Rational:
- Te Whāriki says that the wider world of family and community is an integral part of the Early Childhood Curriculum.
- D.O.P.s states: opportunities should be provided for families to discuss the progress, interests, abilities and areas for development, sharing specific observation-based evidence to each child (DOPs 8b)
Policy statement:
- Continuing links between Centre and Home ensure information pertinent to each child is used & developed for the provision of quality education tailored & purposeful, respecting each individual, whānau & culture;
This will be achieved through consultation that:
- Empowers the family/whānau,
- Appreciates the relationship between child and family as the most important,
- Values each family & it’s culture,
- Focuses on the strengths & interests of each child and whānau,
- Is confidential to the child, the family and the teachers.
Procedures:
- Regular informal & formal consultation meetings will be arranged with parents/guardians and whānau,
- Formal meetings in the evening will be arranged for specific programme planning for children who attend,
- Informal and/or formal day meetings will be arranged to discuss progress and further planning,
- A feedback section for families is in each child’s portfolio following each agreed programming,
- ME forms provide further information on the background and cultural aspects of each child & family; these forms will be up dated as child transition,
- Observation of individual and groups of children is a method of ‘knowing’ the child so we can better partner the family in the programming process; this is also an Education Regulatory expectation in Early Childhood
Child profiles include:
- Programme planning from strengths, interests and needs (where to now),
- Continuum mapping shows the progress and the deeper learning followed through on,
- Assessment and evaluation data,
- Me forms,
- Whānau/family written feedback.
The aim:
Is to have ongoing links between Centre & Home that will enhance the Centre Programme & empower the teachers to work to each child’s individual learning (socio-cultural framework); in our Centre we also use schema (Piaget/Anne Meade/Pam Cubey) observed to support our knowledge of each child’s learning and the language we use to understand child thinking so that the environment responds to deepen and challenge child thinking.