Empowering Family-Teacher Partnerships ─ Building Connections Within Diverse Communities

Coleman (education, U. of Georgia) offers a resource for students aspiring to work in an educational setting with pre-kindergarten through fifth grade students. The book prepares students to work with diverse family structures, culturally diverse families, promote equity and empowerment within family-teacher partnerships, and facilitate students' sense of professional self-efficacy. Material is organized into four sections: foundations of family involvement, understanding family lives in contemporary society, planning for and facilitating family involvement, and promoting the well-being of all children. An overview of the professional standards, a personal philosophy of family involvement, the family involvement portfolio and planning models make this text a unique guide. Pedagogical aids include: community learning guides, reflections, tip boxes, case studies, FYI, field assignment, capstone activities, and Internet resources. Instructors are also given access to a password-protected teaching site which provides a test bank, PowerPoints, journal articles, video clips and web resources. The student study site provides learning tools, such as eFlashcards, quizzes, learning objectives, articles, video clips, web resources, and a family involvement portfolio. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)