Teacher/parent communications to support the child’s learning at home and in school can be influenced by parenting style and the cultural background of the family.

Family literacy programs are structured to strengthen parenting and interactive literacy activities between parent and child, in addition to adult and early childhood education. These program strategies are grounded in research. Research indicates that parent involvement in a child’s education is the most significant predictor of school success for that child (Epstein, 1987; Green, 2003). The National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale both list teacher/parent communication practices as an indicator of program quality (Mendoza, 2003). While the activities and parenting strategies do lay a foundation for literacy and learning, teachers occasionally encounter roadblocks in achieving productive communication with parents.

There are three basic parenting styles—authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive (Olsen, 2003). The authoritarian parenting style is characterized by complete parental control and child obedience enforced with punishment and rewards. The authoritative parenting style takes into account the individual child and developmental stage of the child. Setting limits and allowing a discussion of rules with input characterizes authoritative parenting. The goal is to raise responsible children. The permissive parent encourages self-regulation from the child with little interference. Parenting styles will shape how the parent utilizes teacher communications concerning the child. Authoritarian and permissive parenting styles may allow too little or too much responsibility to be placed with the child in the give-and-take of literacy activities advocated by the teacher. The goal of the individual child learning through trial-and-error with the parent balancing a supportive and encouraging role can be misunderstood in spite of the best efforts of the teacher.

Ways that cultural background can be a source for conflict include whether the family values individualism or collectivism (Trumbull, 2001). Families focusing on individualism value oral expression, the child as an individual, independence, praise, cognitive skills, the parental role as teacher, and personal property. Families with collectivism characteristics value listening to authority, the child as part of the group, helpfulness, criticism, social skills, teacher as educator, and sharing. The individualism and collectivism framework highlights important cultural aspects which are counterpoints. These counterpoints easily can lead to differences in interpretations and actions between parents and teachers.

A Los Angeles-based research project found that immigrant Latinos felt unqualified to teach children at home. However, an interest was expressed in “learning academic skills with their children” (Trumbull, 2001, p. 37). Family literacy would provide the program solution utilizing real-life examples. Challenges would be parenting advice resistance and discord with the “socializing influence” of the home. Teachers can work on keeping roadblocks out of communications with parents by maintaining “social respect, personal regard, perceived competence of the participants, and perceptions of basic integrity” (Mendoza, 2003, p. 73-74).

Epstein, J. L. (1987). Toward a theory of family—school connections: Teacher practices and parent involvement. In K. Hurrelmann, F. X. Kaufmann, & F. Losel (Eds.), Social intervention: Potential and constraints (pp. 209-246). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Green, Stephen (2003). Involving Fathers in Family Literacy: Outcomes and Insights from the Fathers Reading Every Day Program. Family Literacy Forum & Literacy Harvest, 10, 34-40.

Mendoza, Jean, Katz, Lilian, Robertson, Anne S., and Rothenberg, Dianne (2003). Connecting with Parents in the Early Years. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois. Retrieved February 14, 2005 from http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/pubs/connecting.html.

Olsen, Glenn and Fuller, Mary Lou (2003). Home—School Relations: Working Successfully with Parents and Families, Second Edition. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Trumbull, Elise, Rothstein-Fisch, Carrie, Greenfield, Patricia M., Quiroz, Blanca (2001). Bridging Cultures between Home and School: A Guide for Teachers. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.