Sentry Page Protection

Please Wait...

Student Login Unit 4 Hi, (First Name) | Log Out

Unit 4 Student Login

Welcome, (First Name)!

Enter Member Area

(Message automatically replaces this text)

OK

My Profile Log Out

(Unit 4) Topic 3: Family and Community Partnerships

3 Clock Hours of Early Childhood Education

Encouraging Family Involvement

​Topic 3 Page 9

A great way to encourage family involvement in your classroom is by establishing personal connections with families of children in your care. Think about families as partners; sharing information about yourself and your work as an educator will help families to get to know you better and ultimately feel more comfortable being a part of the early childhood program.

Here are some ideas to help you continue to engage families, to increase their involvement in the program, and to build relationships:

• ​Communicate with families and take time to observe their body language to help you measure their comfort level in the care setting.

• ​Find ways to ask them how they are feeling about the program, such as a family survey, and discuss any concerns they might have.

• ​​Smile and greet families by name.

• ​Arrange the environment in a way that encourages families to spend time there. Keep the entrance area open and uncluttered with simple but attractive signs welcoming them. If possible, have a space for families' coats or belongings. Consider setting up a large board on a wall near the center of the room for parents to leave daily messages. Include some comfortable spots, such as pillows on the rug or a small sofa, so parents can read a picture book to their child or a small group of children.

• ​Spend time observing families as they interact with their children to learn strategies for supporting them while in your care.

• ​Show families where important supplies and other items are stored so they have access to things they might need for their children when in the care setting. 

• ​Include special materials or customs from a family’s culture.

• ​Establish regular times to meet with families face-to-face and help families design a plan or create activities to reach the dreams and goals they have for their children.

• ​Share observations and other strength-based information about their children.

• ​Ask families questions about their children.

• ​Share something personal about yourself (e.g., “My mom tells me I struggled falling asleep for nap, just like Carlos. She said I never wanted to stop playing!” ).

• ​Offer multiple ways to communicate daily with families (e.g., note home, share a photo of children playing, communication sheet with information about routines, phone call, newsletter).

• ​Create rituals around hellos and goodbyes.

• ​Invite families to share what they see and hear their children doing at home or in the community.

(Unit 4) Topic 3: Family and Community Partnerships * Navigation Menu