ECH Parental Involvement August 6, 2018 Tish Knowles

Parent Involvement Interest a family takes in a child’s education Link between the family and the school Viewing the school as an important part of family life as a child grows

Involvement Matters

Attend Parent Teacher Conferences

Parents and teachers who are involved: create a connection between home and school extend activities their child experiences in school pick up where the school left off create a connection between school and home include parents in decision making prepare students for transition to kindergarten

Connecting with Parents

Activity 1: Story Time Language, Literacy, and Communication Encouraging Story Talk Try doing the following when reading with your child: • Talk about things you see in the book illustrations. • Make connections between the story and your child’s life. (“You’ve been to the zoo.”) • Talk about the characters’ feelings. (“Why do you think Bear is mad?”) • Ask children who or what they might see on the next page. • Ask children what they think might happen next Download the step-by-step guide to the full 60-minute workshop “Reading Books With Children” here.

Activity 2: Morning and Afternoon Conversations Social-Emotional Development (5 Minutes) Tips for talking with your child: • Get down on your child’s physical level. • Focus on the message your child is communicating rather than on grammar or pronunciation. • Allow time for your child to organize his or her thoughts. • Ask open-ended questions, for example, “What did you like about the story?” • Make an observation: “I see you are making something with Legos.” Download the step-by-step guide to the full 60-minute workshop “Talking With Your Child” here.

Activity 3: DIY Squeeze Balls Fine Motor Development (10 Minutes) This DIY squeeze ball activity is a fun way to provide parents with a ready-to-go fine motor exercise they can take home and use right away with their kids. Share with parents that a fun way for children to strengthen their hand and finger muscles is to squeeze things in their hands, such as small stress balls. Select three balloons. Use a funnel to fill one of the balloons with the material provided (sand, salt, flour) and tie the balloon. Cut the tip off another balloon. Stretch this balloon over the first balloon to cover it. Repeat step 3 to create a stronger ball. Download the step-by-step guide to the full 60-minute workshop, “Fine Motor Development,” here.

Fine-Motor Activities for Preschoolers Cutting Tearing

Fine-Motor Activities for Preschoolers Playdough Pasting

Fine-Motor Activities for Preschoolers Drawing Painting

Fine-Motor Activities for Preschoolers Threading Construction

Fine-Motor Activities for Preschoolers Puzzles Pegboards

At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child’s success is the positive involvement of parents. Jane D. Hull

Poor Horatio the Half Boy

Resources https://www.livestrong.com/article/149543-theories-on-parental-involvement/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4ywi4wx6zw www.ConciousDiscipline.com https://www.weareteachers.com/preschool-parent-workshop-ideas/ www.Kidsinthehouse.com www.Pinterest.com - 10 Fine-Motor Activities Preschoolers Should Be Doing Daily, Empowered Parents www.youtube.com – Andy Griffith Parental Involvement – Coalition for Community Schools, www.communityschools.org