The family as educator. Using the cultures, traditions, and heritages of families as enrichment resources for an Israeli school: An educational chronicle

Educational research emphasizes the importance of the family's role in the child's educational process. Jewish tradition grants the family a dominant role in passing on Jewish heritage from generation to generation. For Jewish schools to enhance school achievement and teach values associated with Jewish identity, the family must be seen as a major partner in the educational process.;The problem, however, is that schools are not prepared to work with the family. The literature indicates a constant search for modes of home-school cooperation and partnership, but an effective educational approach is a rare commodity.;My research sought to meet these challenges with a novel approach to family education that employs Action Research methodology and Professor Hope Leichter's probe methodology to study the role of the "Family as Educator." The study presents a qualitative research technique for studying the family's educational agenda and develops ways to integrate it into the school's curriculum deliberation process. The study aimed at empowering families to regain their role as the primary educators of their children and creates a paradigm for a constructive, two-way, family-school dialogue and partnership.;The research was conducted in The United States and in Israel over a five-year period among several populations: (A) Five individual families were interviewed in their homes. (B) A research project in the F. School in Jerusalem, comprised of 350 families, introduced a new school-family partnership method via pilot programs in the school. (C) A series of teacher training seminars were conducted to explore the study's family education concepts.;The probes proved to be a useful instrument for collecting fascinating stories and memories from families, which could be integrated as authentic enrichment resource to the ongoing school program. The tremendous influence of the family's culture on the child's behavior and priorities was demonstrated. The school reflected its genuine respect for the family's culture by heeding the family's educational agenda and incorporating family materials into its curriculum. As a result, the school developed a better connection with both its parents and its children. The study produced fascinating curricular materials integrating family narratives, widely used in various educational institutes.