It's Bumpy and We Understood Each Other at the End, I Hope!’: Unpacking What Experiences are Valued in the Early Childhood Setting and how this Impacts on Parent Partnerships with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families

Abstract

THIS ARTICLE OUTLINES PHASE one of a research study conducted in four early childhood settings in Sydney, Australia with culturally and linguistically diverse families and early childhood degree-qualified teachers. This phase found that parents and teachers valued different experiences in the childcare program and also disagreed about the level of communication that occurred between parents and teachers. Working with diverse families in early childhood settings requires teachers to rethink how these families are heard and listened to. It is perhaps time to move beyond the term parent partnership and/or parent involvement and coin a fresh term to provide a new space for these parent–teacher dialogues. The author argues that, until this repositioning begins to occur, the dominant discourse will more likely prevail.