The teachers and staff at the Harris Early Learning Center truly care about the well-being and academic growth of each child. The center is very welcoming to families and to college students. They made me feel very welcomed and were happy that I was there. The Harris Early Learning Center uses many strategies to welcome families. The school has an open door policy and welcomes parents to observe or actively participate in their child’s classroom. The parents are given a swipe card to access the front door any time that the center is open. Parents also have the option to view their child’s classroom on a monitor if they feel that a classroom visit would disrupt and distress their child. Parents are encouraged to eat lunch with their children and have the …show more content…
The teachers are friendly and welcome each student and his or her parents as they enter the classroom each morning. In the classroom, the teachers communicate with the parents each day in the form of emails, the Hi Mama app, or notes sent home to the parents. The teachers also share encouraging words with the parents during the morning drop-off routine The teachers send home a weekly newsletter and monthly calendar to keep parents informed of special news and classroom activities, In addition, the classroom teachers are open to scheduling parent-teacher conferences or conference phone calls. The center requires at least two parent-teacher conferences per year but a parent is free to request a conference at anytime. In the Pre-K class that I observed, parents are encouraged to be actively involved. The parents can be active participants or observe the classroom at anytime. Parents are encouraged to eat lunch with their child, participate in special activities, read stories to the class, chaperone field trips, or share any interest that that the parent wants to share with the class. Pre-K parents are required to acquire to total of 12 participation hours per
Vignette two: Families who previously had children enrolled in a nearby preschool have told you stories of what happened to their children in that center. They describe dirty sheets on the cribs, harsh punishments including withholding food, and ratios of twenty children to one adult. One day you drive by and see a lot covered with asphalt and dry grass. There are a few rusting pieces of playground equipment. Several children are standing along the chain link fence looking at the cars going by. There are no adults in sight.
In this assignment I am going to describe a child observation that I have done in a nursery for twenty minutes in a play setting. I will explain the strengths and weaknesses of naturalistic observation through the key developmental milestones based in Mary Sheridan (2005) check-list and provide a theoretical explanation to support the naturalistic observation.
Decades of research proves partnerships between schools and families not only enhance children’s learning and achievement, it is also mutually beneficial to the families and educators. As an early childhood educator, my philosophy is rooted in establishing and maintaining a strong and effective partnership with families and communities that can help children and their families thrive. My approach focuses on effective communication between family and school, respect for diversity, and promoting learning at home.
The Child Development Center of College of San Mateo provides early care and educational programs for children between the ages of 3 to 5 years old. Children are divided into classrooms with a “master” teacher, a “regular” teacher, and two or three “associate” teachers. Klara attended Classroom, “A,” a stimulating and well-resourced classroom. Klara was observed for two hours on Monday from 9 am to 11 am and for two hours on Wednesday from 9 am to 11 am. During these two hours, classroom activities consisted of “free time,” “story time,” and an outside “play time.” A “master” teacher, a “regular” teacher, and two “associate” teachers were present during observations. Additionally, a total of eighteen children were in attendance during the observed days.
I observed at St. Eve’s Learning Center location in their preschool room. The center has a naturalistic feel to the environment and all of the staff is friendly and welcoming. The classroom displayed best practices, modern theories and research, and followed expected standards set by their accreditations.
This is when we need to step up and help the parent and the child so they don’t fall through the cracks of the education system. We need to increase parent involvement in each child education. Increasing parent involvement, begins with education the parents. Parents don’t realize or know how to get involved with their child’s education. There are many ways families can be involved in the education process. The parent is the child’s most valuable teacher for their whole life. The most benefit this will bring to the families is confidence. Teachers need to help the parents know that they can assist in their child’s education and can help them at home. There are workshops and training to help families get involved. The key is to offer incentives to the training to help increase the parent’s attendance, Communication is the one key with the parents. In today’s socially they are many ways to stay in contact with parents because of technology by email, text, or social media. Invite parent to come to the classroom and volunteer and see firsthand what a day look like for their child in the classroom. Have different events that will increase parents interest and eventually great participation. Another idea could be to send home activities that encourages family involvement. This can be activity that have the parents engage with each other and can be short and dynamic. The
This is easier now with the widespread use of technology and social media; parents can easily sign up for email lists and newsletters, allowing them to both stay in the loop without having to deal with each other. However, all these accommodations cannot be made unless communication is encouraged between teachers and parents. Teachers might find it useful to send home a survey after the first day, asking for any personal information that might be useful throughout the school year. But parents must also make the effort to keep the lines of communication open.
