Internship 411 Mary Haas
This past week I spent my time talking with my students parents about their children registering for kindergarten.
Now the parents are wondering if their child is ready for school. I did a progress report on their children in January and no one came to me with questions are concerns.
Everyone of these children that I have, have socialization issues but the parents do not seem so concerned about these. They want to know if their child is ready in other ways such as knowing their letters , numbers, etc.. I also feel that socialization is a big deal.
I had one parent say that she was thinking of holding her child back because he does not listen. I tried to explain to her that he will listen when he wants, he is very immature and wants to be held a lot and likes to bother others to get his way. He also spends a lot of time crying when he is corrected or does not get his way. To mom he does not listen. I also see mom babying him a lot and I feel that he gets babied at home because he has an older brother who is going into the 6Th grade. I did tell mom that it might not be a bad thing to hold him back because he was so immature. She also thought that it might be a good idea. I did suggest that he get screened for kindergarten and let the kindergarten tell her what she or he thought. I do know that this child does struggle in my class with social issues and learning.
I have also talked with another parent about raising funds for a library that my center is starting. We are setting up a library for the children to check out books to take home. We feel that the parents and children need to spend some time reading together. As I am doing my research I am finding that this is true. The parent and child need to spend 30 minutes a day reading and talking with each other. We feel that this is not happening. We feel that the parents are to hurried and have not time. We hope that maybe spending time in our library this may change. We plan on advocating our efforts to the public to see if we can get some sponsors for our event that we are holding to purchase more books and parent info. for our library.
An insight that I gained is that parents do care when it is to late to do anything about it. I have been talking to my parents all year about their children's behavior and now that they are getting ready for kindergarten it is an issue. It seems like we in pre-k don't matter and when they get to school it matters. I don't get it, pre-k is just as important as kindergarten and when will parents realize this.
Another insight that I gained is that parents in my classroom see how hard of time I have with these children, but yet do not offer me any suggestions of discipline that is being used in their homes. They never want to talk in the morning about this issue.
How can I get these parents interested in their children before it is to late! Not only with behavior but also reading together which I feel that these children need, maybe they would not be so hard to deal with.
I don't know if this will help, but I use my weekly notes as ways to get parents to use small techniques that don't require a lot of extra time or materials. For example I might share:
ReplyDelete"We are working on letter recognition over the next few weeks. One way you can help at home is play "I SPY" off a cereal box during breakfast. Say "I SPY the letter" a"" and work together to find it."
This helps practice communication skills (social skills) along with letter recognition in five minutes or less. I don't actually think that every parent will do this, but the seed is planted. I also send home anything that I can get my hands that highlights what appropriate parenting looks like to empower parents to feel powerful within their own child's education. I hope this helps!
These are some great ideas. I will try them.
ReplyDeleteMary what works for me for my changeling families and their children. I create a guidance plan. In this plan their is a side of what we are doing in school to help their child overcome their challenges. Then their is another side what the parents are going to do to help their child at home to help support our efforts. The teacher needs to work with the parents and add any comments or concerns to the plan both parties sign and get copies of the plan. Some of the activities we do in school are social stories to help support positive behavior. I provide the same stories to the parents to share with their child. If the child likes to destroy or damage items. I have cutting activities or paper for the student to rip up on their own. At home the child is also provide paper to rip or paper cups to get their aggression out. The parents need to do a little less for the students self help skills and help promote his independence.
ReplyDeleteI think that parents feel that it is ourjob as teachers to shape, mold, and completely discipline their children, in addition to teaching them. I understand what my job is and what it requires but I know that all parents do not. For example, I had a parent tell me that her child did not know certain things that she needed to knowbefore entering school but this child has only been in my care for 2 months. This child is very behind and doesn't have a desire to learn unlike her sister. I asked the mother if she reviews the work I send home with the child and she replied that she's too tired once she gets off work.
ReplyDeleteI tried to explain to her that she has to also be a part of her child's learning and not put so much on everyone else. I have had her for two months and the child is four. I agree with you that parent's wait until it is too late. I am not sure what we can do to get parents more involved. I have tried projects that require adult participation.