Growing Recognition of Family Engagement’s Role in Student Success… and of TalkingPoints
Photo by Ryan Lash, TED, 2022. The movement to strengthen family-school connections is rapidly gaining momentum across the country. Don’t take our word for it. In a major address delivered in January, US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona outlined a series of priorities. The very first one he mentioned? “Engaging families as core partners to […]
Elevating Family Voices in the Classroom
Educational theorist Vygotsky saw learning as a social act, where the dialogue between teachers and students creates knowledge. People learn best through interactions with others, and then that knowledge is incorporated into the individual’s mental structure. In other words, the more collaboration the better! Not only is it important to engage students in the learning […]
TalkingPoints Looks Back on 2021
Our team is constantly talking to our school partners to identify the barriers families and educators face in creating strong, enduring family engagement so we can build tools to overcome them. As 2021 comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on the nature of some of the barriers many families face – language and literacy, […]
Building Perspectives
Exceptional education (EE) can be an academic lifeline for students with unique learning needs. From gifted and talented enrichment to special education services, EE encompasses the supports that many students need to reach their full potential.
Building Perspectives
At Jefferson Elementary in Boise, Idaho, it’s not uncommon for Amy Collinge and Godoidefroid Ntawuyamara to welcome students from Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, and Somalia into their classroom. Together, Ntawuyamara and Collinge have plenty of advice to offer their fellow educators on how to open those doors—and how to engage families and students from Africa during the school year in a meaningful way.
Building Perspectives
At TalkingPoints, we know that building relationships across lines of difference is some of the most critical and rewarding work that educators do. From learning about your students’ rich cultural traditions to helping families navigate homework across language barriers, your efforts make it possible to have meaningful and joyful school-to-home connections. Your work also helps […]
TalkingPoints & Clearing Roadblocks to Effective Family Engagement
At TalkingPoints, we know that challenges to successful family engagement can loom large. But we also know the connection between home and school is more critical than ever to helping students succeed, especially across the digital divide. That’s why we’re here with tips on how to overcome family engagement roadblocks and ensure smoother sailing to student success.