SAGE Journal Articles

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Floyd, L.O. & Vernon-Dotson, L. J. (2009). Using Home Learning Tool Kits to Facilitate Family Involvement. Intervention in School and Clinic, (44)3, 160-166.

It is a widely held belief that increased family involvement enhances student academic achievement. When considering children with special needs, involvement is not only beneficial; it is often an essential ingredient in a child's success. Families of children with special needs are often limited by time constraints that inhibit school involvement. This leads to the need to extend learning opportunities to families of children with special needs as a means of increasing levels of involvement in their children's education. This article describes a collaborative project between teachers at a local elementary school in North Carolina and members of their Parent-Teacher Association. The Home Learning Tool Kit served as a bridge between home and school, thereby assisting in educating families about their children's academic progress. The project focused on extending learning opportunities to families as a means of increasing their levels of involvement in their children's education.

Jimenez, R.T. & Rose, B. (2010). Knowing How to Know: Building Meaningful Relationships Through Instruction That Meets the Needs of Students Learning English. Journal of Teacher Education, (61)5, 403-412.

A growing body of literature highlights the need for teachers to know their students better, especially students from linguistically diverse backgrounds. The authors argue that teachers need to build healthy relationships with students and find ways to provide them with more effective instruction. Accordingly, they present a synopsis of what scholars know about helping preservice teachers learn about their students and what the literature reveals concerning what teachers need to be able to do to teach these young people more effectively. Finally, the authors provide some specific exercises that they have employed to help preservice teachers move in the direction of learning about and developing more meaningful relationships with students. They conclude with some challenges and directions for future research that targets ways to provide future teachers with the necessary tools, resources, and skills needed to access the cultural and linguistic strengths of their English-learning students.