Deck 3: The Families

Question 1

What development theory views the family as an evolving social unit in which members adapt to each other's demands as well as to outside demands?

A) ecological systems theory
B) social learning theory
C) human development theory
D) cognitive developmental theory

Answer 1

ecological systems theory

Question 2

What do developmental psychologists call the part of the environment that has the most immediate effect on a person?

A) mesosystem
B) microsystem
C) chronosystem
D) exosystem

Answer 2

microsystem

Question 3

One component of a microsystem is the ______.

A) media
B) political environment
C) neighborhood
D) family

Answer 3

family

Question 4

What makes up a mesosystem?

A) an individual's age, gender, and health
B) attitudes conveyed in the media, culture, and politics
C) the links between a family and its community
D) social and life changes occurring over time

Question 5

A parent-chaperoned field trip and employer-sponsored child care are part of a(n) ______.

A) microsystem
B) mesosystem
C) exosystem
D) macrosystem

Question 6

In ecological systems theory, what is the difference between a microsystem and macrosystem?

A) A microsystem is limited to the individual and immediate family, whereas the macrosystem includes other people with whom individuals interact such as classmates, neighbors, and extended family.
B) A microsystem is the most intimate system that affects an individual, such as the family and school, whereas a macrosystem contains broader influences of culture such as social attitudes and the media.
C) A microsystem is contained within the individual and includes personal health, age, and gender, whereas a macrosystem is the community in which an individual lives, including family, school, and society.
D) A microsystem is made up of social media friends, online culture, and other technology-based relationships, whereas a macrosystem is the "real" world of friends, family, and other people in the community.

Question 7

In ecological systems theory, which system includes components of the immediate neighborhood and community that have an impact on family functioning?

A) microsystem
B) macrosystem
C) exosystem
D) mesosystem

Question 8

Which of the following denotes an exosystem?

A) the linkages between the family and its immediate community
B) an individual's age, sex, health, and stage of development
C) the changes that occur over time in both the individual and society
D) broad components of the community that affect the functioning of the family

Question 9

Community-based social services workers, such as family therapists and welfare counselors, are part of a child's ______.

A) exosystem
B) chronosystem
C) microsystem
D) macrosystem

Question 10

In ecological systems theory, which of the following components are considered part of the macrosystem?

A) cultural, political, and economic forces
B) links between the family and the community
C) parents, teachers, and other caregivers
D) social and life changes that impact the individual

Question 11

What makes up the chronosystem?

A) links between the family and the community
B) changes in the individual and the cultural context that occur with time
C) the political, social, and economic forces that affect the family
D) an individual's age, sex, health, and stage of development

Question 12

Which of the following statements about the ecological systems approach is correct?

A) It shows the clear boundaries that exist between a child's home life and school.
B) It demonstrates how minor the family-teacher relationship is in the big picture.
C) It provides a visual model of the interrelatedness of all aspects of children's lives.
D) It relieves teachers of responsibility for negative parent-teacher interactions.

Question 13

Which of the following statements about the impact of changing family demographics is true?

A) Today's teachers are more likely to differ culturally from the children they teach than did teachers in the past.
B) Teacher and children today are more likely to have similar cultural and ethnic backgrounds than they did in the past.
C) Cultural and ethnic diversity has no impact on early childhood education.
D) Demographic and economic changes have led to less need for family support systems.

Question 14

Which of the following is a recommended approach to defining the important people in a child's life?

A) parents and any siblings living in the same home
B) relatives and other caregivers living in the same home
C) all occupants of the child's home, whether related or not
D) anyone the child considers to be important in his or her life

Question 15

Which of the following is a case in which a family situation can impose special legal responsibilities on a teacher?

A) A child's biological parents were never married.
B) A court order limits a parent's contact with a child.
C) A child has half-siblings and step-siblings.
D) A child is being raised by a single parent.

Question 16

Which of the following is a characteristic of a modern family that differs from the traditional family form of the past?

A) Modern mothers are more likely to stay home rather than work.
B) Modern children are more likely to live with both biological parents.
C) Modern parents are more likely to share childcare responsibilities.
D) Modern parents are less likely to be divorced.

