Childrens Emotional Wellbeing and Resilience

1
Parents Involved in their Childrens Learning
The Pen Green Framework for Engaging Parents
2
The Wider Picture

• In this country there is already a social class
  differential at 22 months and the gap tends to
  widen.
• Upward mobility for children from advantaged
  backgrounds
• Downward mobility for children from
  disadvantaged backgrounds (Feinstein, 2003)

3
At home good parenting has a significant,
positive effect on childrens achievement (Desfo
rgest Abouchar, 2003) Parental interest in
childrens education enables some children to
buck the trend and do well despite
disadvantage (Blanden, 2006)
4
A way of working A community development
approach knowledge sharing
5
Parents and professionals can help children
separately or they can work together to the
greater benefit of the children (Athey, 1990)
6

• Developing a dialogue - Deepening a dialogue
• Perceive our own ignorance and give up the
  idea that we are the exclusive owners of truth
  and knowledge.
• Identify with others and recognise the fact that
  naming the world is not the task of an elite.
• Value the contribution of others and listen to
  them with humility, respecting the particular
  view of the world held by different people.
• Get in touch with how much we need other people
  and have no fear of being displaced.
• Be humble have faith in others and believe in
  their strengths.
• Freire 1996

7
A Centres Learning Journey
2007
2000
1990
Pen Green Framework for Engaging Parents
1996
Studying Childrens well-being and resilience
alongside parents
1988
Parents co-leading groups. Parents spotting
schemas
Research Base opened. Involving Parents in Their
Childrens Learning project began
1983
Health, Education and Therapy Groups for parents
Centre opened. Action Group against the centre
8
Introducing Concepts to Parents

• Involvement (Laevers, 1994, 1997)
• Well-being (Laevers, 1997)
• Schemas (Athey, 1990 Bruce, 1997)
• Pedagogic Strategies (Rogers, 1983 Pascal
  Bertram, 1997 Whalley Arnold, 1997)

9
Signs of well-being

• Openness and receptivity
• Flexibility
• Self-confidence and self-esteem
• Being able to defend oneself, assertiveness
• Vitality
• Relaxation and inner peace
• Enjoyment without restraints
• Being in touch with ones self
• (Laevers, 1997, pg 17-19)

10
Signs of Involvement

• Concentration
• Energy
• Complexity and creativity
• Facial expression and composure
• Persistence
• Precision
• Reaction time
• Verbal expression
• Satisfaction
• (Laevers, 1997 pp 20/21)

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A schema is a pattern of repeated actions.
Clusters of schemas develop into later
concepts Chris Athey 2003
12
Pedagogic Strategies

• The adult watches and listens to what the child
  is doing before intervening
• The adult knows about the childs family
  experiences and links what they have done
  previously to what they are doing now
• The adult shows the child they are interested by
  their facial expression, by being physically
  close to them, by mirroring the childs facial
  expressions and verbal intonation, therefore
  empathizing with the childs expression of
  emotions
• The adult encourages the child to make choices
  and decisions and to take appropriate risks
• The adult encourages the child to go beyond what
  the adult knows about and is open to learning new
  things alongside the child
• The adult is aware of the impact of his or her
  own attitudes and beliefs and how these might
  affect the childs learning
• The adult plays and learns alongside the child.
  The adult is committed to their own learning and
  encourages the childs curiosity
• The adult checks out the childs meaning and
  gives the child time to respond or to question
• The adult offers language to support the childs
  actions and offers new information to the child
• The child acknowledges both the childs feelings
  and the childs competence and capability

13
A Developmental Partnership

• Sharing Theoretical
• Frameworks
• - Well-being
• - Involvement
• - Schema
• Pedagogic Strategies

• Video as a catalyst
• Review
• Revisit
• Reflect

DEVELOPMENTAL PARTNERSHIP

• Engaging in Dialogue
• On a one to one
• In a drop in
• In a study group

14
The Pen Green Loop
Observations in Setting
Observations At Home
The Child
Parents Feedback to Staff
Staff Feedback to Parents
Provision in Home
Provision in Setting
15

• Parental Involvement Training Programme Way of
  working
• lead person and person working directly with
  children and families
• working with the whole staff team in setting -
  undertaking piece of work in own context and
  feeding back
• working individually with one family -
  transformational for workers and parents -
  provides own material in own context
• finding way forward in own context - working in
  groups or on a one to one with parents

16

• TWO DAYS TRAINING
• Work in setting
• an exercise in looking at attitudes to working
  with
• parents
• an audit of current practice in working with
  parents
• a child study with one family
• THIRD DAY TRAINING
• Personal action plan Action plan for
  setting
• Case study Outcomes approach