1. FACS Standard 4.4.2 Herr, Judy. Working with Young Children. The Goodheart-Wilcox Co., Inc. 2008.

2.  Need frequent 2-way communication  Teacher-parent relationship VITAL  Parents need caregivers reassurance and emotional support  Caregivers need to learn from the family how to create an environment like home experiences

3.  Parent involvement – patterns of participation in educational programs by parents Assisting in the classroom Helping with fund-raising activities

4. Home teaching Supplying classroom resources Attending parent education classes

5.  Build a positive relationship with parents  Have casual conversations as they bring children to and pick up from facility, sharing observations and events of the day  Always welcome parents to the facility  Parent involvement now affects child’s later school success

6. Objectives of Parent Involvement  Develop and understanding of child growth and development  Gain confidence in their parenting skills  Learn about child’s experiences at facility

7.  Understand their child by observing them with other children  Learn new positive ways to interact with children  Become more informed about community resources

8.  Foster child and parent’s ability to interact with each other  Extend learning from facility into home  Understand how partnership with facility can promote the child’s development

9. Encourage parent involvement through:  Written communication  Class videos  Parent-teacher conferences  Advisory committees  Discussion groups  Newsletters

10.  Written communication popular because: Require less time and energy for teacher than meetings or multiple phone calls

11. 3 common forms of written communication:  Newsletters – include information concerning a variety of subjects; shared on a regular basis

12.  Newsletter can be read over weekend, during lunch, or while commuting – saving parents time and energy as well  Use active, not passive voice Active voice says subject did something Passive voice says subject was acted on

13.  Keep communication short, clear, and simple  Newsletter may include:  Review of special activities  Special classroom-related activities for children to do at home

14.  Guidance tips  Upcoming calendar special events at the facility  Short articles of interest  Summaries of books or articles related to parenting

15.  Nutritious recipes  Child development information  Want-ad section  Help-wanted section for parent volunteers  Upcoming community events of interest to young children and their families

16.  “Meet the Staff” section  Recognition of parent contributions  Parent exchange section  Reminder of facility policies  Welcome to new families and teachers  Classroom celebrations and birthdays

17.  Classroom needs  The design of the newsletter can leave a blank section – for teacher to write a brief personal positive note  Another blank spot could be used by parents to send notes back to the facility

18.  Letters – often address only one item; sent out as needed  One page long  Can be a supplement to a newsletter

19.  First letter should introduce the teachers and staff to the families  Address classroom goals, rules, expectations  Welcome families to observe and/or take part in facility activities

20.  Include the current theme  Special facility activities should be noted along with the goals of the activities  New songs and accompaniments should be written out with accompanying music or actions that go with them

21.  Field trip sites, dates, and times should be included  Thank parents for favors  Home learning activities should be included; include activity and rationale for their use

22. Special letter  May feel need to send special letter about a special event or a special day  This should promote a learning experience between parents and children

23.  Daily News Flash – bits of news for parents and children to discuss; written or printed on paper; may be e-mailed  May include news about special occasions or interesting events such as: Making blueberry muffins and eating them

24. Announcing the loss of a tooth during lunch Introduce new staff Naming of facility pet Arrival of a new baby to a facility family Learning a new song

25.  May be posted at entrance, on classroom door, or bulletin board  May be on computer screen or a video showing on television monitor as parents arrive

26. Class Videos  Prepare videos that can be checked out by families  Include fingerplays, holiday celebrations, acting out stories in the dramatic play area, building with blocks, preparing foods, experimenting with creative media

27. Parent-Teacher Conferences  Help develop a shared understanding of the child  Share the child’s likes, needs, concerns, etc.  Share observation logs, skill development, eating habits, sleeping habits, etc.

28. Home Visits  May want to visit child at home to get a sense of routine at home  Seeing teacher outside the school builds a trust and intimacy with the child

29. Discussion Groups  Bring parents together to become more familiar with growth and development of their child

30. Other Methods of Involvement  Lending library, family resource center, traveling backpack, problem-solving file, bulletin boards, documentation boards, sunshine calls, theme bag

31. Lending Library  Current books and magazines relating to parenting  Available to families to read and return

32. Family Resource Center  Referrals and resources for families  Have access to information on child development, child guidance, community services  Books, brochures, professional articles, and other media may be available

33.  Brochures and flyers might contain the following:  Home visiting programs  WIC (Women, Infant, and Children) – federal nutrition supplement program for pregnant women, new mothers, infants

34.  Food stamps – food purchasing help for low- income families  Nutrition, meal planning, and infant feeding  Earned income tax credit for low-income working families  Big Brothers, Big Sisters

35.  Medicaid – health care benefit for low- income families  Dependent care tax credit for some costs related to child care  Hospital programs that support new parents

36.  Health clinics and dental screenings  Agencies that work with families in crisis, such as domestic violence and drug addiction  Counseling and emergency housing  Child care resources and referral agencies

37.  Federal housing assistance for low- income families  Family service programs from the Department of Health; the Department of Human Services; a licensing agency; or the public library

38. Traveling Backpack  Children choose favorite books, music cassettes, puzzles, or games to take home in the backpack, share with their families, and return to school  Often teachers will send home paper and writing tool

39. Problem-Solving File  File containing information of problems parents face  Reading materials, journal articles, newspaper clippings relating to the problems  Publicize files through newsletters and parent meetings

40. Bulletin Boards  Way to communicate with parents  Local events, library resources, educational television programs, tips for choosing toys, books, nutritional snacks, childhood diseases, immunizations, safety, and child developmental issues

41.  Hang in the most visible and well- traveled area of the center  Change the background and color often – this is a way to alert parents of changes and updated information

42. Sunshine Calls  Telephone call to parent from teacher telling praise and support for the child; share something outstanding or interesting the child has recently done  Lets parents know you are interested in their child

43.  When using the telephone: Plan the conversation Keep the call 5 minutes or less Begin the call by asking if this is a convenient time to talk Put parent at ease quickly by telling them what the call is about

44.  Share positive statements  Give the parents words of praises and thanks  Many parents are more at ease over the phone than a face-to-face meeting

45. Theme Bags  Used to involve parents  In the form of traveling backpacks  Includes parent letter introducing the purpose of the bag along with the contents  Games, puppets, storybooks, songs, charts, etc. to accompany the learning activities are included

46. Volunteers  Parents want to be involved with their child’ education – why it is important to ask for their assistance  Send personalized thank-you notes for the help, the resources, etc. that parents do to help in educating their child