Using home learning tool kits to facilitate family involvement

It is a widely held belief that increased family involvement enhances student academic achievement. When considering children with special needs, involvement is not only beneficial; it is often an essential ingredient in a child's success. Families of children with special needs are often limited by time constraints that inhibit school involvement. This leads to the need to extend learning opportunities to families of children with special needs as a means of increasing levels of involvement in their children's education. This article describes a collaborative project between teachers at a local elementary school in North Carolina and members of their Parent-Teacher Association. The Home Learning Tool Kit served as a bridge between home and school, thereby assisting in educating families about their children's academic progress. The project focused on extending learning opportunities to families as a means of increasing their levels of involvement in their children's education.