Working With Parents Building Relationships for Student Success

by Ruby K. Payne

Tips for teachers to build communication with parents of their students

Genres: Education, Teaching, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published November 1, 2005

About the author

Ruby K. Payne is an American educator and author best known for her book A Framework for Understanding Poverty and her work on the culture of poverty and its relation to education. Payne received an undergraduate degree from Goshen College in 1972. She holds a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy studies from Loyola University in Illinois, and is the founder of aha! Process, Inc., a company that informs schools, companies and other organizations about poverty.

Reviews

[Julie Euber]

NPFY

[Sandra Pepos · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very quick read, but had some great points. I had an administrator tell me "Parents or guardians are the schools partners in educating their children/student." Best advice I could have received and I keep this in mind moving forward in teaching.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick easy read with practical advice and strategies for implementing

[Bailey Kindle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I felt like this book was satire. That’s how bad and uninformative it is.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm sure there are no criticisms of Ruby K. Payne I could write that have not already been written. My main issue with this text is the way it outlines the difference between speaking with parents from poverty versus speaking with parents from wealth. It's classist and offensive.

At the very base of it, I felt the message here was, "Speak with parents from low-income backgrounds as though they are children who must be coddled. Speak with parents from high-income backgrounds as though they are adults who deserve respect."

The case studies will be helpful to discuss with my colleagues at future staff meetings, but overall I'll stick to my own personal motto, which is "Speak to all parents as if they are human beings who want the best for their children."

[Bruce Nieminski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and informative read on working with parents of different backgrounds and circumstances. Ruby Payne has written several books, most notably "A Framework for Understanding Poverty." "Working with Parents..." Offers some great suggestions on bringing parents in the community into the school, communicating effectively with adults and children from different backgrounds, and managing difficult situations with stakeholders.

Finished 2/16/14 (51 pages)
7/10

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an extremely quick read detailing ways to work with parents from both poverty and money. She lists specific ways to speak to both sets. At the end there are case studies for reflection, but no answers. There is some good information here with lots of bullet points, but I'm hard pressed to remember a take away.

[Yolanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short book. Tips and suggestions to get all types of parents involved in their child's learning. An overview of the different types of parents and how that effects a schools interaction with the parent

[Elyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plz read comment re Dr. Payne's book, "A Framework for Understanding Poverty."

[Mary Alise Herrera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not earth shattering new information, but a good read for educators and administrators to improve family relations and communication.

[Navasota ISD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Available for checkout at NELC.

[Keirabauer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a few decent tips. I'm not a big fan of Ruby Payne, and some of her tips, while they sound effective, require more money and time than is typically available.