The success of children’s learning activities depends on their interest in the studying process and their parents’ support. That is why, establishing positive and productive relationships with families, teachers can contribute to developing the children’s abilities and to increasing the potential of the teacher-parent cooperation.
Positive relations with children’s families help create the comfortable atmosphere of studying when teachers and parents have the same goals, and they are oriented to developing the children’s skills and improving their knowledge. To establish positive and productive relationships with families, it is necessary to provide the ongoing communication between teachers and parents and attract families to participate in the studying activities and decision-making process.
The fact of establishing the cooperative relationships with the children’s parents is the significant component of the teacher’s competency. To provide quality early childhood education, it is important to plan the active work with parents in order to meet the requirements of the children’s development at the early age when the factor of communication with parents is very important for children.
At this stage, the teacher’s task is to learn more about the family in which a child is brought up. Brief questionnaires filled in by the children’s parents can help collect the most important information about the family and parents’ interests when it is little time to learn all the details while communicating personally.
The next step is to contact with parents regularly. To guarantee the parents’ responsiveness and interest in the children’s activities, it is necessary to inform them about all the significant events and children’s successes. The fact of sharing successes and presenting the information about children’s activities can help involve families in monitoring the progress.
The necessary information can be presented to parents at the meetings or with the help of e-mail. Moreover, the presentation of the children’s portfolios and collections of works can not only stimulate their further success but also attract parents to share the positive feedback and encourage children to work more carefully, increasing their motivation and interest.
Families are inclined to learn more about their children’s performance and progress. That is why, it is possible to involve parents in the decision-making process while developing the plan of studying activities. Moreover, parents can have their specific whishes in relation to definite activities.
The open dialogue between teachers and parents is effective for educators to accentuate the help which can be provided by parents in order to contribute to their children’s success. Thus, it is possible to give some advice about the books which are important to be read in families or about definite training activities which can help children adjust to a new schedule.
The active cooperation between teachers and families can be also realized when parents take part in the class activities as guests or participate in different celebrations and events. The parents’ help is necessary for the teacher when the celebration or event is organized. This type of cooperation help teachers complete their educational objectives, create the informal atmosphere in which children feel comfortably, and parents become interested in their children’s activity.
Thus, the educational process cannot be oriented only toward providing children with the necessary knowledge and developing their skills. To be effective, this process should be oriented toward the positive feedback, and this feedback can be measured not only by the children’s level of performance but also by the parents’ interest in their children’s school activities.