Partnerships With Families


To ensure that programming is responsive to children’s sense of belonging to their families and communities and is culturally appropriate, it is helpful to consult with families and include their views.

What is a partnership?

A partnership between families and educators involves sharing information, ideas, concerns and questions about the child. Developing an effective partnership requires families and educators to take responsibility for sharing information with each other, and to consider and respect each other’s views and ideas.

It is important to remember that developing a partnership does not require families to ‘do things’ in the service, such as joining a parent committee, or helping with fundraising activities. Partnerships are about relationships rather than activities.

What are the benefits of partnerships?

When families and educators work in partnership, their combined knowledge of the child leads to decision-making that genuinely reflects the needs and interests of the child. Working closely with families also allows educators to gain a clear picture of the child and their family, which supports them to plan experiences that are meaningful to the child.

How do educators develop effective partnerships with families?

Participation can be an important way for families and services to build a relationship. Families are invited to contribute to services in many ways.

  • They can participate in decision making about their child and aspects of the service that will impact on the care of their child such as policies and procedures.
  • Families are invited to share information about their child’s experiences and interests outside of the service. (web charts, child profiles, orientation/ transition sheets)
  • Families are encouraged to discuss ideas, issues or concerns that they have with the educators and/or asked to provide feedback about the service, and this is valued and acted upon. ( parent meeting, information nights)
  • The service has an ‘open door’ policy, in which families are welcome to visit the service at any time.
  • Providing resources, equipment or their time by taking part in the services program
  • Role on the parent committee
  • Involving their thoughts and ideas in the daily communication book/journal/visual diary.
  • It is important that families are provided with information about the service’s philosophy and operations. A web chart could be developed demonstrating to parents the intent of the services philosophy and the influence that has on both educators and children in relation to curriculum.
Set up an area for parents to include their feedback on want this practice looks like to them within their home.



This background information can assist families to feel confident to be involved in decision making about their child’s care and education.

Developing strong and trusting relationships between families and educators ensures the practices implemented within the centre are complimentary with their own. The child feels secure knowing that both their educators and their family care for them in a consistent approach. These relationships empower educators to feel confident in providing a curriculum that is founded on a complete picture of the child.

The following reflective questions may assist educators to think about the effectiveness of their partnerships with the families in their early childhood setting:
  • How do I make families feel welcome?
  • As an educator how do I encourage families to contribute to their child’s care and experiences?
  • Do I listen to families concerns and as a professional provide support options and information?
  • What opportunities do I provide families with information to include in the curriculum about their child?
  • How do families find out about their child’s day, relationships and unusual circumstances/events?
  • Do I ask families for their opinions or feedback about the services operations and decisions that affect their child?
  • How can documentation be shared with Families?
Encourage families to share observations of their children’s learning at home, as well as the family’s expectations or suggestions for extending this learning within the service. Communicating children’s learning in a range of ways, depending on the context of the setting, means that more families may be involved in sharing their children’s learning progress.

Linking Home with the Early Education Service

Families are provided with clear information about their child by the educators including regular information about their child’s experiences. 

Ella's "Magical Moments" Observations of Poppy

 

Recorded 24 May 2010

"...I hear a burst of excited shrieks followed by gales of laughter and I look over towards the sandpit to see what has happened to cause so much laughter.

"At first Poppy I cannot see you, are you hiding from me? I look again and then see you peeping out at me from behind the tarpaulin that is hung over the fence, with a VERY cheeky smile on your face. “Peebo!” you say to me and then burst out laughing again!!

"Suddenly you shriek out loud as the wind gusts and the tarpaulin blows up into the air – “I can see you Poppy” I call, as suddenly you are visible.

"Your eyes are twinkling and bright with merriment and I can tell that you are enjoying this game!!!

"You jump up like a spring, and I watch with a huge smile on my face as you leap up trying to catch the edge of the tarpaulin to hide you again.

"Each time the wind gusts and blows the tarpaulin a bit higher, you erupt into giggles again – it is so infectious Poppy that I have to laugh too!!

"Suddenly, just as the wind drops, you give a huge leap and manage to grab hold of the edge – “I a big girl” you shout with the biggest smile on your face!!

