Deck 9: Engaging Families in Their Childrens Learning at School and at Home

Question 1

Which practice has students teach family members a reading strategy they learned in class?

A)purposeful annotation
B)strategy learning
C)home-school connection
D)transfer of learning

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which strategy is an appropriate way for teachers to let classroom volunteers know they are appreciated?

A)provide some kind of payment or compensation
B)allow their use of the teacher's desk while helping in the classroom
C)assign only routine tasks so they can feel successful each time they complete them
D)give feedback and check to see if their experience in the classroom was positive

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Lucy is not sure she wants to go with her children to their school's math and science family night.She took very little math or science in high school and is concerned she will embarrass herself in front of her children and their teachers.Lucy may not participate in this family engagement activity because she lacks a sense of ______.

A)self-preservation
B)motivation
C)efficacy
D)academic perseverance

Answer 3

C

Question 4

How were the Common Core State Standards developed?

A)after review of the existing standards by each state's Department of Education
B)in partnership with professional organizations,administrators,teachers,parents,and other experts
C)by gathering relevant parts of each state's existing standards and weaving them into a cohesive set of national standards that retain the diversity of each state
D)in conjunction with the Affordable Care Act because both initiatives share similar concerns for the nation's future

Question 5

A family-like atmosphere in the classroom that values each students' contributions is called a ______.

A)family literacy practice
B)student behavioral survey
C)community of learners
D)differentiated classroom

Question 6

Which answer contains two functions that a teacher can ask a classroom volunteer to perform?

A)tutor individual children; prepare a bulletin board display
B)chaperone field trips; call parents about children's behavioral issues
C)photocopy materials; plan initial instruction for remedial students
D)write a lesson plan; submit students' report card grades

Question 7

Jadan,an African American third grader,is an active and assertive student who is quick to shout out comments without raising his hand.He is frequently disciplined because of his "impulsive" behaviors.If Jadan's teacher wants to use a culturally responsive approach to classroom management,what is the first step to understanding Jadan's behavior?

A)wonder if the school's emphasis on quiet turn taking is different from the behavioral expectations that exist in his home
B)recognize that he needs harsher punishments in order to follow class rules
C)realize that he does not have a role model at home to model appropriate social behaviors
D)strive to be more fair and impartial by ignoring students' cultural characteristics or differences and dealing only with his inappropriate behavior

Question 8

Which statement about the Common Core State Standards is true?

A)They were written by legislators and business people,instead of educators.
B)They are designed to prepare students to succeed in high school.
C)They have been fully adopted by all 50 states and all U.S.territories.
D)They focus on critical thinking,problem solving,and analytical skills.

Question 9

Culturally responsive family engagement in the area of behavioral challenges requires a ______ between teachers and families.

A)clear set of guidelines to avoid miscommunication
B)review of the school's discipline policies
C)shared problem-solving approach
D)schedule of pre-planned meeting dates

Question 10

When teachers and families identify their own cultural assumptions and share them with each other,they begin the process of ______.

A)volunteering in the classroom
B)discussing educational standards
C)flipped learning
D)cultural reciprocity

Question 11

Many teachers who lack self-efficacy are happy to have families participate in field trips or family conferences,but they are hesitant to invite families into the classroom because they ______.

A)believe that families will be a distraction
B)worry that principals will find out and chastise them
C)are concerned that most students will feel left out if their families do not visit
D)fear that families will judge and criticize them

Question 12

Mrs.Vega is preparing for a difficult after-school conference with Devon's family.They are quite upset by his falling grades and have repeatedly accused her of not being able to control Devon enough to teach him.Which question would help Mrs.Vega communicate her desire to help Devon to his family?

A)"Just why are you so upset?"
B)"What advice could you give me concerning ways in which I can help Devon?"
C)"What else can I do to show you what the real problem is?"
D)"You don't see these types of behaviors at home?"

Question 13

Which statement about classroom volunteers is true?

