| Parents
and Teachers
How to strengthen a wonderful partnership.
by Elana Helfgott
PARENTGUIDE NEWS February 2008
Sending children to preschool was once viewed as a luxury
that only a small portion of families did. The latest research, however,
shows that children even at the age of 2 can benefit tremendously from
being in an appropriate preschool environment, one that understands child
development.
Preschool provides young children with early opportunities to socialize,
become independent, develop sharing skills and amass early literacy and
language skills that are imperative for a child’s future success.
Having the correct fit between a teacher and child is also crucial. Through
a teacher’s eyes, a child is seen from an impartial perspective.
A trained teacher is able to remain objective about a child’s development,
in reference to classrooms full of children through the years. A teacher
can often ascertain a child’s strengths to further promote, and
weaknesses that can be worked on in partnership with parents.
Parent-teacher conferences represent a great time to assess children’s
development. Conferences also allow parents and teachers to meet formally,
and often for parents to connect with their children’s assistant
teacher. The teachers should be able to identify each child’s strengths
and weaknesses, note progress and explain a plan to maximize children’s
development.
As a parent, attempt to speak with all school professionals who associate
with your child on a daily basis. Perhaps at drop-off or pick-up time,
teachers can casually share an anecdotal story with parents. If this is
not possible, teachers may call parents to reveal something special that
happened that day concerning a child.
As a parent, I know how wonderful anecdotal stories make parents feel.
Such reflection reassures you, the parent, that someone else is looking
out for and acknowledging your child’s development. Many times when
a child has a weakness that needs to be addressed, a teacher can suggest
an evaluation to a parent. The evaluation may then lead to early intervention
of various therapies in the case of special needs issues and learning
difficulties. Early intervention and diagnosis make a world of difference
in how a child may progress and benefit from therapies.
In addition to preparing children for school and other opportunities for
further socialization, an empowering preschool environment informs children
about each other’s differences to broaden children’s horizons.
It is a place where children begin functioning in a small community and
become aware of other people’s needs and perspectives.
Modeling religious and/or community values in a caring environment helps
lay the foundation for children to become caring, generous and loving
people who look out for each other and the environment. Preschoolers are
our future generation who must be nurtured from the very start of their
emotional, social and academic development.
As a parent and a preschool director, I feel so fortunate to be able to
interact with my own children as well as the students in the preschool.
The dual roles give me great perspective on the wonderful partnership
that can occur between parents and teachers in order to maximize a child’s
development.
Ways to Enhance the Parent-Teacher Relationship
For Parents
•Always come prepared to parent-teacher conferences. Have a notebook
and pen handy.
•At conferences, ask specific questions regarding your child’s
development. Here are some examples: What is my child’s disposition
like at school? What activities does my child like to be involved in?
Which children does my child like to play with? Does my child have the
appropriate skills for socialization at his or her age? Who would be a
good friend to invite over to our home? Where do you see my child’s
growth so far? What can we do at home to facilitate his or her continued
growth, learning and development? How does my child react to circle time?
Is he or she engaged in classroom discussions? How are my child’s
gross motor skills? How are my child’s fine motor skills?
For Teachers
•Monthly newsletters and weekly notes serve as helpful ways to communicate
with parents.
•At parent-teacher conferences, parents want to know about your
curriculum and classroom activities, as well as specifics about their
children. Consider keeping a folder on each child. These folders should
contain anecdotal notes and samples of each child’s work. Start
these folders in the beginning of the school year and refer to them periodically
to show a child’s development.
•When speaking to parents of children who you think might need evaluations,
never wait for a parent-teacher conference to discuss these issues. Discussions
regarding evaluations should take place before the scheduled parent-teacher
conferences, and allow for more time, preventing parents from feeling
rushed or deterred from asking appropriate questions.
•Parents need to feel the support of teachers and the school director
during the evaluation process. This partnership allows parents and teachers
to work together on helping a child to reach his or her maximum potential.
Children who are fortunate to benefit from this joint partnership may
remain at the head of the class and empowered in their total development.
Elana Helfgott is the new early childhood director
at Old Westbury Hebrew Congregation Preschool.
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