Download our free ebook! If they start giving their time at this young age, parents can start to see the benefits described above. Parental and family involvement in early childhood education will help improve learning outcomes for children by ensuring that they have all the support they need to succeed. Helping us by having children on routines for bedtime and consistent drop off times! To get the true benefits from early childhood education, however, parents need to consider how they can support what their children are learning throughout the day. Since 2012, HiMama has empowered early childhood educators with tools to improve learning outcomes for children and better connect with parents. Parent involvement is so much more than this. When a parent is involved in what their child does at school, it improves a teacher performance and makes their job a lot easier. Parental involvement for the early childhood classroom helps establish a pattern of responsibility for parents. Want to get parents out for school meetings? By taking an active role in the early childhood education process, parents can help ensure that their child has all the support they need to develop to their full potential. HiMama is a B Corp certified social purpose business that is committed to supporting child care professionals and families through its #1 rated software, blog, Preschool Podcast, Child Care Benchmark Report, ECE of the Year award and more. Or, have them lead an activity that relates to one of their unique interests or talents. This connection is a key component of a child’s development and supporting further learning. Ron is the Co-Founder & CEO of HiMama, where he leads all aspects of a social purpose business that helps early childhood educators improve learning outcomes for children. Learn more about HiMama and get in touch! Download HiMama childcare app! Parent involvement activities in your preschool don’t have to be all educational or entertaining – they can be practical as well. Communicate with parents straightforwardly and simply, avoiding educational "jargon." Parent involvement is really important and a parent doesn’t realize what impact that they can have on their child at such a young age. Download HiMama childcare app! 68. Parents who are in tune with what is happening in their child’s preschool classroom or child care facility are better able to establish a connection between what is learned at school and what takes place in the home. By encouraging parent participation in your child care center, you can help support children beyond their early years and make their families an important part of their education well into the future. Making families more comfortable with your center and the educators who work there will go a long way in making them feel at ease and more likely to be involved. Be sure the first contact with parents is a positive one. Ask parents to be guests in your preschool classroom to encourage involvement. Beyond sourcing the basic contact information, asking questions about the parents’ interests, professions and talents can present opportunities for them to share these with the wider preschool community. We need parents to send nutritious meals, stop ripping toys out of children’s hands at the door and leaving us with them crying, not pulling up to school with children on electronics, nurturing their emotional needs at home so that their child is ready to learn and has a full bucket at drop off! CDC Parents for Healthy Schools Framework. Not only does family or parental involvement help extend teaching outside the classroom; it creates a more positive experience for children and helps children perform better when they are in school. These can be in relation to developing motor skills, language development, behavior management and more. Once you gain permission from all parents who want to be included, enlist the help of a parent to set up the phone tree and then distribute to families. Why Parent Involvement is So Important in Early Childhood Education, 5 Steps for More Effective Communication With Parents, Examples of Parent Communication From Teachers, 7 Ways to Make Parents Actually Read Notices, How to Add Digital Parent Communications to Your Child Care Center, How to Create a Parent Handbook for Daycares, What to Expect as a Pre-K Parent Volunteer, Talking to Your Toddler About Their Preschool Experience, The Value of a Parent Satisfaction Survey for Child Care Providers, Guide to Effective Parent-Teacher Conferences (With Free Form), Leadership-based Teaching & Supporting Families [Webinar], How To Create Fun Learning Experiences For Young Children, How To Practice Mindfulness When Working With Young Children, 20 Affirmations Besides “Good Job!” to Promote Positive Self-Esteem for Preschoolers. —These ideas from a presentation by John H. Wherry, Ed.D., President, The Parent Institute, Or perhaps you need assistance in preparing a classroom craft activity ahead of time. Provide them with a short biography about yourself, your educational background and your interests. HiMama empowers teachers to make observations on each child in their care throughout the day and automatically create detailed reports that track development over time. variety of outcomes for children and help set them on the path to school success Getting parents involved in your preschool classroom doesn’t have to be difficult. Do they have a special talent that they would like to share with the class? Once they are aware that they can have a say in what is taught in the classroom, parents may want to help shape what their child learns throughout the day. Your email address will not be published. She is particularly interested in finding novel ways for child care centers to market themselves and bolster their enrollment. These can then be shared with parents, opening the lines of communication and putting them both on the same page. Find Out Why We're Rated Best Childcare Software in the Market. Today’s parents are more involved than they’ve ever been with their children’s development. Your email address will not be published. parent involvement activities for preschool, How HiMama Engages Parents in a More Meaningful Way than Facebook, 5 Steps for More Effective Communication With Parents, Examples of Parent Communication From Teachers, 7 Ways to Make Parents Actually Read Notices, How to Add Digital Parent Communications to Your Child Care Center, How to Create a Parent Handbook for Daycares, Parent Involvement Activities for Preschool, What to Expect as a Pre-K Parent Volunteer, Talking to Your Toddler About Their Preschool Experience, The Value of a Parent Satisfaction Survey for Child Care Providers, Guide to Effective Parent-Teacher Conferences (With Free Form), The Power of Gratitude in a Culture of Burnout, How To Build A Positive Financial Mindset, Leadership-based Teaching & Supporting Families [Webinar], How To Create Fun Learning Experiences For Young Children. Parental Involvement Toolbox. You could also ask them to prepare a traditional dish from their culture and explain the traditions of their country of origin. When a new child is enrolled in your preschool, your first parent involvement activity should be getting to know the family, and letting them get to know a bit more about you. HiMama is a B Corp certified social purpose business that is committed to supporting child care professionals and families through its #1 rated software, blog, Preschool Podcast, Child Care Benchmark Report, ECE of the Year award and more. When a parent actually have a connection with their child’s school, that parent will understand the curriculum a little more that is being taught to their child and it will help on advancing the child to the next level.