Families, Schools, and Communities: Building Partnerships for Educating Children, 7th edition

Published by Pearson (February 16, 2018) © 2019
  • Patricia Scully
  • Michele L. Stites
  • Hilary Roberts-King
  • Chandler H. Barbour

Title overview

For early childhood education courses.

A study of childhood education and development in America's social-cultural framework

Families, Schools, and Communities: Building Partnerships for Educating Children examines the daily lives of children and their care givers in the context of critical issues in education today.

The 7th Edition features new and updated special vignettes, enhanced coverage of hot topics, and a new chapter on fostering collaborative communication. With this, pre-service teachers will be prepared to develop strong ties with children's families and their communities.

Hallmark features of this title

  • The social-cultural framework in America is examined, particularly the family, school and community settings into which education and development must fit.
  • Routes and models exemplify ways for families and educators to thrive and prosper.
  • Focus on a “school and beyond” curriculum takes into account the critical roles of family and community in children's lives.
  • How Learning this Topic Will Help You Become a Better Teacher sections help readers draw connections between topics and their professional goals.
  • Real-life vignettes drawn from the authors' personal experiences clarify concepts.
  • Ideas for Your Classroom, Examine Your Beliefs and Practices, and Perspectives on Diversity sections feature practical strategies for application in the classroom.

New and updated features of this title

  • NEW: A brand new Chapter 9 offers practical suggestions and examples to foster strong communication. It includes a sample handbook for classroom or child care that can be adapted for individual use.
  • UPDATED: Learning Outcomes, Why this Topic Matters introductions, and end-of-chapter questions and activities help readers focus on important topics and apply what they've learned.
  • UPDATED: Population diversity statistics emphasize variations in gender issues, ethnic factors, spiritual beliefs, and political motivations.
  • UPDATED: Coverage of protecting children includes updated research on bullying and issues related to nutrition, childhood obesity, trauma, and substance abuse.
  • UPDATED: Figures, graphs, and tables reflect recent research.
  • UPDATED: Material on outdoor classrooms, PlayPods, and nature education highlights new areas affecting children, families, and collaboration.

Table of contents

  1. Home, School, and Community Influences on Children’s Lives
  2. Viewing Family Diversity
  3. Understanding Roles and Experiences of Parents
  4. Early Learning and Child Care: Infancy Through School Age
  5. Working with Families of Children with Disabilities
  6. Protecting and Safeguarding Children
  7. Influences of the Home
  8. Community Influences on Children’s Development
  9. Communication Strategies for Collaboration
  10. Establishing and Maintaining Collaborative Relationships
  11. Building School Partnerships with Families and Community Groups

Appendix: Bibliography of Children’s Books

Author bios

About our authors

Patricia Scully has worked in the field of early childhood education in a variety of roles for over 45 years. In addition to teaching in child-care and elementary school settings, she has worked as a child-care center director and as education director of several nonprofit agencies. Dr. Scully is an associate professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, where she directs the early childhood program. Her areas of expertise include early literacy, relaxation and stress reduction for children and teachers, and parent and community involvement in education.

Michele L. Stites is an assistant professor in the Department of Education at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). For 10 years, Dr. Stites was a classroom teacher (K to 5 and special education), and taught in a number of regions throughout the US. Prior to her appointment at UMBC, Dr. Stites served as the Early Childhood Intervention specialist for a large school district in Maryland. Dr. Stites' research focuses on inclusive mathematics instruction for young children and family involvement in schools. Recently, her work has been published in the Early Childhood Education Journal and Teachers College Record.

Hilary Roberts-King lives in Baltimore, Maryland, and is director of Homewood Early Learning Center at Johns Hopkins University, managed by Downtown Baltimore Child Care. She was an elementary school teacher for over 10 years, and is an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore County and Pacific Oaks College, where she has developed and taught courses in math processes in early childhood education, early literacy, and child development.

Chandler Barbour is a retired professor of Education from Towson University, and now lives in coastal Maine. He worked as a teacher and administrator in elementary schools and universities over a period of 42 years. He and his late wife, Nita Barbour, conceived of and developed this text, which is now in its 7th edition. Dr. Barbour is co-author of 3 books on teacher and school partnerships.

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