A)They have minimal impact on school-community relationships.
B)They rarely influence student learning.
C)They benefit students,families,and teachers.
D)They only assist during the school day and in the school setting.

Question 14

Which answer is an example of tying curricular content to community-based resources and culture?

A)standards-based curriculum
B)classroom-community curriculum
C)native-focused curriculum
D)family-friendly curriculum

Question 15

What is the LEAST effective way for schools to help parents join the Common Core conversation in a knowledgeable way?

A)refer parents to corestandards.org to determine whether their state participates in the Common Core State Standards
B)hold small group workshops to informally discuss how parents can help their children to be academically successful
C)send frequent newsletters with tips to help parents support their children in achieving the standards
D)host monthly evening events to explore Common Core curriculum and assessment issues

Question 16

One of the first things teachers should do to ensure that volunteers have a positive and successful experience helping in their classrooms is to ______.

A)find out if they can complete menial tasks before assigning them to help with instructional tasks
B)set out the terms and conditions of volunteering so volunteers know exactly what is expected of them,as well as the dire consequences of not meeting expectations
C)ask them how their interests,skills,and talents can help in the classroom
D)inform them of school personnel problems so they can steer clear of any ongoing problems among the faculty and staff

Question 17

Mr.Antonelli wants to make his grading system as clear as possible for students and families.He has decided to create an online grade book so families can easily see their children's grades.How can Mr.Antonelli help families to understand how their children's progress will be assessed?

A)by using evaluative terms,such as beginning,novice,proficient,apprentice,distinguished,and exemplary,rather than letter grades
B)by sharing work samples at multiple performance levels
C)by providing class statistics that compare each student's performance with the performance of other students across the nation
D)by stating terms frequently found in the news,such as differentiated instruction,subgroups,and adequate yearly progress

Question 18

Mr.and Mrs.Wray are very upset because of an incident that happened to their son.They believe the teacher should have known their son was being bullied on his way to school and could have prevented yesterday's bus stop event.The teacher believes he did everything he could in light of school policies but also agrees that something must be done to help this student.What should this teacher do when confronted with these upset family members?

A)look for common ground and mutually acceptable solutions
B)take the blame for the incident and ask for the families' forgiveness
C)explain the school's policy in a matter-of-fact way and why it's not his fault
D)ask a union representative to attend the meeting

Question 19

Ms.Dyson sends easy-to-read recipes home with her first-graders to help increase their reading and math skills through simple ______ activities.

A)community of learner
B)transfer of learning
C)purposeful annotation
D)family-proof

Question 20

Family literacy practices are ______ activities that encourage families to embed reading and writing into their daily lives.

A)home-school connection
B)strategy learning
C)interactive home-learning
D)community of learner

Question 21

Homework has historically been a controversial topic in the United States.Which 1900 publication illustrated this controversy?

A)A TIME magazine cover headline,Too Much Homework,reflected the decreased emphasis on homework due to the Industrial Revolution.
B)A research study published by The Harvard Educational Review correlated the push for more rigorous academic standards with increased amounts of homework.
C)An advertisement for the Museum of Modern Art compared paintings of children working in coalmines with pictures of children toiling over their homework
D)An article in Ladies Home Journal proposed that homework was destroying family life,which lead the state of California to ban homework for students under the age of 15.

Question 22

After studying the moon's phases,students were assigned to watch the moon each night and create a moon-watch journal with their families that describes the changes they observe over a month.This assignment is an example of ______ homework.

A)practice
B)preparation
C)integration
D)interactive

Question 23

Volunteers' needs,such as obtaining time off from work,transportation,and the ease of connecting the mentor/mentee,must be considered when coordinating which type of volunteer effort?

A)corporate volunteer programs
B)intragenerational volunteer projects
C)student teachers
D)international network of helpers

Question 24

Using the 10-min rule,how long should the typical fifth-grade student spend,at most,doing homework?

