Includeds bibliographical references and indexes.

Chapter1. Home, school, and community influences on children's lives -- Chapter2. Viewing family diversity -- Chapter3. Understanding roles and experiences of parents -- Chapter4. Early learning and child care : infancy through school age -- Chapter5. Working with families of children with disabilities -- Chapter6. Protecting and safeguarding children -- Chapter7. Influences of the home -- Chapter8. Community influences on children's development -- Chapter9. Communication strategies for collaboration -- Chapter10. Establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships -- Chapter11. Building school partnerships with families and community groups

A comprehensive guide for teachers to establish collaborative relationships with parents/families and the larger community. Families, Schools, and Communities: Building Partnerships for Educating Children offers pre-service educators practical guidance to establish strong links with families and the larger community that focus on making the learning experience more productive and more positive for all concerned. It gives school teachers, child care teachers, and other professionals the understanding and tools they need to work with family and community members to give children a rich education.