Sometimes a student is successful in one area and having difficulty in another or a student has trouble using their words to communicate and becomes aggressive. At this center, the teachers have the tools to assess each child and the parents are interested in knowing the strengths and supports their child needs. The article Understanding Families, states that there should be “opportunities for families to discuss their beliefs about their children, what they want for their children, and how they support their children’s development” (Christian, 7). As conferences occur every 6 months, parents also communicate with the school and teachers via email and during drop off and pick up times. Another great example of parent communication is in the article Building Bridges from School to Home. The teacher builds relationships with parents by getting them to understand the areas that their child struggles and continues to strive in. Making sure they know that their child will master these skills when they are ready (Lawrence-Lightfoot, 2). At Staples Child Care Center, all teacher will assessments and observations about the child and a few suggestions that the child will benefit
Assign tutors to students so that the children can receive one-on-one attention in continuously improving their studies. Impact: Both the parents and the children will be greatly impacted by this early childhood education program. The parents will benefit through having increased knowledge in the best practices for educating children and providing a stable environment for their children to learn. The children will benefit from being taught the necessary skills to be successful in school and in life.
Bauch, P. A., Vietze, P., & Morris, V. (1973). What makes the difference in parental participation? Childhood Education, 50, 47-53.
Parental involvement promotes the social growth of a child. Children whose parents are involved in their education have many advantages. They have better grades, test scores, long-term academic achievement, attitudes and behavior than those with disinterested mothers and fathers (Gestwicki, 2001). Parents becoming involved in their child's schooling creates extra sources of social constraint to influence the child's behavior (McNeal, 2001). For example, parents talking to their children and becoming involved in the school conveys a message to the child of education being important. Parents should be talking with your children's teacher and letting her know about your family. The more she knows about your child, the better she will be able to connect with your child.
With regards to parent involvement in my teaching experience, I have only taught in a once a week Kindermusik setting, and the parents and caregivers have always been very involved with both the children in their own care and those in the class as a whole. I did plan a field trip for one class, and the parents were all in attendance and ...
A lot of children have two main educators in their life; their parents and their teachers. Parents are their first educators, the majority of what a child learns in the first few years of their life is taught by their parents. It is only when the child starts to attend an early years setting that they start to learn from another educator. Both parents and teachers continue being a major influence on their children's learning all throughout school and for the rest of their lives. The parents and the child's school both have important roles to play in the child's education and should therefore work together as a team. Parents can get involved in many different ways such as; getting involved with the school itself by helping in the classroom or supervising lunch and break times, or for those parents who work in the day and cannot find the time to help at the school they can get involved by; reading to their child at home, assisting with homework and other learning activities, teaching them songs or nursery rhymes and letting them help with everyday tasks like cooking, baking and chores. This can be categorised as: Involvement of parents in the school life or involvement of parents in supporting the individual child at home.
Parent involvement is one of the most influential aspects of student motivation. The parents are the initial teachers of the child before the child goes to school and encounters education through a teacher. If a parent is completely engaged in the learning process with a child, there can be growth between the child and the parent simultaneously. The parents set an example for the child, so that the child understands that help is in the classroom and at home. Alma Wright, a first and second grade teacher, believes that parents in the classroom are a good way to stimulate children. She says, “Their active participation is a positive influence. The school is open for parents to share their talents and motivate their children” (Drew, Olds, and Olds, 1974, p. 71).
Early childhood education plays a key role in a child’s academic development because he or she learns soft skills, job skills, and develop positive traits. Preschool is not like kindergarten, but instead a stepping-stone that prepares young students for the years of schooling they will have later in life. As more schools began to open families wanted to be able to verify that programs would benefit and protect their children. In response, the National Association for the Education of Young Children was made to help families find the best care for their children, by providing the early childhood educators with training and ensuring the quality of children’s daily experiences. (“NAEYC”5).