Question 17

Which of the following statements best explains why early childhood educators must be sensitive to various family forms and characteristics?

A) The influence family members have on one another is interactive and reciprocal.
B) They can encourage nontraditional families to develop more traditional ways of being.
C) Different forms and other variations affect families' customs, relationships, and values.
D) Healthy families work together, make effective decisions, and can handle change.

Question 18

Which of the following statements about cultural trends in the United States is correct?

A) The proportion of the population that is white but not Hispanic has been growing.
B) About 4 out of 10 families speak a language other than English at home.
C) The proportion of the population that is Hispanic has begun to decrease.
D) High numbers of refugee families have been admitted to the United States since 1975.

Question 19

The proportion of the U.S. population that is Hispanic ______.

A) has decreased since 1980
B) peaked at 35% in 2012
C) has continued to increase
D) was nearly 40% in 2018

Question 20

A particular issue with refugee families is that ______.

A) they have deep roots and extensive resources in the local community
B) education is not considered an important part of resettlement
C) they have experienced trauma and face uncertainty in a new culture
D) very few women and children are among the refugee population

Question 21

Which of the following statements about childhood poverty in the United States is true?

A) Children under five years of age are more likely than older children to live in poverty.
B) The percentage of children living in poverty is consistent across racial and ethnic groups.
C) Children in single-parent families are less likely than children in two-parent families to live in poverty.
D) About 1 in 10 children in the United States lives in a family considered to be at or below the poverty line.

Question 22

In the United States, the poverty rate ______.

A) for children ages zero to 18 years is about 50%
B) among children varies across racial and ethnic groups
C) is higher among children in two-parent married households
D) of younger children is lower than that of older children

Question 23

Which of the following is a federal early childhood education program that aims to help economically disadvantaged families?

A) LEAP
B) Head Start
C) Gear Up
D) Youth Build

Question 24

Which aspect of family diversity has traditionally received the least recognition?

A) the family's country of origin
B) the sexual orientation of parents
C) the family's religious background
D) the language that is spoken at home

Question 25

What is the most common family need that an early childhood education program can satisfy?

A) caring for children while parents work
B) teaching children good manners
C) offering an outlet for creativity
D) providing peer social opportunities

Question 26

According to Erik Erikson, nurturing and caring for children ______.

A) leads to growth of the parent as an individual
B) has little to no positive effect for adults
C) can have significant negative effects on adults
D) is seen as a sign of one's failure to grow up

Question 27

What is generativity?

A) nurturing and caring for the young
B) the development of competence
C) intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm
D) motor, language, and cognitive abilities

Question 28

According to Erik Erikson's theory of human development, the tasks associated with parenthood exemplify which stage of human development?

A) generativity
B) autonomy
C) industry
D) identity

Question 29

Which of the following activities would be associated with the human development stage of generativity?

A) taking a solo trip to another country
B) completing a college degree
C) falling in love and getting married
D) changing your infant's diaper

Question 30

In addition to fostering the development of children, what other benefit do early childhood programs have?

A) shielding families from political forces
B) promoting family empowerment
C) taking over certain decisions for the family
D) improving family financial status

Question 31

When it comes to the needs of young children, ______.

A) teachers' views should take precedence over parents' opinions
B) parents' opinions should be heeded over teachers' views
C) parents and teachers should be viewed as equal partners
D) parents, teachers, and children should all have equal input

Question 32

Which of the following actions by early childhood professionals can help foster family empowerment?

A) sharing ideas about the value of play in children's development
B) challenging families to use only English when speaking with their child
C) insisting that families improve their child's diet and exercise habits
D) limiting the involvement of nontraditional family members in the classroom

Question 33

Which of the following conflicts might pose an ethical dilemma in an early childhood education program?

A) Children do not raise their hand to speak.
B) Parents complain about high program fees.
C) Children disagree about sharing play equipment.
D) Parents want their child excused from group nap time.

Question 34

An ethical dilemma is one in which ______.

A) the parents' needs take precedence over the school's needs
B) there are two conflicting solutions, and neither is totally right or wrong
C) the children's needs are put ahead of the family and school
D) the teachers know more than the parents do about child development

Question 35

What is an effective step toward resolving a dilemma when the needs of the child, the program, or parents are in conflict?

