AnonyMouse_19536 Posted January 20, 2011 Posted January 20, 2011 Has anyone any suggestions of how my setting can involve parents more. We are a small setting, so when the children arrive, they have to be dropped off at the door due to lack of space. The supervisor welcomes the children in but the other staff have little or no contact with the parents. Each child has a book that goes home daily, in which their key person writes in but I feel this isn't enough. I would rather the opportunity to speak with them but not necesarily officially - as in parents eve. Any ideas are welcomed.
AnonyMouse_8466 Posted January 20, 2011 Posted January 20, 2011 I was at a setting a few weeks ago where they have a parents' rota - not for doing the washing up or anything, but an opportunity to sit with their child's key person and see their child at play. This gives an opportunity to see what goes on, what their child is like at nursery and also to get some quality feedback from the key person about their child's progress. They have parents' evenings too, but I liked the idea of the key person only having to prepare for a meeting with one parent at a time rather than the stress of meeting several parents over the course of three hours or so!
AnonyMouse_19920 Posted January 20, 2011 Posted January 20, 2011 we have a rota where all staff take a turn at opening the door at beginning and end of session so they are there to welcome and say goodbye the children and say hi/goodbye to parents x
Guest Posted January 21, 2011 Posted January 21, 2011 Evening- I am not sure whether you are in a preschool or a reception class but I am a reception teacher and these are some of the things we do. We have parent show and tell! Once a week a parent comes in to talk about their job or hobby- from this we have discovered lots of talents in our parents so now we have a regular chef, Gardner and one of my dads has just made the most amazing 10 foot totem pole! Once a new term they come in towards the end and they find out all about what we have been doing- I share their learning journals and then they take all the work that their children have been doing and they stick it in a topic book together. Also once a new term they come in to complete a project with their child so this term we are doing the wild west and on Thursday they are coming in to make covered wagons last term was transport and they came in to make a car from cake (like the skoda car!!!) the term before it was sewing a puppet. They also come in for phonics afternoons, and pe sessions. They are currently having judo so the parents are joining in for a couple of sessions. Sure lots of others have many other great suggestions. Good luck
Guest Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Hi, We are lucky in that we can let parents and children in one door and into the main room and then let parents out of another door when they have said goodbye. However we have a different member of staff taking an immediate register every day as children enter and different members of staff let parents in on collection. Rachel
AnonyMouse_19536 Posted January 26, 2011 Author Posted January 26, 2011 Thanks for all your replies and ideas. I like the idea of a different person on the door each day and I'm hoping to hold an open evening but some of the staff don't think that parents should be involved!!!! I will keep trying!!!!
AnonyMouse_19762 Posted January 26, 2011 Posted January 26, 2011 Thanks for all your replies and ideas. I like the idea of a different person on the door each day and I'm hoping to hold an open evening but some of the staff don't think that parents should be involved!!!! How sad...... Hope that you do manage to get something sorted out - good 'partnerships with parents' - absolutely crucial in my humble opinion
Guest Posted January 27, 2011 Posted January 27, 2011 Adding to your open evening comment we trialled a Learning Journeys meeting with parents late last term. A 10-15 minute session where they could come in and talk to their child's key person and share their Learning Journey and talk about any concerns. This was really popular with parents and the feedback was that they learnt a lot about what their children were doing, what they could do and what their next steps were. Feedback also said that they didn't know how many obs were done and why and what information it gave. Good luck Rachel
Guest Posted February 9, 2011 Posted February 9, 2011 Adding to your open evening comment we trialled a Learning Journeys meeting with parents late last term. A 10-15 minute session where they could come in and talk to their child's key person and share their Learning Journey and talk about any concerns. This was really popular with parents and the feedback was that they learnt a lot about what their children were doing, what they could do and what their next steps were. Feedback also said that they didn't know how many obs were done and why and what information it gave. Good luck Rachel We do something similar with our Foundation Stage children. The parents are invited in about 15 minutes early one afternoon and have the chance to see children's work, look through their child's learning journey and chat to the staff. Parents, children and staff all value this time!
Guest Posted February 9, 2011 Posted February 9, 2011 We do two mains things. The first is whole school - during the first week of every term all the children's work goes into a special book which is sent home - we take photos of the reception children as well and stick them in. The second thing is just something I do with reception/year1. Once a term the parents are invited in for the last 45mins of an afternoon. The children's books and learning journals are out for the parents to look at, as are a lot of toys, and we encourage the children to get their parents to come and play with them - lovely to see adults other than my TA and myself crawling around the classroom!!
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