Hear Our Voices!: Engaging in Partnerships That Honor Families

Listening to All Families Matters Families are their children's first teachers. Early childhood educators know this, but what does it mean in practice? Participation, involvement, and engagement are only the first steps toward the true goal: reciprocal family partnerships. Discover how to move beyond inviting families to program events or connecting them to resources and instead recognize them as experts who meaningfully contribute to children's learning and development. Based on over two decades of research by the author, this resource

• Establishes why reciprocal family partnerships are essential within the contexts of child development theories, developmentally appropriate practice, and anti-bias education
• Analyzes the important role that using a strengths-based approach plays in successfully building long-lasting relationships and partnerships
• Provides practical strategies and activities to help teachers and administrators examine and improve their practices for partnering with families
• Uplifts the authentic feelings and words of a diverse breadth of families

Families have voices that are waiting to be heard--it's time to listen.

Author: Bweikia Foster Steen
Publisher: National Association for the Education of You
Published: 10/03/2023
Pages: 128
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 9.90h x 7.90w x 0.40d
ISBN13: 9781952331183
ISBN10: 1952331188
BISAC Categories:
- Education | Parent Participation
- Education | Schools | Levels | Early Childhood (Incl. Preschool & Kinder
- Education | Teaching | General

About the Author
Bweikia Foster Steen, EdD, has been involved in the early childhood education field for over 20 years. She taught in early childhood settings: infants, toddlers, preschool, and kindergarten through third grade in the San Francisco, Bay Area before receiving her doctoral degree. Currently, she serves as an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. Dr. She previously served as Associate professor and the Director of the Early Childhood undergraduate and graduate programs at Trinity Washington University in Washington, DC. and as an Assistant Professor in Early childhood education at New York University. She received her doctorate from the University of San Francisco in International and Multicultural education. Dr. Steen has done extensive research on the promotion of social-emotional and academic excellence among children of color and children of poverty during their earliest years. In addition, her research focuses on listening to families of color about their wants, concerns, and needs from administrators, teachers, and school districts. She recently received a 40 under 40 award from California State University, East Bay, and Who's who among America's Teachers. She has published articles for the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Furthermore, she presents to educators, policymakers, and administrators about the important role of meeting the needs of children of color and their families during the early years.