In my last blog, I discussed why it’s important for center owners, administrators, teachers and parents to come together as a community to help ensure the most positive experiences for children.
Today, I want to go a little deeper and discuss in more detail why it’s critical that you engage parents and have them share the responsibility of helping kids meet age-specific learning and developmental objectives.
First, it helps extend learning outside the classroom walls. Learning doesn’t and shouldn’t occur in a vacuum. Children are taking in the world around them every waking minute—whether in the classroom, at home or in all the places in between.
It’s important for parents to know what their children are learning in school so they can supplement these lessons with concrete examples outside your walls. For example, if you’re teaching numbers, shapes and colors, talk to parents at your center about reinforcing these topics during trips to the grocery store. By doing this, they’ll help strengthen classroom lessons in a real-world setting.
Second, parent engagement is often the number-one predictor of academic achievement. While some might argue that it’s based on social, economic or educational status, studies have shown the impact of other factors. What really matters is the time parents devote to encouraging learning outside the classroom and how much they involve themselves in the process.
If you get parents engaged, you’ll see a profound difference in your classroom—which means a more successful school.
You likely give parents regular updates on what you’re working on with their kids. Still, parents are bound to have more questions than there are hours in the day. And short of you being available 24/7, they can benefit from additional guidance and info.
While there are numerous resources you can recommend, there’s only one based on the same insights that you, yourself, picked up on your way to becoming a teacher.
ParentEducate.com offers 70+ engaging online courses that feature research-based parenting techniques. Created by ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI), the number-one online trainer of early childhood educators, ParentEducate.com helps parents conveniently become pros on infant- to school-aged care.
And now thanks to CCEI, parents at your center can receive 20% off a one-month subscription to ParentEducate.com, using the code MN1month now through July 31, 2021.
Click HERE to learn more about ParentEducate.com and how your students’ parents can start using it today!
ABOUT PARENTEDUCATE.COM
ParentEducate.com is where parents go to learn research-based parenting techniques. Launched by the same team behind accredited training provider, ChildCare Education Institute, ParentEducate.com offers parents the same level of quality classes as those taken by the nation’s leading early childhood educators. With ParentEducate.com, families can easily access a catalog of engaging web-based courses from anywhere, at any time on any device. For more information, please visit ParentEducate.com.
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Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the early care and education field. Most recently, Andrew served as Senior Vice President of Partnership and Engagement with Acelero Learning and Shine Early Learning, where he led the expansion of state and community-based partnerships to produce more equitable systems of service delivery, improved programmatic quality, and greater outcomes for communities, children and families. Prior to that, he served as Director of Early Learning at Follett School Solutions.
Andrew earned his MBA from the University of Baltimore and Towson University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland – University College.
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Jan holds a CPA from the State of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lycoming College. She resides in Alexandria VA with her husband and dog.
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