Early Years teachers are committed to the healthy development of children, however we can’t forget this task requires parents and practitioners to constantly collaborate.
Why is parental involvement important in early childhood education?
A child’s growth and development isn’t something that can be scheduled to occur at a specific time. Whether it’s at home or in the nursery, children absorb information from their surroundings on an on-going basis. This is why being supportive throughout their progress is essential.
Some benefits of parent involvement include:
- Reinforcing valuable lessons they’re learning at the nursery, thus providing a better experience.
- Exposure to new growth opportunities. The learning that occurs outside the nursery allows for constant acknowledgement of new environments.
- Development of positive attitudes towards learning. Seeing their parents enthusiastic about learning will encourage children to imitate this behaviour.
Early childhood is a crucial period in a little one’s life, what happens at this stage will impact their future. Parents’ support and involvement at a young age can lay the foundation for successful experiences in primary school and beyond.
How to increase parent involvement in the Early Years?
Get feedback from parents
Once parents become familiar with your activities or curriculum, discuss with them what topics and skills they’d like to see covered.
Ask what they’re currently finding difficult about raising their little ones and offer advice or ideas for activities they can do at home to support their children’s learning and development.
Keep them in the loop
Daily reports and observations can help keep parents in the loop with their child’s progress, but it’s important not to overwhelm them – you know how busy parents are! Instead, offer meaningful updates and learning journeys supported by photos and next steps, which are easier to understand.
Create parent resources online
Early Years teachers have vast knowledge about how to facilitate learning and development. Why not share that information and make it accessible to parents?
Some valuable ideas include creating a nursery blog, downloadable guides, videos, or newsletters, which parents can access in their own time.
Create parent groups
If your business has a social media presence, it can be helpful to create parent groups for them to interact, ask questions, and learn from each other’s experiences.
You can use Facebook groups or your nursery’s website to upload resource materials and practical ideas that parents can try at home.
Looking to bring your nursery business to the next level?
Now is the best time to give your nursery setting the competitive edge it needs and help you reach your occupancy goals. Don’t forget that Nursery Story has been created to support Early Years practitioners and parents. Our childcare software makes it easy to communicate with parents to keep them involved in their child’s daily activities.
