Examining your beliefs about families is a critical component of REAL Family Engagement, the approach we champion to support strong school-family partnerships. When you operate with asset-based beliefs about families, you are more likely to build successful academic partnerships with families. Conversely, when operating with deficit-based beliefs about families, you are less likely to communicate and share information, limiting families’ ability to play the Five Essential Roles. Use this tool to reflect on how your assumptions can influence your actions and examine how you can question yourself or others when biased or negative beliefs about families emerge.