engaging with paretns

[skippy]

Hi

 

We have been going through some reflective practice and feel we do not offer parents ways to support their Child's learning at home. I wondered what you do? We have a general leaflet in our parent pack on the eyfs but I was looking at offering more specific ideas? Is this advisable and can anyone offer any suggestions.

Thanks

[Guest]

we put a board out on monday morning detailing activities/main learning focus for the week e.g. rhyme/shape. we also send letters. parents are given next steps for prime areas for the half term and a next steps book for literacy and numeracy which change as soon as they are achieved. next steps detail how they can support their child at home. and we have lots of chats with own key children's parents, e.g. a mum said on friday her daughter is writing her name backwards again, so we agreed we'd both get her to write it every day for a week and try to break the habit!

[Guest]

Hi,

Our parents receive a copy of their child's longer observations with space for comments and suggestions for next steps and also a copy of the individual learning plan which shows the child's interests and next step in each area, again with space for comments. We use a home school diary and also have activity packs which cover familiar rhymes e.g 5 little ducks, old McDonald, Round and round the garden with props, letter and number activities, such as tracing and copying, threading games and creative packs. These are very popular with both the children and the parents

[zigzag]

It was suggested during my Ofsted inspection last week that I produce packs to take home, great idea when you say it quickly but thers ofce go some more unpaid hours!! Would love to hear some ideas of what you provide for parents.

[korkycat]

We do a general leaflet for each half term with an idea if what we might be covering over the next few weeks/ snacks which will be provided and a few ideas of how they can help - general stuff like looking for letters/ shapes in the outside environment; simple activities such as matching pairs of socks etc. We also provide next steps in the termly reports and of course talk to as many parents as possible as often as possible.

korkycat

[Guest]

It was suggested during my Ofsted inspection last week that I produce packs to take home, great idea when you say it quickly but thers ofce go some more unpaid hours!! Would love to hear some ideas of what you provide for parents.

i'd like to send bits home, but it's the time factor, isn't it? i would like a bit of a life too!!! we send story sacks home after easter, with a book and a prop from story, and some ideas for how to use the book. i have attached one of the sheets. it has taken ages to build up, and every year we lose lots through damage and parents losing books/toys/sheets etc. and i always get left to replenish them ......

 

5 little ducks story sack.doc

[Foreveryoung]

We do song sheets which have laminated pull offs as this is how children select songs at group, we have song bags with items in like ducks, bus, rabbit etc just cheap book bags with laminated sheet in saying how to communicate with your child effectively and then the song words, running alongside this we have a libary box of books parents can lend for free. We also produced a few work sheets, like a rocket made up of simple shapes just on word nothing spectacular then there are the cut out shapes so children can fit them on. These work sheets however go out only as part if a child's target so we can keep an eye on them, we also have a small version of our song board with a booklet of words.

We also have numerous copies of reward charts as these always come in handy to give out when parents come in at end of their tether as we talk to child, parent and let them choose a reward chart then it adds to the emphasis for the child to do it at home, they can then bring it in when done for a pick out of our special box (literally it's not got much in) it's just something to help especially when parents are on verge of screaming.

We also have various leaflets.

On top of this when we set a new target we send it home and put it on tapestry with what they can do at home to support there child. x

[Guest]

We have a library system that our children love and I'm in the process of setting up take home song sacks for our 2 year olds too.

 

We also have a learning tree in our setting, where parents can write on a gift tag if their child has done something that made them go "wow" and hang it on the tree for their key person to put in their folder.

[SueFinanceManager]

In the forum Articles area here http://eyfs.info/articles/_/activity-support/ (Please note many of these articles are members only resources) there are a series of articles using books as a starting point for example this one Using "The Gruffalo" as a Focus for Activities

In the article Juliet links the story to the different areas of the EYFS so maybe you could pick out a couple of activities and ask parents to look at those and send home a copy of the book with the suggested areas for them to consider.

Maybe tweaking ours would save you having to spend hours preparing your own

[thumperrabbit]

_{Thanks for all these ideas!}

_{We used to have amazing Parental Involvement, but the last couple of years it has really dropped off, most people drop off and run out the door as quick as they can - think it's before we can grab them about joining the committee}

[zigzag]

We do a book bag scheme that enables children and parents to change a book daily, I send home activity sheets such as Scavenger hunts and other activity ideas when they are relevant, we have open mornings and also get parents to sign next steps sheets each month. Am really not feeling enthusiastic about putting packs together. (half the time the books in the book bags are not even read)

[sunnyday]

Am really not feeling enthusiastic about putting packs together. (half the time the books in the book bags are not even read)

Funny you should say that........

Sent 'Bookstart packs' home last week - lovely note of thanks from a dad (via Daily Contact book) telling me that his little boy loved one of the books and insisted on that one for his bedtime story - so I read it today as our group story - one of the children said "I've got that book" - I said "you have all got this book"..........sad to say several children said "I haven't".........so what conclusion do I draw from that

[zigzag]

It breaks my heart when all the lovely creative work that the children have done is still in the book bag three weeks later! Don't get me wrong, we do actually have a really nice bunch of parents and they are organising a fantastic Xmas fundraiser for us. But I am blowed if I am giving up even MORE of my time if the end result is not going to be used!!

[lashes2508]

Zigzag, we have large art books that the children can access to daw into directly or glue in their pictures and paintings. We send them home each half term and encourage parents to help their child add pictures, tickets etc of what they have been doing and then it gives us a talking point on their return.

[Rosebud37]

We use tapestry and at the bottom of some of our observations we add "extension ideas". These are ideas for us to do / provide in the setting but parents pick up on them too and often carry on with them at home.

[Guest]

Harmony, would you be able to share an example of a song sack?

[blondie]

we put up what activities the children will be taking part in this week and what the learning intention is - hopefully the parent can use this as starting point at home. i think there is too much pressure on us -we can only do as much as we can and it is up to parents as to whether they do any learning at home - sadly most of them don't want to do this.