A) researching other early childhood education cases that agree with your viewpoint or policy
B) meeting with the family to design an acceptable solution that puts the child's needs at the forefront
C) issuing a written directive notifying the family of the school's stance in relation to the issue
D) accepting the parents' preferences and notifying other families of the change in policy

Question 36

Informal teacher communication with family members at drop-off and pick-up each day is known to ______.

A) promote home-school mutual trust
B) be intimidating for the family
C) decrease family engagement
D) undermine family empowerment

Question 37

Which of the following communication methods is the most common form of family engagement in early childhood programs?

A) family-teacher conferences
B) classroom newsletters and e-mail
C) conversations at drop-off and pick-up
D) social media and websites

Question 38

Which of the following communication methods is both informal and individual?

A) a bulletin board announcing upcoming lesson plans
B) a phone call to discuss a student's accomplishment
C) a newsletter highlighting events and learning units
D) a family-teacher conference to set student objectives

Question 39

A family-teacher conference to discuss student performance and set learning objectives is what type of home-school communication?

A) informal and group
B) formal and group
C) formal and individual
D) informal and individual

Question 40

Which of the following home-school communication methods is most appropriate to present a report of individual student progress and share information about a problem?

A) a classroom bulletin board
B) a pick-up conversation
C) a social media website
D) a family-teacher conference

Question 41

Which of the following is an added benefit that is particular to a home visit?

A) allows parents and teachers to discuss student progress
B) conveys an interest in the child's world beyond the classroom
C) requires less preparation on the part of the teacher
D) is the least formal type of home-school communication

Question 42

Which of the following describes an important difference between a family-teacher conference and a home visit?

A) Children are usually present during a parent-teacher conference at school but are not present during a home visit.
B) Unlike a conference at school, a home visit allows the teacher to observe the family's home environment.
C) Teachers are responsible for preparing for a conference at school, whereas parents do the preparation for a home visit.
D) A family-teacher conference is a formal method of home-school communication, whereas a home visit is informal.

Question 43

Which of the following is a common source of family-teacher disharmony in early childhood education?

A) experiencing jealousy or competition for the child's affection
B) using the family's primary language in written communications
C) recognizing the family's unique form and characteristics
D) conveying an interest in the child's world beyond the classroom

Question 44

Which of the following communication forms is the most appropriate method of presenting information about the program's policies, procedures, philosophy, fees, and hours of operation?

A) a bulletin board
B) a school handbook
C) a conversation at pick-up
D) a telephone call

Question 45

A school handbook is a useful communication tool ______.

A) for alerting families of a diagnosis of chicken pox among the students
B) for displaying student artwork and discussing plans for upcoming field trips
C) for explaining the school closing policy for severe weather emergencies
D) for distributing progress reports and discussing problems the children are having

Question 46

Which of the following best exemplifies an appropriate use of a bulletin board to convey information to families?

A) Ms. Xu displayed the children's leaf rubbings and shared photos of the leaf-gathering walk.
B) Mr. O'Hara hung individual letters to each family sharing information about their child's progress.
C) Mr. Linden posed a notice toward the end of the day that the school would open late tomorrow.
D) Ms. Voss put up scholarly articles about early childhood education and child development.

Question 47

Which of the following is a recommended strategy teachers can use to overcome cultural differences with an immigrant or refugee family?

A) giving the child an "American" nickname to use at school
B) making sure correspondence to the parents uses only English
C) encouraging the child not to use their primary language at school
D) including multicultural books, music, and artwork in the classroom

Question 48

The level of family communication and participation in school activities provides ______.

A) a measure of the family's engagement with their child's education
B) a sense of the family's employment security and economic well-being
C) an understanding of the family's unique family form and characteristics
D) an appreciation for the family's cultural background and values

Question 49

A key component of family engagement in an early childhood program is that ______.

A) the program serves to enhance the family's economic security and spiritual well-being
B) early childhood professionals establish the children's learning goals on parents' behalf
C) families are encouraged to participate in decision-making about their child's education
D) fees are generally reduced for families who take an active role in supporting the school

Question 50

Amanda's mother volunteers as a classroom paint helper, and her father is a member of the school's parent advisory council. These efforts are examples of family ______.

