Parent-Teacher Partnership: How To Set
Students up for Success
The preschool years are perhaps some of the most definitive years in a child’s life. During these formative years, children grow at a rapid pace mentally, emotionally, and physically. As they develop new motor, social, and emotional skills, it’s important that both parents and educators foster these new skill developments in a way that allows them to succeed in the classroom setting.
Today, we’re taking a closer look at the importance of parent-teacher relationships in early Head Start programs. More importantly, we’ll explore what both parents and educators can do to provide the most fruitful environment for a child.
Importance of Parent-Teacher Partnerships in Head Start
Early Childhood education classrooms are critical to a child’s success and can lay the foundation for skills and habits that will significantly impact them throughout the rest of their life. While the data is clear that Early Childhood education provides significant benefits that should not be ignored, there is another critical element that should be paid attention to as well — the parent and teacher partnership.
When parents and Head Start teachers come together to form a teacher and parent partnership, the benefits are simply unmatched. Parents and teachers are some of the most critical stakeholders in a child’s life, and when they come together, they can cover all the bases regarding educational goals, social and emotional objectives, and other milestones they want to see a child meet.
Parents bring invaluable information about their child’s abilities including what their interests are, hobbies, skills, strengths, weaknesses, and much more. Meanwhile, the role of an Early Childhood educator is to help children succeed using the right tools and teaching methods.
When both parties work together, they can help a child unlock their capabilities, explore new skills, and develop and meet attainable goals in their educational journey.
What Are the Benefits of Having a Parent-Teacher Partnership?
When you foster a parent-teacher partnership, there are a flurry of benefits that will follow. For starters, parents will have a solid understanding of what their child’s experience will be like when they are at school.
If you are a parent, you will have an overall understanding about a teacher’s teaching style and philosophy. This will allow you to facilitate a more fruitful relationship with your child’s teacher because you’ll know the structure, routine, and overall expectations a Head Start teacher has with their students and families.
Head Start teachers who foster a positive relationship with parents will also have an easier time voicing observations and concerns they may have about a child’s development. When they can voice these concerns with parents, they get closer to knowing just how to serve the needs of the children they work with.
Additionally, children will have an overall improved school experience when both parents and educators are aligned on a student’s goals. When a child has a positive school experience especially during these formative years, their outlook on school will carry with them as they progress in their education. Often, when a child has a negative outlook on school, this can be a difficult perspective to reverse.
How Can Parents Help Support Their Child in Head Start?
Children can go to the best school districts, have the best teachers, and still face challenges with their experience at school. Across the board, parents play a critical factor in how their child will interact with school and their overall feelings about school.
To help give your child the best chance at a rewarding educational experience, even at the Head Start level, there are plenty of ways you as a parent can support your child. Below are some of the most effective and easy habits that you can implement today to help support your child in their Head Start program.
Keep Lines of Communication Open
Communication can be something as simple as a parent alerting a teacher that their child had a rough morning and that they may be grumpy at the start of the day. When communication happens on small scales at this level, it sets the tone for the entire partnership, making it easier for both parents and teachers to feel comfortable coming to one another when they have concerns they want to discuss regarding a child’s development or educational experience. Open lines of communication are important, especially when educators want to connect parents to additional Early Childhood education resources.
Understand Your Child’s Developmental Needs
Parents should always be their child’s biggest advocate, and for many parents, the easiest thing they can do to help foster a positive parent-teacher relationship is understanding their child’s needs and being able to voice those needs to Head Start educators.
You don’t need to have a background in education to understand your child’s educational needs. Instead, you should have your finger on the pulse of your child’s overall feelings about school. To provide insight into the overall well-being of your child, you should assess your child’s:
- Strengths and weaknesses
- Fears about school
- Naptime and bathroom routines
- Motor skills and cognitive development
- Other factors you think are important for your child’s teacher to know
Speak With Your Child About School
Lastly, you should always speak to your child about school and their feelings of school. When you debrief with your child, you’ll get a sense of how they feel about school. You can then pass on these concerns and observations to your child’s teacher so they can address or resolve any issues that may have fallen through the cracks.
Collaborate in Parent-Teacher Relationships
Throughout the parent-teacher relationship, collaboration is key. Between both these parties, collaboration ensures that a child is set up for success and that their needs are met throughout every stage of their developmental journey.
The following are just some of the ways both parents and teachers can maintain collaboration:
- Send updates when needed: Both parties should keep each other informed with regular updates when they are needed. This will help foster a collaborative spirit that is in the best interest of the child.
- Consistency is key: Navigating any relationship can be difficult. Consistency and routine is key and will help both parents and educators maintain an effective relationship that ensures a child’s needs are met.
- Keep an open mind: Both parties should always keep an open mind about different processes, methods, and approaches to their child’s development.
- Encourage a child’s interests: Both parties should always encourage a child to explore their interests even if they express those interests in only the classroom or home setting and not the other. Parents can provide insight into a child’s interests, while teachers can use their knowledge of professional development for Early Childhood educators to help a child succeed.
Parent-Teacher Relationships Extend Beyond Just the Child
Benefits of collaboration through parent-teacher relationships don’t stop at just a student. In fact, the benefits extend well beyond the child and can have a significant impact on the overall dynamic of how a child experiences life. Head Start programs can often connect parents and families to critical resources in their communities that will support not only the child but also the family unit itself.
When collaboration happens through parent-teacher relationships, families can naturally widen their reach for access to resources that may serve them in areas of life beyond education.
Ready to begin your journey in Early Childhood education? View our early Head Start jobs today.
