From the day they are born, children are molded by their families’ habits, traditions, and beliefs. Each child arrives at school already having internalized myriad explicit and implicit lessons from their first teachers: their parents, family members, and caregivers. Parents should understand and support their school’s philosophy in this area, as a mismatch of expectations can lead to dissatisfaction and undermine their relationship with their child’s educators. Although different families expect different levels of interaction with their child’s school, most parents probably agree that it is important to have a strong partnership between the school and the parent, particularly in the early childhood years.

Some early learning programs allow significant parental involvement, such as frequent parent-teacher conferences, classroom or playground volunteer opportunities, parent coffees and presentations, and informal two-way communication between parents and teachers. Other schools give parents a more hands-off role, limiting parental visits during the school day and keeping communication more formal, sometimes with a specific schedule of mid-term and end-of-term reports. Parents should understand and support their school’s philosophy in this area, as a mismatch of expectations can lead to dissatisfaction and undermine their relationship with their child’s educators.

 

When considering an early learning program, ask…


  • What is the role of parents and the family in your program?
  • Can parents come to campus or into the classroom, and in what capacity?
  • What kind of communication can we expect from our child’s teacher, and how often?

 

Other topics


Do I want play-based learning?
How important is a strong home–school connection with open communication?
How important is curiosity, wonder, and joy?
Do I value creativity and self-expression?
Am I looking for a school with clear values?
Does the school need to have a developed educational philosophy?
Do I want a school that emphasizes cultural awareness and diversity?
Do I want a focus on early literacy and numeracy?
What do I want to see in the learning environment?
What qualities do I want in the teachers?
Do I want my child to develop critical thinking and life skills?
Do I want a school that offers supportive guidance for parents and kids?
Should I want an inquiry-based curriculum that encourages thinking outside the box?
Do I want my child to learn another language?
Do I want a school that emphasizes healthy life choices for young learners?
Should joining a school mean joining a community?

Interested in learning more about preschool and early education opportunities in Singapore?

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