The Harvard Family Research Project separated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to become the Global Family Research Project as of January 1, 2017. It is no longer affiliated with Harvard University.
Families and Expanded Learning Opportunities: Working Together to Support Children's Learning
April 27, 2012
What is an Expanded Learning Opportunity?
Expanded learning opportunities (ELOs) offer structured learning environments outside the traditional school day, before and after school; throughout the summer; and in extended-day, -week or -year programs.
Families play an important role as the primary bridge between the multiple learning settings where their children learn and grow. For this reason, there is an increasing need for expanded learning opportunities (ELOs), including afterschool and other out-of-school time programs, to engage families in more meaningful ways to better support children's learning and development.
In this second brief in our series with the National Conference of State Legislatures, we explore the ways that families and ELOs must work as equal partners in order to ensure ELOs are contributing to children's learning in meaningful ways. These include:
- Understanding children's learning needs
- Ensuring that program goals and activities align with children's larger learning goals
- Facilitating communication with other settings where children learn to better coordinate learning supports (e.g., tutors, books, and other learning materials)
- Sharing key data and results regarding children's learning progress
This brief discusses these elements in more detail, supported by evidence from recent research.
Go to Families and Expanded Learning Opportunities: Working Together to Support Children's Learning.