Family is the most critical aspect of a child’s life. It is through experiences in family life that children begin to develop attitudes regarding the acceptance and respect of other people as individuals. It is also through families that children develop a sense of themselves as individuals and establish their own identity and degree of self-esteem.
We recognize and celebrate the fact that all children and families are unique. It is extremely important that we learn as much as possible about your child and family so we may incorporate what makes him/her special in planning for the classroom and home visits. Teachers and home visitors utilize the following questions in collecting information about your family:
- What is the composition of your family?
- What community does your family live in? How long have you lived there?
- What does your family enjoy doing together for recreation?
- What are your child’s likes/dislikes?
- Do you ever cook with your child?
- Is there anything special you would like to do with the children in the classroom (cook, read to them, music activity)?
- What is the ethnic background of your family?
- Are there special traditions to be shared?
- Do you read to your child? What are some of your child’s favorite stories?
Once we have realized what your child values and holds dear, we then build those things into the daily life of the classroom and home visit. This helps form an extremely solid link between home and school, and most importantly helps develop a strong and positive self-concept.
Families and holidays are a natural combination, so we want holiday celebrations to support children’s experiences at home. It is important that celebrations are appropriate for the age of the children.