Why: Engaged Parents and Families Drive Academic Achievement
Millions of 4- and 5-year olds come to school on their very first day not knowing their numbers, their letters, their shapes or how to write their name. For two very good reasons: too many of their parents have two and three jobs and are just trying to keep food on the table and the rest paid and don’t have time to read, talk, play or sing with their children. And too many of them had parents who didn’t know the importance of opening up the pathways in their brains which only reading, talking, playing, and singing can do.
It is undeniable that students do better academically and socially when their parents and teachers work together, and when parents read, talk, and listen to their children from birth, according to educational studies. Many teachers and administrators consider parent engagement to be of vital importance and are often unsure how to facilitate these important connections. Since 2007, HOME WORKS! has helped forge these valuable relationships to create a foundation that helps improve student performance, as well as enjoy a more meaningful and productive educational experience.
What: A Program that Facilitates Teacher Home Visits
I started Home Works! The Teacher Home Visit Program in 2007 and until July 1, 2021, was the CEO. The program trains, supports, and pays teachers to visit the homes of their students’ to build trust and forge relationships with their students’ families at all stages of the child’s academic career. Home Works is designed to foster parent engagement in their child’s education to improve academic achievement, attendance, classroom behavior, and parent engagement especially for students performing below grade level. Check out the Home Works website – www.teamhomeworks.org.
Participating districts have posted improvements in academic achievement, daily attendance, discipline and classroom behavior, and parental/guardian and teacher engagement.
How: Continuously Adapting to Needs and Incorporating Research
HOME WORKS! is a comprehensive program that provides the training and structure teachers need to initiate and promote productive, long-term relationships with the parents and families of their students. The program continues to innovate, so the specific model is regularly adapted to meet the current needs of students and families. See the HOME WORKS! website to see what they are doing now.