Getting mom and dad involved!

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Home : 2002 : July : 5

Getting mom and dad involved!
By Kimberly

My problem is getting the parents OUT OF MY ROOM!
ha ha (it is not a problem, I love them there)

I do A LOT with my parents. Here are a few of the things I do that keep them tied into my class.

First I make the expectation
know right from the start. The education of their child is a PARTNERSHIP. This means as thier parent they need to work together with me to help ensure success for thier child.
I make a concerted effort to let my parents know THEY ARE EXTREMELY important to the success their child will experience in my classroom. One way I do this is -I have a buletin board JUST FOR PARENTS.

I have my wish list posted, up coming events and poems, etc put up JUST FOR THEM.

I send home projects that need to be cut out for future projects to parents who work and are UN-able to come into the classroom to work.

I do a nursery rhyme unit, and will have a family night where mom and dad come to participate in activities set up around the room that pertain to nursery rhymes. Then they sit for a preformance from their kids. Each child in costume recites a nursery rhyme from memory. Talk about cute!

I do alot of plays/preformances - On the Thanksgiving day re-enactment - parents come to watch and help in the preperation of food. And of course to watch the darling preformance!

I cook ALOT in class and I never lack for mom OR dad helpers on those days.

I do a field day of nursery rhymes - BIG TIME FUN

I also have a mothers day tea, in which moms come to attend but not help.

I do a HUGE ocean unit which culminates in a Fish Feast. Everyone brings in fish - lobster, clams etc and EVERYONE tastes and chart results. This is always fun.

In line with the fish unit, we make wonderful creatures out of paperplates. This is a great project to send home for parents to put together and the kids to paint and decorate. By doing this, the parents have a vested interest i coming BACK to school to see what they look like.

On National Read Aloud day, I invite parents to come into the class to read to the class THEIR childhood favorite books. This is ALWAYS well attened.

Dr. Suess day is also a big parent invovement day.

We also do a huge unit on Indians and again we cook, do sand painting and this all requires mom and dad help!

I guess the best way to keep the parents invovled is for the chidlren to let their mom and dad know just how much they love having them in the room. I do this on Catholic Schools Week. Each child creates and sends home a card to their parents stating in their own words just how much they love haveing mom and dad help them lean. This is always well received.

Blessings
Kim