Establishing Personal Connections

• Share information about yourself with families in a letter.This is a great way to introduce yourself to the families of school-age children and to show them that you are willing to share information about yourself in the same way you anticipate them sharing information about themselves. This is an opportunity to express your personality by telling families about your own family, hobbies, or pets, while at the same time sharing your goals for the school year.
• Organize a family night.This is a great way to get to know the families of the children in your program in a relaxed and informal environment. This also helps families get to know and network with each other. A family night can also be a great place to share information with families about your program.
• Send home weekly or monthly newsletters.This will ensure that families of school-age children in your program are informed about the content, activities and materials you and children are engaging with each week or month.
• Consider using a variety of methods to get to know families better.For some families, a conference at the beginning of the year may be the best way to get to know them, whereas for others a preferred way may be a phone call, a paper and pencil survey sent home, or electronic communication.

Acknowledging Families in your Program

• Ask questions about children’s families during your daily routines (e.g., snack, homework)
• Involve children in projects about families.
• Ask children to bring special photos or family objects to share with the group.
• Greet family members by name when you see them.
• Talk about children’s family members by name during the program day.
• Learn the correct spelling and pronunciation of children’s and family members’ names.
• Display photographs of children and their families in your program where children and families can see them.