A)20 min
B)60 min
C)90 min
D)2 hr

Question 25

Which statement about flipped learning accurately describes its implementation?

A)It is most prevalent in schools with minimal technology budgets that serve low-income communities.
B)It is an educational delivery mode where at least part of the instruction is delivered online through digital means.
C)It may be assigned as homework,as a form of review,after a lesson has occurred.
D)It is a trick to help memorize something and is most often used in content area classrooms.

Question 26

Teachers can cause students and families to become frustrated with homework when they ______.

A)send home monthly and weekly homework calendars showing when all projects are due
B)differentiate it,so children have different assignments based on their individual needs
C)require students to complete sections of projects in short increments rather than giving more time to complete the entire project
D)assign all students to complete the same type or amount of homework each night

Question 27

Which term describes the teacher-assigned tasks that students are expected to complete outside of school hours?

A)home-learning activity
B)homework
C)community of learners
D)strategy learning

Question 28

Teachers can either meet with families face-to-face to administer a family survey or send a written survey to parents.After parents complete the survey,it is not necessary to meet again to review the results.

Question 29

Research indicates that homework is most effective for younger children,especially those who have learning gaps.

Question 30

Teachers can help improve classroom behaviors by holding regular class meetings that allow students to discuss classroom and home issues.

Question 31

Which statement about the communication between teachers and classroom volunteers reflects research findings?

A)The volunteers rarely had student academic or social issues to discuss with the teachers.
B)Frequently scheduled meetings between teachers and volunteers proved to be a waste of time by mid-year because volunteers knew what to do by then.
C)Volunteers wanted to tell the teachers the positive things they had noticed after every volunteer session.
D)Most teacher/volunteer communication occurs briefly in the hallway or during recess break.

Question 32

As it should be for their younger counterparts,homework for older elementary and middle school students should be ______.

A)focused on repetitive practice
B)used to introduce new concepts
C)adjusted to meet individual learning needs
D)based on technology

Question 33

It is recommended that teachers refrain from sharing personal philosophies of education with families since this may conflict with families' goals for their children.

Question 34

Using a homework form ensures that families see their children's homework,but it can be a way to engage families when the form includes a place for their ______.

A)feedback
B)signature
C)time concerns
D)record keeping

Question 35

Miss Jenkins is a new first-grade teacher.She recognizes that many of her students' families are unfamiliar with homework because the school has a no-homework policy for kindergarteners.Which practice should Miss Jenkins use in an effort to help her students' families learn about her homework expectations?

A)send home only fun math and spelling worksheets that children can do independently
B)require only test-preparation homework that coincides with monthly unit tests
C)model and role-play how to complete homework at the first family meeting
D)provide her cell phone number so she can help children at night if their families cannot or will not help them

Question 36

A culturally responsive approach to homework is the use of individual contracts with families and students that outline everyone's responsibilities to complete homework assignments.

Question 37

Students whose families are engaged in their education are more likely to have positive attitudes about school and have fewer behavior problems.

Question 38

Which answer is an example of a mnemonic device?

A)a rhyme that sequences the steps to solve a math problem
B)a kit that contains the necessary materials for effective studying
C)a customized game spinner with each section identifying a reward
D)a timer to monitor the amount of time spent on homework

Question 39

Teachers must be careful not to upset families when discussing children's difficulties,even if that means withholding difficult news until the family can deal with it unemotionally.

Question 40

Mr.Jenkins is a first-year middle school teacher.He wants to develop an easy-to-understand,family-friendly assessment system in his classroom.He plans to offer several workshops about assessment over the school year to help answer families' questions.What other strategies should Mr.Jenkins keep in mind about assessment to help him reach his goals?

Question 41

What are some guidelines that can help new teachers of young children (preschool through third grade) establish developmentally appropriate homework/home-learning practices?

Question 42

What is "culturally competent" classroom management,and how can teachers use the approach to help them prevent misunderstanding student behaviors in the classroom?