Page 11 - LESSION 10.pmd

Care of Children in Early Years

They are required to equip children with the skills and resources to succeed as
adults, and to transmit basic cultural values. Their role is also to provide
opportunities to master key developmental tasks supporting physical, cognitive, Notes
social and emotional development. During the early years, children need:
• unconditional love from family

• safe and secure surroundings
• supportive teachers and caretakers

• opportunity to play with other children
• self-confidence and high self-esteem

• appropriate guidance and discipline

All these are possible with the constant collaboration between parents and teachers.
These are discussed below.

10.6.1 Collaboration Between Parents and Teachers
Care centres may have to take a lead in keeping a consistent contact with parents
as they would deal with groups of children. Meetings with parents in the form of
a workshop or group are useful as parents learn from each other about childcare
practices, behaviour issues and ways of disciplining children. Regular exchanges
almost at a daily level have to be maintained between parents and caregivers due
to children’s rapid rate of development. The milestones need to be tracked as
well as enjoyed by both parents and teachers to keep abreast of changes and
developmental delays, if any. You have already read in the earlier lessons about
the need for early identification of developmental delays.

10.6.2 Channels of Parent Teacher Communication

Parents can be in touch with centres by appointment in case of some special
issues, or otherwise through children’s activities and responses that may be shared
at the time of drop off and pick up. Regular conversations in the mornings and
evening allow the home and centre to be extensions of each other ensuring that
children do not feel unfamiliar. Sharing of children’s home routines and certain
reactions will allow the teacher to make references and such dialogues add to the
emotional security of children. Similarly, when children get to hear things about
school from their parents, they feel valued and reassured that school is a part of
the family routine and not a space where they are just sent off. Parents and teachers
can also connect with each other through means of technology such as email,
social networking, text messages and phone calls. You can explore more about
communication in Module 4.

EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION 11