Fairfax Early Childhood Partnership's June/July 5-4-3-2-1 Early Childhood Tips for Today!

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 06/11/2019 09:59 AM EDT

Supporting the Home to School Connection

5 Things to Know or Do 5 Things to Know or Do:

  1. Create a welcoming classroom environment that reflects cultural backgrounds of the students.
  2. Start and end the school year with home visits to build strong relationships.
  3. Encourage families to volunteer and take part in school activities.
  4. Foster effective relationships with families based on mutual respect and lots of communication.
  5. Provide oral and written communication in the family's home language.

4 Children Read Alouds 4 Children Read Alouds

  1. Cover image for AbuelaAbuela by Aurther Dorros. (FCPS | Public Library) A little girl and her grandmother travel around town on a variety of adventures that are written as beautifully as they are illustrated.
  2. Cover image for Guess how much I love youGuess How Much I Love You? by Sam McBratney. (FCPS | Public Library) Story of Little Nutbrown Hare and his father taking turns telling each other how much they love each other.
  3. [Cover]Mei-Mei Loves The Morning by Margaret Holloway. (FCPS | Public Library) Mei-Mei and her grandfather explore a park in China and share fun and touching moments together. Cultural diversity is celebrated throughout with their rituals.
  4. [Cover]How Full is your Bucket? by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer. (FCPS | Public Library) Felix and his family and friends all interact and learn with and through each other about importance of doing kind things and “filling each other’s bucket”.

3 Links to Visit 3 Links to Visit

  1. Reading Rockets: Tips, Tech Tools, and Strategies for Improving Family-to-School Communication (PDF)
  2. The National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations: Communicating with Families: Helpful Suggestions (PDF)
  3. ¡Colorín Colorado!: Tips for Successful Parent-Teacher Conferences with Bilingual Families

2 Points to Access Research 2 Videos to View

  1. Edutopia: Supporting Families to Boost Students’ Success
  2. Head Start, Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center: Building Relationships with Families (access to a series of 10 sessions)

1 Video to View 1 Point to Access Research

  1. Journal of Language & Literacy Education: Enhancing Academic Investment through Home—School Connections and Building on ELL Students’ Scholastic Funds of Knowledge (PDF)