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Creating Welcoming Schools: A Practical Guide to Home-School Partnerships with Diverse Familiesreviewed by Patricia Alvarez McHatton — October 22, 2007 Title: Creating Welcoming Schools: A Practical Guide to Home-School Partnerships with Diverse Families Author(s): JoBeth Allen Publisher: Teachers College Press, New York ISBN: 0807747890, Pages: 179, Year: 2007 Search for book at Amazon.com Much has been written about the role of parent involvement in student academic achievement. As a mother, past middle school special education teacher, and current university professor conducting participatory research in schools with disenfranchised youth and examining the experiences of Hispanic mothers of children with disabilities as they attempt to maneuver the special education system, I welcomed a text that provided practical suggestions for developing positive home-school relationships. I was not disappointed, and in fact was hooked from the first page, reading the entire text in one sitting.
Allen masterfully uses personal narratives to contextualize the activities described within each chapter. She weaves the research supporting the activities in a clear, reader-friendly manner making it accessible to all. At strategic points throughout each chapter, she provides action opportunities allowing the reader to stop and process the information and then reflect on personal experiences related to the topic being discussed. These... (preview truncated at 150 words.)To view the full-text for this article you must be signed-in with the appropropriate membership. Please review your options below:
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- Patricia McHatton
University of South Florida E-mail Author PATRICIA ALVAREZ MCHATTON, Ph.D., NBPTS, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education and the Undergraduate Program Coordinator at the University of South Florida. Her research interests include preparing culturally competent educators, experiential learning and service learning, perceptions of school belonging by culturally and linguistically diverse students, and issues of stigma and discrimination for culturally and linguistically diverse families and students. She recently co-authored several articles including “Lessons Learned from Service-Learning: Preparing Professionals Through Community Involvement” (Alvarez McHatton & Thomas, 2006), published in Mentoring and Tutoring: Partnership in Learning and “Stigma and Discrimination: Perspectives from Mexican and Puerto Rican Mothers of Children with Disabilities” (Alvarez McHatton & Correa, 2005), published in Topics in Early Childhood Special Education.
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