Hands-on Activities
Important work that we must do for children because they define themselves by how people respond to them, their families, and their cultures.
What is acknowledging and respecting diversity?
Eye contact, touch, physical distance and hand movements are examples of this.
What is nonverbal communication?
Methods that promote each child’s optimal development and learning through a strengths-based, play-based approach to joyful, engaged learning. This also includes methods to engage in reciprocal partnerships with families.
What is Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP)?
Activities to get students active, warmed up, and engaged in the discussion topics.
What are ice-breakers?
A team activity that required students to complete a word scramble puzzle and a keyword for this class.
What is engagement?
Families have funds of knowledge about their individual children and family. Teachers have education, training, and experience in working with children in groups.
What is recognizing and respecting one another's knowledge and expertise?
Special terminologies such as continuity of care, scaffolding, and psycho-social development that make sense to teachers but are too technical for parents.
What is theoretical jargon?
What is the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct?
Written assignments that require students to engage in reflective practice, an essential skill for early childhood educators.
What are reflection papers?
What is the Zoom book activity?
This form of communication gives teachers the opportunity to learn from families, just as families can learn from teachers.
What is sharing information through two-way communication?
Photos, displays, anecdotal records, reflection boards, and videos that are designed to invite families to understand what children are doing and learning about in the child care program.
What is documentation?
A collection of resources that a child care professional can use to support families when they have questions about child development, parenting, health and safety, social-emotional development or resources in the community.
What is a family resource binder?
Written assignments that require students to recall ideas, information and principles presented in the course materials.
What are chapter quizzes?
This activity demonstrated how important two-way communication is to BUILDING good relationships with families.
When certain decisions are made with input from both families and teachers.
What is shared power and decision making?
An important forum for all families and program staff that provides time and space to plan, share goals, learn new information, discuss common issues and concerns, and learn about community resources.
What is a parent meeting or parent event?
This national organization provides many resources for child care professionals as well as families on child development and early childhood education. Resources include print books, digital resources, advocacy alerts, and professional development events.
What is the National Association for the Education of Young Children or NAEYC?
An activity to help students envision what the application of family-centered principles might look like in an early childhood environment.
This activity required students to find items quickly and utilize technology.
What is the virtual scavenger hunt?
Connecting families to agencies, groups, activities, businesses, and classes in the community to provide education and support.
What is creating networks of support?
Formal opportunities for face-to-face communication between families and educators to discuss a child's progress and develop mutual goals for the child.
What are parent-teacher conferences?
This resource provides child care professionals with the information needed to build a family-centered early childhood program.
What is From Parents to Partners, our textbook for this class.
An activity that helped us identify how we wanted to feel and be treated by the instructor and other students in the class.
What is the social contract?