Communication with families.

According to Shonkoff & Phillips (2000), what is essential to learning?

• Advanced teaching technologies

• High student-to-teacher ratios

• Positive relationships between teachers, children, and families

• Strict classroom discipline

What can help bridge the home and preschool settings?

• Focusing solely on academic skills

• Reducing communication channels

• Developing relationships and communicating with families

• Limiting parental involvement

What does the Extension Alliance for Better Childcare recommend as the first step to establish effective communication with parents?

• Be inflexible

• Be distant

• Be authoritative

• Be interested

What should you practice to show that you are invested in conversations with parents?

• Speaking frequently

• Using technical jargon

• Avoiding eye contact

• Active listening skills

What is the role of a preschool teacher regarding the IDEA?

• Focusing only on non-disabled children

• Ignoring legal requirements

• Completing IEPs and IFSPs

• May be asked to participate on the team for a child's IEP or IFSP

What should be used to convey information about children to families?

• Data from assessments and observations

• Unverified anecdotes

• General assumptions

• Sporadic updates

What is critical to maintaining ongoing communication with families?

• Only providing positive feedback

• Limiting information sharing

• Communicating once a semester

• Sharing information in ways meaningful to families

What should you invite families to do to enhance communication?

• Communicate through children

• Stay away from the classroom

• Observe their children in your classroom

• Only talk during scheduled meetings

What is a recommended way to engage families during conferences?

• Focus solely on future academic plans

• Discourage any questions

• Only allow teachers to talk

• Ask them to think about questions before coming

Why should family members be involved in young children's communication and language development?

• To follow strict educational protocols

• To limit children's language exposure

• To reduce teacher workload

• They are children's first teachers