Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/family-gatherings/5017628/
I recently visited my daughter’s early childhood classroom. They were having a Fairy Tale character ball as part of their fairy tale investigation project. The children were grinning from ear to ear and were walking with a quick jump in their step. Any passerby could see the joy in the children’s faces. I overheard children reciting common phrases from The Three Little Pigs and Rapunzel.The underlying philosophy of the school and the so-called Hidden Parent Partnership (an accepted and expected partnership by both teachers and families that they will support each other) both supported this successful experience for the children. Every child attended in full costume with a food offering for the Ball’s feast. Many parents attended too �" each fulfilling his own role: cook, server, dancer, observer and listener, and documenter/photographer. Together the teachers, families, and children created a successful family gathering.
Developing a family partnership
There are four phases to consider when planning for a family partnership. To build a successful partnership, the center needs to:
• learn about itself
• learn about the families
• create a vision for the partnership
• use a family gathering to demonstrate its vision and to create a sustainable plan for the future.
A partnership ...