Involving parents in planning - sharing learning with home

[sarah707]

The revised EYFS (2012) puts a much bigger focus on involving children’s parents in all aspects of their time with us - including showing how we can evidence planning activities which the children will enjoy based on things parents tell us and how we can share their learning in our provisions with home.

You might find it helpful to make a list of the ways in which you currently work with parents to involve them in their child’s planning. For example, you might ask them to contribute resources, find out what their child is enjoying doing at home, send home favourite recipes from a cooking activity, produce activity guides for them to use with their child at home etc.

Then think about how you can further involve them so that you are raising outcomes for the children by working in close partnership.

You will also be collecting evidence for your inspection and might find it useful to talk about how you have improved the ways you work in partnership with parents in your SEF.

You might find that you do enough already… or you might think that you can meet this requirement by including parents comments and ideas in your planning documents.

Here are some ideas of how it might work in practice…

As weeks go on, I try and involve parents in the activities we are doing. For example, for Red Nose Day I suggested to the children that they might like to organise a special red party. They were very enthusiastic, so I mentioned it in my newsletter and asked parents to contribute information about what their children were dong for Red Nose Day at home.

I wrote down what they told me and used it when I was writing my individual planning, basing my group plans around each child’s interests and current needs.

Closer to the day, I sent out a letter asking parents if children could all wear red on the day of the party and again asking for information about what Red Nose Day activities the children might be doing as a family.

I then planned our party involving all the ideas the children had given me and information shared by parents. Group planning for our red party day looked something like this...

• Piñatas - xx has been to Spain recently and talks a lot about a donkey piñata he saw - make a red piñata over the course of the week to burst on our red day;

• Clothes - all the children want to wear red clothes - ask parents for contributions and provide a few spares

• Food - ask parents what red food their children like to eat. Choose red healthy eating snack items at the shop. Cook a special redcurrant cake with the children - share recipe for red cake with parents to try with their children at home.

• Red things - I talked to the parents about how they could support their child’s learning at home - I asked them to point out things that are red in the environment and to talk to their child so they could bring back ideas of red things their child likes. I followed this up during group circle time on the day.
And so on…

As you can see, I shared the planning ideas with parents and asked them to contribute ideas and information about their child’s home life. I used what they told me to write my planning and I shared ideas for home learning.

Sharing learning with parents (mini e-book 79)

This mini e-book is full of ideas of how to encourage parents to participate in the learning children are experiencing with you… without them thinking you are trying to tell them how to do their job!

All my mini e-books are priced at £1.99 and are available on my Knutsford Childminding website.

I aim to inspire

[Trouble]

You are inspiring me at the moment

If i get this job i will be buying on of each

[Twinkles]

Thanks for that Sarah. Funnily enough that has been my project of the day today !

I only came up with the idea of sharing story sacks.

I love the recipe sharing

[wellybelly]

As always, thank you Sarah xxx

[sarak31]

Some brilliant ideas - thank you!

To share what I currently do / am thinking of doing...

I was thinking of making story sacks as well - I currently run a little library system where the children choose a book to take home to share with parents for a week and thought that might be a nice extension to it.

Also I do ask for parent input into my planning when I send learning journeys home every now and again - where they let me know what things their child is enjoying at home and what they'd like to see them do with me and then I pull that into my planning for the next month (it's always worked - I've never had any mad requests like 'I'd like x to go abseiling this month please!). I am thinking that I will include these questions monthly connected to my newsletter or something so I can feed this into my planning every month and not just when the learning journeys go home.

[VeggieSausage]

U r GOOO!!!!

Do you have time in your life for even the basics like going to the toilet and eating??

[karensmart4]

Thank you Sarah you are a star .....

We all thank you for making things so clear

[clareelizabeth1]

Must say reading this I am inspired to write things out for it. Will be on my phone though as its 20 to 11 and I am in bed. But thankyou for making me get on with it.