A) employment
B) endowment
C) empowerment
D) engagement

Question 51

A family that ignores written communication from their child's school and rarely attends school functions or parent meetings demonstrates ______.

A) a traditional family form
B) low family engagement
C) high economic advantage
D) a mesosystem outlook

Question 52

Which of the following best identifies the family members who can be considered part of the resource base of an early childhood program?

A) parents and grandparents
B) parents and siblings
C) parents, grandparents, and siblings
D) parents, grandparents, siblings, and other relatives

Question 53

A single parent, Darla works full-time and is unable to volunteer in her daughter's classroom during the week. How might she demonstrate her commitment to her child's education program?

A) reading story books to the children
B) helping children with art projects
C) preparing craft materials at home
D) teaching dance and movement

Question 54

Harrison's father helps the students with art projects and organizes the craft supplies on a weekly basis. His activities show ______.

A) how family members can be involved in the classroom
B) how parents participate in decision-making about their child's education
C) how families seek support from school programs during times of stress
D) how family education programs can promote parenting skills

Question 55

Which of the following best shows how families can take a decision-making role in their children's educational experience?

A) J.J.'s father taught the children nursery rhymes in Spanish.
B) Brendan's mother participated in the parent advisory council.
C) Raelyn's mother took the paint smocks home for cleaning.
D) Haley's father complained about the school pick-up policy.

Question 56

What term is used to refer to programs that aim to improve parenting skills and enhance parent-child relationships?

A) family engagement
B) family encouragement
C) family education
D) family evaluation

Question 57

Which of the following statements about family education programs is correct?

A) Programs aimed at economically disadvantaged families have not been very effective.
B) Programs aimed at middle-class families have been shown to be very effective.
C) The effectiveness of family education programs does not show any correlation with economic status.
D) Programs have less impact on middle-class families than on economically disadvantaged families.

Question 58

Early brain development, childhood obesity, and the value of play in social development are all appropriate topics for ______.

A) family education events
B) classroom bulletin boards
C) telephone conversations
D) dialogue at drop-off and pick-up

Question 59

Family is the most important element in most children's lives.

Question 60

Influence in a family flows downward from parent to child and not the other way around.

Question 61

Transitions in the culture and environment that affect the individual are considered part of the chronosystem.

Question 62

It is important for early childhood educators to remember that the child's home exists in one "compartment" and school in another.

Question 63

Early childhood programs that include family support measures can have a dramatic effect on children's later school achievement and on their families.

Question 64

A household that includes only one parent and one child is not considered a "family."

Question 65

The proportion of the U.S. population that is Hispanic is growing, while the proportion that is non-Hispanic white is declining.

Question 66

Early childhood educators cannot be aware of all the diverse family types, so experts recommend generalizing based on recognized group traits.

Question 67

One of the most basic family needs that early childhood programs fill is the need for child care while parents work.

Question 68

Parenting involves the growth of the adult as an individual separate from the nurturance extended to children.

Question 69

Family empowerment is undermined when teachers and parents are viewed as equals.

Question 70

When the needs of the child, the family, or the school conflict, teachers must defer to parents' wishes as to what is best for the child.

Question 71

Telephone calls can be especially useful in communicating with families whose children are transported in car pools or by bus.

Question 72

Journals sent back and forth between home and school with notes from parents and teachers can be an effective method of informal written communication with families.

Question 73

To increase the effectiveness of written communication, experts recommend matching information to the reading abilities of the families, including using family's primary language.

Question 74

One recommended strategy teachers can use to overcome cultural differences is to give the child an "American" nickname to use at school.

Question 75

One of the six key components of family engagement is that early childhood professionals establish goals for children that the family is encouraged support at home.

Question 76

Most preschools require family involvement in the classroom, whereas co-operative programs have family volunteers in the classroom only occasionally.

Question 77

Head Start regulations mandate the creation of family advisory councils to support the program and facilitate effective communication.

Question 78

There is limited evidence that parent education enhances the parenting skills of middle-class families.

Question 79

Define one of the systems designated in ecological systems theory, and describe its influence on a young child.

Question 80

Compare the influence on a child of two systems defined in ecological systems theory.