To help young educators: Learning to interact with parentsconsultation
Learning to interact with parentsHOW TO INVOLVE PARENTS IN WORK IN KINDERGARTEN
Today, all experts recognize the importance of involving parents in participating in the work of a kindergarten, but there is a certain disharmony in the actual relationship between educators and parents. Both personal and professional factors can hinder the development of these relationships: lack of time, feelings of inadequacy, ethnic stereotypes, and feelings of resentment can all lead to the formation of personal and professional biases that prevent families from becoming active participants in raising their children. Therefore, educators must take the initiative and understand how to interact with each individual family for the benefit of the child. Using a personalized approach to parent involvement, a variety of ways can be developed to involve the majority of families.
There are five levels of parental involvement:
1) provision of one-time assistance;
2) the abilities of parents are used from time to time when conducting classes;
3) parents become voluntary assistants on a permanent basis;
4) parents help determine the main directions of work in the group;
5) parents participate in the discussion of broader issues, the solution of which should have a beneficial effect on the work of the kindergarten and the life of the neighborhood as a whole.
In each of the options, parents have the opportunity to exchange experiences, learning from each other certain skills, so as the work continues, the parents' opportunities will increase. The teacher should always be ready to provide support to parents, regardless of the extent to which they or other members of the child's family choose to participate in the group. Unobtrusive help and support will allow parents who feel confident enough to work independently; for those who are not so confident in their abilities, they will provide an opportunity for further growth and improvement.
In order to positively influence the desire of a particular family to participate in the work of the group, the teacher must know all the parents of his group well and take into account the individual characteristics of not only different families, but also the members of each family.
Relying on the positive qualities of parents and their strengths predetermines success in work. As the relationship develops, trust grows, and parents acquire certain authority, using the opportunities and means necessary to raise the child.
39 IDEAS FOR ENGAGING PARENTS IN INTERACTION WITH KINDERGARTEN
Create and use opportunities for direct communication
Use a variety of activities that create opportunities for parents and caregivers to collaborate and share information with each other. Create opportunities and time for discussions with families, always leaving enough time for parent questions. Learn to listen well. Below are some activities that have been used successfully in the Step by Step program.
1. First visits to kindergarten.
Before a child starts attending kindergarten, parents should come to classes and get to know the teachers, other children, and the kindergarten in general.
2. Introductory meetings.
Once a child is enrolled in kindergarten, parent orientation meetings help parents meet teachers and other parents, learn about daily activities, and other useful information.
3. Home visits.
The provider may visit the child at home to get to know both the child and his family in the home environment.
4. When to bring and pick up your child.
The schedule can be designed so that the time when children are dropped off at daycare and picked up at home is used for communication with families.
5. Phone calls.
Telephone calls are made on special occasions or once a month to all parents to maintain informal communication with them.
6. Conferences of parents and educators.
Conferences are formal meetings designed to discuss children's progress and provide an opportunity for parents to share their ideas and concerns. Conferences can be used to jointly plan individualized programs.
Use written forms of communication
When time or scheduling issues prevent you from meeting with parents in person, or when you don't have a telephone, some forms of written communication can help you stay in touch with parents.
7. Brochures.
Brochures help parents learn about kindergarten. Brochures can describe the concept of the kindergarten and give general information about it.
8. Benefits.
The manuals contain detailed information about the kindergarten. Families can access benefits throughout the year.
9. Bulletin.
A newsletter can be issued once or twice a month to keep families informed about special events, program changes, and more.
10. Weekly notes.
A weekly note addressed directly to parents informs the family about the child's health, mood, behavior in kindergarten, his favorite activities and other information.
11. Informal notes.
Caregivers can send short notes home with the child to inform the family about the child's new achievement or skill just mastered, to thank the family for the help provided; there may be recordings of children's speech, interesting statements from the child, etc. Families can also send notes to the kindergarten expressing gratitude or containing requests.
12. Personal notebooks.
Such notebooks can travel between the kindergarten and the family every day to share information about what is happening at home and in the kindergarten. Families can notify caregivers about special family events, such as birthdays, new jobs, trips, guests.
13. Notice board.
A bulletin board is a wall display that informs parents about meetings, kindergarten events, daily schedules, etc.
14. Suggestion box.
This is a box in which parents can put notes with their ideas and suggestions, allowing them to share their thoughts with a group of educators.
15. Reports.
Written reports of child development are one form of communication with families that can be useful as long as they do not replace face-to-face contact.
Create multiple roles for parents
Parents can play different formal and informal roles in the program. Below are some of them.
16. Guest of the group.
Parents should be encouraged to come to the group to observe and play with their children.
17. Volunteer.
Parents and children may have common interests or skills. Adults can help teachers in the classroom, take part in performances, help organize events, provide transportation, help clean, arrange and decorate group rooms, etc.
18. Member of the parent council.
A parent council is a group of parents that meets regularly to advise educators on their theory and practice.
Develop work aimed at parents
19. Parents' cooperation with each other.
This is the help of more experienced parents to beginners. Group activities may include meeting for socializing or providing support.
20. Information for parents and their training.
The kindergarten provides parents with information on topics of interest to them about the child's development.
21.Informal meetings of parents and educators.
These are thematic meetings, evenings, etc.
22. Use of communication resources.
Communication between parents on issues related to employment, health, housing, child care, education and other family needs.