[miffy]

Thanks Sarah, some great ideas, as always

Miffy xx

[Chimps Childminding]

Thanks Sarah - now just the problem of ACTUALLY getting parents to get involved

[sarah707]

'Are you ready for your inspection' - Sept 2012 - point 28 -

The inspector will want to talk to parents using your provision and may need to do this very soon after arriving if parents are dropping children off. He or she will also ask you to display a notice to tell parents the inspector is available to listen to their views.

I don't know how much of this will actually happen... but we are going to have to find ways to get them on side

[loocyloo]

'Are you ready for your inspection' - Sept 2012 - point 28 -

The inspector will want to talk to parents using your provision and may need to do this very soon after arriving if parents are dropping children off. He or she will also ask you to display a notice to tell parents the inspector is available to listen to their views.

I don't know how much of this will actually happen... but we are going to have to find ways to get them on side

LOL! my parents are lovely and do chat, but don't always tell me anything i need to know (just 'cos they don't think of it!) but none are going to have time to stop & chat to an inspector! they need to get to work !!! LOL!

[samb]

Wow - I know this is stuff we all do anyway but do we need to write it all down and in that much detail?

[sarah707]

Wow - I know this is stuff we all do anyway but do we need to write it all down and in that much detail?

It's not the detail that is important samb - it's the evidence for Ofsted.

I am not sure what detail you are imagining.

My thoughts are a brief note on summary assessments / end of some observations and in the child's file when books etc have been loaned.

I will also put more info for parents on my newsletters such as recipes children have enjoyed here.

Hth

[Playmate]

'Are you ready for your inspection' - Sept 2012 - point 28 -

The inspector will want to talk to parents using your provision and may need to do this very soon after arriving if parents are dropping children off. He or she will also ask you to display a notice to tell parents the inspector is available to listen to their views.

I don't know how much of this will actually happen... but we are going to have to find ways to get them on side

This did happen at our pilot inspection for the updated framework. One of our parents was picking up early to attend a hospital appointment with her child. The inspector took her into the garden and asked her several questions about how she was able to be involved and whether or not we granted their wishes Fortunately this particualr parent is a teacher and performed beautifully

We are always looking at ways of involving the parents, but one thing I find very hard, many of my parents have very high expectations of their children and are quite pushy They consider learning to tell the time more important than independent toileting or putting shoes on

We have just introduced a travelling bear and are looking forward to seeing some of the feedback from children and their parents in his diary.

[Playmate]

Wow - I know this is stuff we all do anyway but do we need to write it all down and in that much detail?

Internet blogs can be very useful for sharing, I intend to blog much more now that I have finished my degree

[sandy64]

thanks sarah again your so good i will buy the ebook for more ideas thanks

[samb]

Ah sorry think I misread !

I was thinking that the sorts of things you listed were the sorts of things I would do but I thought you meant we should write it down in a list like -noticed child a points out letters on number plates, created number game using laminated numbers, played game, child enjoyed so sent home with instructions for parents, parents gave negative feedback saying child not interested, so took photos of child playing game here and gave to parents and suggested they talked about them playing it here, parent then gave positive feedback saying child was correctly idenitfying numerals to 5.

I am presuming evidence would just be the note you have put in the child's diary saying to see enclosed numbers game and then picture put in diary few days later rather than literally listing down every step with everything you do? Or am I still off track?

[kindredspirits]

anyone else think as a parent that if a childcare provider gave me an activity guide i'd be looking for somewhere to shove it?!?!

sorry Sarah!! I'll have to think of other ways to get parents involved!

[Chimps Childminding]

anyone else think as a parent that if a childcare provider gave me an activity guide i'd be looking for somewhere to shove it?!?!

sorry Sarah!! I'll have to think of other ways to get parents involved!

Not sure mine wold tell me where to shove it, but it would probably get left in the bag along with the Daily Diary that never seems to get looked at!!!

Most of my parents just don't seem very interested, and are so busy doing other things when the children aren't here I don't think they would even bother to look