Teachers’ Perceptions of the Benefits of Home Visits for Early Elementary Children

Based on Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, this qualitative study examined the impact of home visits on a group of six Head Start educators. Each participant conducted two home visits. For the first home visit, participants were not provided any guidance. On the second visit, participants were provided a handout with questions intended to guide their visit. The participants were asked to document, in a reflective journal, their feelings and attitudes toward the children's families on two visits. Additionally, participants commented on their teaching beliefs and practice as impacted by their home visit. Results of the study indicated that home visits enabled participants to see the families and children that they work with from a different and more positive perspective. The guided home visit questions allowed participants to better understand children and their families from historical and cultural perspectives. Also, participants were better able to create a more multicultural learning environment and lesson plans for their children.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Home Visits: How Do They Affect Teachers’ Beliefs about Teaching and Diversity?

Lin

Bates

2010

“…Home visits, as opposed to the typical parent-teacher encounter, are more likely to create meaningful parent involvement (Becker and Epstein 1982). Seeing the child in the context of their home environment provides valuable insight into family conditions and dynamics (Allen and Tracy 2004;Meyer and Mann 2006). Such visits help teachers to understand their students' needs.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Five-Year Follow-Up: Teachers’ Perceptions of the Benefits of Home Visits for Early Elementary Children

Meyer

Mann

Becker

2011

Self Cite

The purpose of this study was to replicate previous research about teachers' perceived benefits of home visits to determine if they remained stable. Furthermore, the investigation sought to find out whether home visits impacted variables often associated with improved school success (i.e., school attendance, academic performance, parent engagement). Participants were 29 kindergarten through second grade teachers in a rural, Midwestern school district who conducted home visits at the beginning of the school year. Seventeen of the teachers participated in the earlier study. Revised surveys were completed. Results are consistent with those of the previous study. Specifically, teachers reported these positive effects: beneficial relationships and better communication with parents, more appreciation of the influence of the child's home environment related to school performance, and a better understanding the child's behavior in school. In addition, teachers identified a connection between the home visits and variables related to school success. Thus, teachers' perceptions reinforced the importance of conducting home visits.

“…Our school counselor initiated the process by making home visits to all families to meet family members, to understand living situations, to learn about employment, and to orient them to our new program. In addition to giving information to parents, the home visits began establishing solid home/ school connections so important to the academic success of young children (Allen and Tracy 2004;Meyer and Mann 2006).…”

Section: Parent Involvementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community-Building in a Diverse Setting

Rule

Kyle

2008

Research demonstrates that community-building in schools is an integral aspect of student success. Based on a foundation of research findings related to the importance of implementing community-building into all aspects of a school, community-building activities, including five specific classroom strategies (parent visits class to tell about child, weekly newsletter with interactive activities, bi-monthly open-house hour where children explain school work to parents, Valentine letters filled with true compliments, and a cultural celebration unit focused on Africa), were implemented in an urban magnet school. This school was moving toward racial integration as well as implementation of a Montessori education program. As predicted from research information, incorporating community-building strategies geared at creating a welcoming climate, at improving faculty interaction, at fostering collaborative classrooms, and towards on-going and open teacher/parent communication and collaboration resulted in positive outcomes in what could have otherwise been a difficult, negative or unproductive situation.