"You pull the tarpaulin down with you and hide behind it again. Your friends come over to join in and soon I can hear more bursts of laughter as you take it in turns to run out from behind the tarpaulin and race back in again.

"It is wonderful to see you having so much fun Poppy!!! You remind us just how amazing the simple things in life are! 		 



EYLF Learning Outcomes

Outcome 1:
Poppy is showing she is developing a strong identity as she confidently explores and engages with social and physical environments through relationships and play.

Ouctome 2:
Poppy is becoming increasingly connected with her world as she playfully responds positively to others, reaching out for company and friendships.

Dispositions Displayed:
Practicing, Explorative, Imaginative, Cooperative, Confidence, Curiosity, Enthusiasm.

Onward Adventures:
I wonder how the children would like to build a cubby with material etc from the tree?

Recorded 2 June 2010

"..We made a cubby under the verandah rather than in the tree as the children wanted to hang the net from the hook. Underneath the net went the little table and chairs and a selection of books.

"Poppy you immediately were drawn to the area, and you climbed underneath the netting to sit at the table to read a book. “It in Night Garden Ella!” you said and you were so excited!! Your eyes were shining and you were virtually bouncing up and down on your chair!! You were peeking around the net at me as I said “I can’t see you Poppy!!” – you had such a cheeky smile on your face as you said “I here!” You were really happy when Alex came in and sat with you, and you shared the books really nicely Poppy.

"Well done, I was very proud of you. It was so great to see you playing so happily and so willing to try a new experience Poppy. "  
 

I wonder what Poppy's family think of this Magical Moment?

"This is so cute. You must know Poppy very well because this sums up her personality perfectly. "Poppy is very enthusiastic and often invents little games by herself, this is a classic example. I especially like your mention of Poppy saying "...I a big girl!" as its a phrase she uses countless times each day. "I’m so glad Poppy is having such a wonderful time at day-care!  Love Mum"
 

Thank you to Willetton CCC and Revolution Learning for allowing PSCWA to include this in our article.

Observation


Encouraging children and families to evaluate the program also helps them to feel they belong in the service and the opportunity to contribute to the program. When everyone becomes involved in assessing learning the result is a curriculum that is reflective, responsive and focused on furthering individual children’s learning.

In the middle of the web the educator can write about an interest or project that the individual or a group of children are currently exploring. Families are encouraged to provide their thoughts in the boxes interlinking the family/ educator plan.

Orientation/Transition Questions

When children first start in the centre or have transitioned from another room take the opportunity to ask families the following questions:
  1. What are your child’s strengths?
  2. What is your child’s passion?
  3. What are you expectations on learning opportunities for your child within this new room environment?
Feedback from families will increase the knowledge and understanding that of individual children for educators which will enable strategies to be developed to support all children with their learning.

Provide the families with a set of goals you have developed for 6 months to include the children’s passions, strengths and how you can work in partnership with the family in the development of their child.

Explaining to Families what you are Observing

Part of being an educator is to inform families on observation techniques used in your service. The reason you may not be receiving family input is because the parent may not understand what you are writing about or what you would like them to provide. Provide families with an overview in terminology that they will understand. This may also be a good chance to get families familiar with the importance of dispositions and the outcomes of the early years learning framework.  Refer to the examples given below.

How does play support children’s development and learning?

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
This is active play using large and small muscles such as climbing, running, ball games, digging, jumping, and dancing. It supports children’s overall health and sense of wellbeing, physical growth, appreciation for the benefits of active lifestyles and skills for independence in self-help such as dressing or feeding.

A clear example would be a toddler who has gone outdoors without his hat and then remembers saying “not burn” resulting with him racing back inside and up a few steps to his locker. He opens his bag and removes his hat and puts it on his head and off he goes back outside. We can see the toddler’s gross motor skills evident as he climbs the steps, fine motor as he opens his bag, however let’s think about the dispositions and learning outcomes he is showing? 

He is showing dispositions such as:
  • Confidence (racing up the steps and getting is hat all by himself!);
  • Commitment and Responsibility (understanding he needs his hat to play outside); and 
  • Understanding and Inquisitiveness (learning about the natural world and affects on his body)

Which Learning Outcomes could this relate to?

