TM Language and Literacy Relationships with Families

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• With teacher(s), read the question for reflection on page 127 from California Preschool Curriculum Framework, Volume 1. Make a large T-chart with one side titled, Strengths for using literacy to connect home to school and the other side titled, New ideas to connect home and school. After completing the list, circle two new ideas that the staff commit to trying.
• Ask how the teacher gathers information about the children’s home literacy practices and interests. After discussing the varying strategies currently used, share the Interest Based Every Day Literacy Activity Checklist from the Center for Early Language Learning website. This checklist is an evidenced-based way to gather information about children’s strengths and interest in literacy from parents. After the teacher reviews the checklist, ask questions like, “What do you like about the form? What don’t you like about the form? How might you use something like this in your classroom?”
• Ask about the alphabet activities that children like the most in the classroom. Together brainstorm how those activities could double as take home activities. To inspire more ideas, read the last paragraph, page 156, of the framework, Volume 1, and CELL POP poster at http://www.earlyliteracylearning.org/ta_cell_pop1.php
• Sit with the teachers and ask them to think about how they use both verbal and nonverbal cues to understand children. Ask them to share one time where they did this and felt it was successful. Share that this is also a strategy to use with adult in the family in making them feel welcome and comfortable. Ask teacher to think about how and when they could put emphasis on this type of communication with families? Make a plan for trying this idea. (Family Partnerships and Culture, p.77)