A Strengths-Based Approach to Guided Play: Strategies for Connecting with Families and Communities
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A strengths-based early childhood curriculum that incorporates play-based practices while drawing on children’s cultures and communities is essential for the effective education and care of young children (NAEYC 2020; NASEM 2024). Educators must immerse themselves in the communities they serve so they can create playful learning experiences that build on children’s cultural and linguistic assets while working toward specific learning goals (Allen & Rodriguez 2026). This requires establishing reciprocal relationships with families and community members to understand their perceptions about play and to communicate why it is important in early education (Zosh et al. 2022).
Photographs: courtesy of authors and the CULTIVAR grant. Copyright © 2026 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. See permissions and reprints online at NAEYC.org/resources/permissions.
Socorro García, PhD, is an assistant professor at Texas A&M University–San Antonio. She is the co-principal investigator on a federal grant and oversees the parental practices and family engagement on the project. [email protected]
Karen L. B. Burgard, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Texas A&M University–San Antonio. [email protected]
Melissa M. Jozwiak, PhD, is a professor of early childhood at Texas A&M University–San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas. [email protected]