Learning Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world. Key component ‘Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment’

Learning Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing specifically relating to key component ‘children taking increasing responsibility for their own health and physical wellbeing’

Social and Emotional Development: Dramatic and imaginative play including dressing up or role play can help to develop positive social and emotional skills and values by providing opportunities for children to:
  • practise how to work with others, learn negotiation skills, and make choices and decisions which are life skills;
  • develop confidence through experiencing feelings of success in play;
  • learn to control emotions, reduce impulsive behaviour, or reduce stress as they act out feelings and events that might be worrying them; and
  • develop qualities such as empathy and fairness as they learn to get along with other children.
Example situation: A small group of 4 year olds organise a fishing trip and discussion begins over the best bait. One child is saying that it’s worms, another thinks it’s a potato chip and one child is very concerned that the worm will be scared!

What dispositions could be evident shown?

What are we seeing? Communication? Empathy? Imagination? Curiosity? Cooperation? What else can you see? 

This example would include all Learning Outcomes if we look critically.  

INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT
Playing alone or with others and with toys such as construction sets, dolls, digital games, and pretend play supports children’s intellectual development because their brains are very active in this type of play.

From this play children learn:
  • problem solving skills;
  • the power of imagination and creativity;
  • concepts such as shapes, colours, measurement;
  • dispositions such as concentration and persistence which are important for life long learning.
Looking at Outcome 4..
Children are confident and involved learners will give educators a greater insight into how children use play to develop intellectually. Outcome 4 highlights the importance of dispositions such as curiosity, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity.

It would be a great opportunity to display these dispositions surrounded by photos of children at play so parents can see a wonderful picture of the learning occurring as children play.

LITERACY & NUMERACY DEVELOPMENT
Play supports literacy and numeracy development because it requires thinking, language, interactions, and exploration. Specific literacy or numeracy skills and understandings include:
  • increased understanding of words and their use;
  • listening and speaking skills;
  • writing skills through scribbling, painting, drawing;
  • how stories work (plot, characters, structure, purpose);
  • learning that objects can stand for something else (a block can be a symbol for a telephone) which is foundation learning for formal reading, spelling and numeracy because letters, words or numerals are part of symbol systems;
  • learning that letters, words, symbols, numerals and signs have a purpose and are meaningful to others.
Looking at Outcome 5..
Whilst this is probably quite obvious, for Learning Outcome 5 - Children are effective communicators, it is important that educators look holistically and see which background experiences and dispositions are supporting the child to develop these.

Using the example above (a child using a block as a telephone) would also relate to Outcome 4 - Children are confident and involved learners, with a key component stating "..children transfer and adapt what they have learned from one context to another".

Children use the dispositions of persistence and practice to learn new skills along with being resourceful, imaginative and curiosity to explore various ways of learning through play.

Diversity

Families that enrol children into service will be from a broad range of ages, cultural backgrounds and life experiences.
Communicating appropriately with culturally diverse families presents a challenge. Whilst it is not expected that you must learn to speak other languages, it does help if you can memorise key words and phrases, learn to pronounce their names correctly, and find out about the cultural norms of the families that use your service.

Consider the cultural backgrounds of all families particularly if English is the families’ second language. Some suggested strategies include:
  • Accessing bilingual resources form BISS or the Resource Centre.
  • Using photos and picture cards.
  • Offerering communication material in the child's home language.
Educators need to strive to gain a greater understand of each family constantly to support children’s belonging, being and becoming.

Dispositions children will show during play could include:
  • respectfulness and cooperation (understanding and accepting differences);
  • commitment (being open-minded and willingness to learn);
  • empathy and compassion (recognising and showing care for feelings of others); and
  • confidence (being proud for being me!).
Learning Outcome 1 - Children have a strong sense of identity; and Learning Outcome 2 - Children are connected and contribute to their world, are very supportive of the diversity, respect and fairness Educators encourage within their curriculums to honour differences of individuals and families.

There are many support services that will assist you in this:
  • Inclusion Support Facilitators;
  • PSCWA; and
  • BISSWA.
For further information about these support organisations call the PSCWA Helpline on 1800 783 768 or email pscwa@childaustralia.org.au

References

1. NCAC, Putting Children First
2. The Early Years learning Framework for Australia, Belonging, Being and Becoming.
3. Gowrie Australia, Assessment In The Early Years.
 

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