Carol Gestwicki was an instructor in the Early Childhood Education program at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina, for over 30 years. Her teaching responsibilities have included supervising students in classroom situations as they work with parents. Earlier in her career, she worked with children and families in a wide variety of community agencies and schools in Toronto, New York, New Jersey, and Namibia. She received her MA from Drew University and has been an active member of NAEYC for many years, making numerous presentations at state and national conferences. Other publications include more than two dozen articles on child development and family issues, and several other textbooks, including DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICE: CURRICULUM AND DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY EDUCATION, 4th Edition, ©2011, Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

This practical text is designed to meet the needs of students, administrators, and teachers of children of all ages who are trying to create effective partnerships with families. It provides an overview of modern families and their complex roles, to sensitize teachers to the diversity and needs of families they will encounter. The text discusses fully both the benefits of creating productive partnerships and the barriers that teachers must work beyond. Practical and effective communication strategies are described, with abundant examples. Emphasis is placed on current developments in the field of early childhood education, legislative mandates in education, and position statements from professional organizations. A discussion of No Child Left Behind and updated NAEYC Code of Ethics accreditation standards for programs and for teacher education supports this emphasis.

Section I: INTRODUCTION TO FAMILIES.
1. A Day with Two Families: Diversity of Experience.
2. Families Today.
3. Parenting.
Section II: TEACHER-FAMILY PARTNERSHIPS IN EARLY EDUCATION.
4. What Is Family Involvement?
5. Benefits of Teacher-Family Partnerships for Children, Parents, and Teachers.
6. Potential Barriers to Teacher-Family Partnerships.
7. Foundations of a Successful Partnership.
Section III: METHODS FOR DEVELOPING PARTNERSHIPS.
8. At the Beginning with Parents and Children.
9. Informal Communication with Families.
10. Parent-Teacher Conferences.
11. Home Visits with Parents and Children.
12. Families in the Classroom.
13. Parent Education.
14. It Takes a Village: Teachers, Families, and Communities.
Section IV: MAKING A PARTNERSHIP WORK.
15. Working with Families from Diverse Backgrounds.
16. Working with Families in Particular Circumstances.
17. Working to Resolve Challenging Attitudes and Behaviors.