meaningful relationships with children's families
Welcoming families into the program
- Work with teachers to create a welcoming environment to parents, with displays depicting such things as schedules, recent activities, or planned activities. Help teachers collect and provide comfortable and adequate adult furniture in appropriate places. (PCF, p. 80 and Prekindergarten Learning & Development Guidelines, p. 38)
- Discuss the value of and challenges associated with creating an open-door policy that encourages parents to visit the classroom or center at any time. Plan strategies to overcome identified challenges. (Prekindergarten Learning & Development Guidelines, p. 67)
- Assist teachers in developing predictable arrival and departure routines. (PCF, p. 80)
- Discuss with teachers how they can help families design a predictable good-bye routine for their child. Suggest that teachers invite family members to make use of quiet areas in the classroom to allow slow-to-warm children to make the transition to the space. (PCF, p. 80)
- Emphasize to teachers the importance of listening and responding to children’s feelings about separation from their family members. (PCF, p. 80)
Partnering with families as the child’s first and most important teacher
- Emphasize how family members are a provider’s first and best resource, and the importance of including families in the planning and implementation of care for their children. (Inclusion Works! p. 28)
- Encourage teachers to establish a warm and collaborative relationship with each child’s family beginning with the first meeting of the family and continuing through the time of enrollment and beyond. (PCF, p. 80)
- Role play with a small group of teachers how they might demonstrate in the child’s presence a friendly, cooperative, and respectful relationship with the child’s family in various situations. For example, what if the parent tries to engage you in a lengthy conversation while you are busy; if the parent is harsh with the child in the presence of the rest of the children, if the parent is unhappy that the child’s socks are missing. (PCF, p. 82)
- Gather two or more teachers to share strategies on how to use the family culture to create bridges between the program and the home. Discuss ways to support the children’s pride in their family experience and to understand individual differences in background and viewpoint. Talk about how to encourage parents and family members to share their skills with staff, the children in the program, and other families. (PCF, p. 42 and PEL Guide, p. 16)
- Suggest teachers to visit the children’s homes and observe not only how parents interact with the child but also how other relatives and siblings talk to the child and how the child talks to or interacts with them. (PEL Guide, p. 29)
- Invite a group of teachers to share strategies for regular family communication about children’s preschool activities, progress, and any concerns they have. Bring in pictures of documentation displays, photo albums and examples of children’s work portfolios as additional ideas for ways to engage parents and family members in meaningful conversation. (PCF, p. 80)
- Suggest that teachers let parents know about their children’s friendships in the early care and education center so that, if possible, those friendships can be cultivated outside the program. (Prekindergarten Learning & Development Guidelines, p. 91 and PCF, p. 84)