Child Development 7

Home and school are a young child’s two most important worlds

If home and school are connected in positive and respectful ways, children feel secure

True partnership Focus instead on developing a

relationship with every family so you can work together to support children’s healthy development and learning

If you try to relate to families in only one way, you will reach only a small percentage of the families who respond to that approach

Appreciating Differences Family structure: start by keeping an open

mind about what constitutes a family Personality and temperament: some are easy

to get to know, others shy away from school situations

Appreciating Differences Life experiences: education, socio-

economic status, health issues, and length of time in this country

Cultural differences: Culture has been defined as the beliefs, values, and practices we have learned from our families, either by example or through explicit direction

How did you become aware of your personal identity- nationality, culture, ethnicity?

How did you define a family? Were girls treated differently from boys in

your family? How and when were you encouraged to

express your ideas and feelings? How was discipline handled? Was independence encouraged?

Initial contacts with children’s families are opportunities to get to know a little about each other

Enrollment Gather information by speaking informally

with families during enrollment Home Visits

Families are often more comfortable in their own setting than at school

The environment you create in your classroom and the way you introduce the program can make families feel they belong and they have a role to play

Important message families can receive when they enter the building and your classroom is that this is also a place for them

Introducing your program: booklet, tour of the classroom, open house, letter to families, display

Building trust To feel welcome, families need to trust you All families come with expectations,

responding in a positive manner Greet family members by names Uncover special skills What topics interest parents

Reaching put to all family members

Good communication is essential for building partnerships. Families want to know what experiences their children are having at school and what have you learned about their child

Daily exchanges: make it a point to note something the child did during the day

Formal communications: daily or weekly bulletin, telephone calls, e-mail, journals

When parents are involved, children do better

Teachers need to think of parent participation in new ways

Involvement can take many forms-from contributions parents can make at home to classroom volunteering and sharing information on the child’s progress

Offering ways to be involved Discover special interest or abilities of all

family members Ask family members what they enjoy doing

with their children Parent participation in curriculum planning

Making classroom participation meaningful Enables them to see how you work with

children and promote learning Talk with families ahead of time Flyer with ways how they participate

Observe and show you are interested Follow children’s lead without taking over Ask open-ended questions Offer assistance when it Is needed

Meeting with families Families will be interested in what you learned

and you in turn can learn about the child from their family

Preparing for a conference Child’s portfolio and your ongoing observations Summarizing report

Conducting a conference Share work samples Explain each work sample Families observation

Families under stress Some families are coping with basic needs

and experiencing ongoing stress Community with violence Unemployment Demanding job Domestic and/or substance abuse Depression Lack of insurance Adapting to a new language and/or culture

Families under stress Do not have the emotional energy or

physical resources to provide nurturing care for their children

Let them know resources are available Community agencies and hot lines Brochures A list of support groups

Dealing with misunderstanding Understanding and respecting practices

that are different from your own help you build positive relationships with families and involve them in your program

Sometimes accepting what the child does Child’s language development