To learn how to set up a parent/school partnership
The parents are the child’s first and most important teachers. They are responsible not only for what a child knows but also for what he believes and values. From the beginning, children’s feelings about themselves and amount of confidence they have in their own abilities are an outgrowth of the experiences they have had ay home. Children learn from a very young age the kinds of behaviors their parents value and the things they disapprove of. Children judge their self-worth by the kinds of feed-back they receive at home as they meet or fall short of their parents’ expectations.
The teacher who develops a close relationship with a child’s family can share information and perceptions of the child with the family. This shared knowledge can provide the basis of a school/parent partnership with long-term benefits for the child.
Whether parents come to the child care setting on a regular basis or only on special occasions, a responsible early childhood teacher makes a special point of getting to know each one. Again, the parents can give us insights into a child’s feelings and concerns that cannot be derived from other sources. The parents also set the tone for how a child approaches child care. Although we may not be able to reach every child’s family, the more effort we, as teachers, make to establish a home/school partnership, the more likely we are to succeed.