23. Literature exchange.
A kindergarten can create a library of interesting books, articles, booklets, video and audio tapes that parents could use.
Suggestions for working with parents
The tips below can help increase parental involvement.
24Respect for the role of parents.
Strengthen mutual respect between educators and parents.
25. Encourage and facilitate parental participation. Advise parents on how they can participate in the kindergarten program.
26. Try to diversify the types of parental involvement, be flexible and creative.
Different families have different interests, resources and lifestyles. What suits one family may not suit another.
27 Let families decide how they can best support the daycare center.
Make sure families understand that their participation in the program is valued and that any input from them is welcome.
28. Talk to families about the hopes of educators and parents. Discuss how you will maintain contact from the very beginning of your child's preschool experience.
29 Be patient.
Parent involvement may be a new area for educators and families, and developing new connections takes time. The program, in which parents actively participate, is built on small incremental achievements.
30. Emphasize the strengths of the child and family and provide positive reinforcement.
Parents and educators expect mutual approval and recognition from each other that they are doing their job well. Focus on and highlight the strengths of the child and family. Even experienced parents and educators need affirmation of their unique contributions to a child's development.
31. Maintain close contacts.
Every teacher should talk to each child's parents at least once a week.
32. Show your appreciation.
Let parents know you appreciate their participation in the program.
33. Try to involve the whole family.
Fathers are often excluded from preschool programs. Think about creative ways to involve fathers, siblings and other family members.
34. Encourage attendance at parent-teacher conferences. Hold meetings at a time convenient for parents. Help families find additional resources for raising children.
35. Maintain confidentiality.
Trust is an integral part of collaborative contacts. Ensure complete confidentiality of information about each family.
36. Learn collaboration skills.
Conduct joint training sessions for parents and educators to strengthen their cooperation.
37. Collaborate with other partners in your area.
Typically, families rely on different services and services. A preschool program cannot provide families with a full range of services, but it can work with other programs that provide children and parents with needed services (for example, school and health services).
38. Create a family counseling group.
SPECIAL TECHNIQUES FOR WORKING WITH “SILENT PEOPLE” AND “TALKERS”
In conversation with silent people:
1. Emphasize that you don't know what is important to them at the moment. For example, ask, “Which would you like to start with: this or that?”
2. Be careful in your conversation. Build your speech in accordance with the tone, speed and response of the interlocutor.
3. Learn to feel comfortable when your interlocutor is silent. Justify this silence out loud. For example: “It seems to me that I am asking you questions that are difficult for you. Did I say anything that bothered you?”
4. Emphasize the role of your partner in the conversation: “I can better help your child if I learn from you what is important to him. After all, you know him better than I do.” Emphasize that the partner has special knowledge about the subject of the conversation: “What you told me about your child’s fear of bedtime is very important. Do you mind if I ask you a few more questions before we decide how to help him?”
5. Remember that silence is normal. Don't try to fill the void with conversation.
In a conversation with “talkers”:
1. Before starting a conversation, agree on its content and time. For example:
— You have a lot of concerns about your child’s behavior. Today we can discuss only one of them, and we’ll talk about the rest later. — Could you tell us in a few words about... — Which task is most important for you this year? — We will need 40 minutes for today’s conversation. I need to touch on some issues and also get your point of view. “I must interrupt you because our time is up.”
2. Stop the conversation. For example:
- We have five minutes left. I need to start working on... When interrupting a conversation, be polite and considerate. For example: - You have so much to say about this, and I sense that you are upset that I am interrupting you... - Is there anyone else you could talk to about this, and I have to interrupt you, although I understand that this is important to you.
So, don't let yourself be led by talkative people. Remember: their needs are valid, and so are yours. Point out points of interest, limit time, plan ahead. You can interrupt the conversation. Develop a tactful “winding down” of the conversation.
HIGHLIGHTING PROBLEMS
This technique is useful when working with a family who has hidden their difficulties from you.
1. Check your attitude to the problem - is this problem important to you, or should it be resolved by the family.
2. If you decide to highlight the problem, take into account the possible reaction of the family.
3. Practice (by yourself or with employees) what you want to say to parents.
4. Choose a time to talk when children will not hear you. Try to avoid possible irritants during this time. Make sure that both you and your parents have enough time to discuss the problem.
5. Choose only one issue to discuss.
6. When you discuss a problem, try to relax and lower your voice slightly. Sometimes it helps if you say out loud how you feel: “I'm a little nervous talking about this and I don't want to embarrass you, but I know how much you care about your child, so I thought I'd share with you.”
7. Be prepared to get a “no” answer. Don't argue with your parents or insist on your point of view, just explain the reason for your concern again.
8. Be patient if parents do not want to discuss the problem you have raised. You can say, “If at any time in the future you want to talk about this, let me know.”
Avoid:
- argue with parents; - add new problems; - take a defensive position; - avoid the problem at hand.
WHAT PARENTS CAN DO IN KINDERGARTEN:
\— read stories, fairy tales, stories to children; - bring various toys for general games; - collect natural materials for children’s activities: pebbles, seeds, shells, etc.; — participate in holidays (for example, for the “My Family Day” holiday, bring albums, family heirlooms, tell children about yourself, your family, etc.).
FORMS OF WORK WITH THE FAMILY IN KINDERGARTEN
- Visiting family at home.
- Individual and group conversations.
- Parent meetings.
- Conferences.
- "Round tables".
- Seminars.
- Trainings.
