features of a partnership approach as captured through the lived experience of both parents and practitioners. Future research could focus on evaluating the adoptability of this model and the benefits of employing it as part of a child centred pedagogical approach.
It could also focus on developing the model further, in a way that it would be used to evaluate and steer the development of existing partnership approaches e. The key original contribution of this study is the partnership model presented above, which promotes the establishment of strong parent-practitioner partnerships in the early years. Building on Froebelian principles that highlight the importance of family and community Brehony, , the partnership model explored the importance of collaboration and communication as part of a two-way dialogue.
The aim was to identify the key characteristics of a partnership model that would encourage more interest and commitment to partnership. The CAFE model addresses the gap in the literature in terms of unpicking the key features of a partnership approach as captured through the lived experience of both parents and practitioners.
When referring to parents we also include carers, and similarly when referring to practitioners we include early years teachers or other professionals working with children in the early years, while by referring to settings we also include schools that work with children in the early years.
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