Parent Engagement Meets Early Education Classrooms

Welcome Back Friends😊

Have you ever thought about how lucky we are to be the first to engage parents in their child’s early learning years?

As leaders and educators, we have this wonderful opportunity to set the tone for home/school partnerships. We play an integral role alongside the child’s family in helping to build a foundation for learning and life success.

How can we engage parents in their journey as a partner in their child’s early learning and development?

➡️Creating opportunities for parents to participate in decision making on their child’s education. This can be done during parent/ teacher conferences and can be as easy as asking them what goals they have for their child.

➡️Providing volunteer opportunities. We encourage parents to participate in the classroom to help with classroom parties, read a story of the week, share a favorite family food item, and talk about their career or just send in items needed if they are not able to join in person.

➡️Educate parents on how to extend learning at home. The teacher can provide activity ideas that correlate with the lesson at school that can be done at home. For example, if the children are learning about bugs, you can extend the learning at home by sending home a bug scavenger hunt.

➡️Hosting events so that parents can interact and build relationships with other families, such as an art show. This event will allow parents to see the artwork their child have created. The children can also introduce their friends while enjoying some punch and cookies.

➡️Start a parent group! Parent groups give the opportunity for feedback, help with solving problems, and bring new ideas to the table.

3️⃣ Benefits of building a genuine partnership with parents in their child’s early learning development:

👩‍👧‍👦Parents will feel supported, valued, and respected.

👩‍🏫Educators will have a window of opportunity into a child’s home life, which gives an understanding of a child’s needs, interests, culture, and rituals. Having this knowledge allows the teacher to make informed decisions about planning activities as well as meeting the individual needs of that child.

🚸Children develop a better sense of community and resilience. 

It may not always be easy to see someone else’s point of view but with honesty, respect, and two-way communication, we are building trust. Trust allows parents to be confident that their child is receiving the best possible care and education during their first five years of life.

My heart is happy knowing that we as leaders and educators have this opportunity to invite families to connect to their children’s learning and development.

Till next time,

Jen

P.S. To view our teambuilding activity for this week click here⬅️

P.P.S Have more questions about engaging parents in their child’s learning? Reply to this newsletter or post your questions in our Facebook group!