THE IMPORTANCE OF CLOSED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRESCHOOLS

AND PARENTS

The importance of preschools and parents relationships has been well

documented. Research has shown that parent involvement in education benefits not only
the child but also the parents and teachers (Eldridge, 2001).1 It is important to highlight
that preschools need to establish close relationship with parents. It is because the function
of parent-preschool relationship is much more than just a vehicle for status reports from
teacher to parents on a childs performance or behavior. It is really a partnership
providing two-way information flow from the teacher to the parents about the childs
classroom achievements and persona and from the parent to the teacher about the
complementary elements in the home environment. It provides the mechanism for the
teacher to invite, and support, the parents active participation in the childs education in
the home environment. And it can provide the link between classroom learning activities
and at-home learning activities.

In general, parents or other prime caregivers have the best firsthand knowledge of
the child. It is in the best interest of our children to take full advantage of that information
as an aid in understanding and assessing a child. Knowing how children behave at home
and in other contexts away from school can help teachers make well-balanced
assessments of their students.

THE BENEFITS OF HOME VISIT

Home visit by teacher can be defined as: a visit by a teacher to the students home
in the hope of increasing connections between school staff and students in their
community. After a three year study of 14 schools engaging in teacher home visits for
students, researchers at the California State University at Sacramento (CSUS) found
evidence that home visits could increase student performance, jumpstart parent
involvement, reduce discipline problems and increase overall positive attitudes toward
school. If done correctly, a home visit program can give teachers, parents and students a
better opportunity for connection, communication and collaboration.

Home visiting is an effective method which is used to ascertain the attitudes and
behaviors of the families towards their children and their expectations regarding their
children. It also offers significant educational opportunities in preschool education.
However, it is an activity, which requires organization and that may have disadvantages
for the teachers. Teachers serving in kindergartens, day care centers, nurseries, and other

1
Eldridge, D. (2001). Parent involvement: its worth the effort. Young Children, 56 (4), 65-9.
institution-based programmes are recommended to organize home visits several times a
year.

There are many benefits for these visits including: bridging cultural barriers,
reporting on academic progress, enlisting parental support to increase academic
achievement, and giving parents the tools to do so. Ideally these home visits would be
conducted before the school year begins to help the teacher find out about the needs and
interests of individual students. Other benefits of conducting home visit by the teacher
can be listed as follows:

1. Parents stay in their comfort zone. Meeting in a classroom can be intimidating

while talking over the phone can be distancing and impersonal. By having a teacher
travel to the students house, parents may be more likely to voice their concerns, speak
candidly, and let the teacher into their lives.

2. Closer partnerships, positive communication. Many times when a teacher contacts

a parent, it is regarding an issue with low grades or poor classroom behavior. Home visits
give parents and teachers the opportunity to meet simply to talk and collaborate for the
benefit of the child they both care about.

3. Meetings break the cycle of blame. Especially with low-performing students,

parents and teachers can begin to blame each other for the failings of their children.
Home visits help to put a human face to a name and turn finger pointing into teamwork
and understanding.

4. The teacher learns more about their students. A study conducted at Missouri State
University found that the biggest benefit of home visits was a better understanding of the
childs environment and the how that environment might impact the childs learning in
the classroom.

5. Students realize they have a network of support. Children have reported feeling a
sense of relief when their parents and teachers meet. Children take comfort in knowing
that their teacher understands their home situation and in knowing that what they do in
the classroom may have consequences at home.
6. Parents are more likely to become involved. When parents are more familiar with
their childs teacher, they are more likely to become involved with their childs learning
and more involved in school activities and volunteering. In this way, a few well-placed
home visits can enrich the entire school community.

WHEN AND ON WHAT SITUATION SHOULD HOME VISITS BE MADE.

The purpose of conducting home visits is to establish a relationship with

parents/guardians and their children while, simultaneously, providing important
information about the pre-kindergarten program. Home visits are one of the most
effective practices for making connections and communicating with parents, especially
hard to reach parents. It is the goal to teach both children and parents/guardians to
acquire skills that will lead to success. Visiting families in their homes shows them that
teacher are genuinely interested in their child and demonstrates their commitment to
building a relationship with them in order to help their child be successful. These visits
also allow teachers having the opportunity to get to know the child in his natural and
familiar setting, where parents will easily tell teachers about student special interests likes
and dislikes.

THE SITUATION OF HOME VISITS

Home visits are meetings between school staff and families focused on building positive
relationships. They are 20-30 minutes long, voluntary for both staff and families, hosted
somewhere outside of school (home, park, library, etc.). The home visit should be based
around the question. For example, what are your hopes and dreams for your child?

Before the Visit

Plan route to include addresses and maps, along with the first and last names of the
parents and the child. Parents may have a different last name.

Cluster visits to minimize travel time. For example, on-base one day and off-base the
next.

Schedule your home visits with ample time to travel and just in case the visit prior goes
a little over time.

Share the schedule and route for the day with the office and your principal.

Do not take a toy on this first meeting. However, a book to model interactive reading,
crayon and paper to assess fine motor skills, and a finger puppet for a shy child that may
be useful. The purpose is to learn more about the child, including his/her interests and
favorite activities.

Bring a cell phone with emergency numbers and let the office know your cell phone
number.

Never go alone. The paraprofessional is the best choice for accompanying you.
However; another staff member (for example: counselor, psychologist, culture teacher,
administrator) can accompany the teacher if the paraprofessional is not available. The
teacher and paraprofessional may need to take a translator if the parents home language
is not English.

Make clear the expectations of the visit on the phone call. In addition, encourage the
parent to plan a separate activity for any siblings to help prevent possible interference. If
the sibling persists, be prepared to say to the sibling directly, This is my special time to
visit with Sam today. I will come and see what you are doing before I leave.

During the Home Visit

Home visits usually last 30-45 minutes depending on each family. Allow extra time for
visits that may run late or hard to find homes.

During the visit, you are to spend your time interacting with the child, while the
paraprofessional aide can interact with the parents. You might want to have the parents
fill out a few short questions that will tell you more about the childs interests, or the
questionnaire can be given to the parents when they register their child.

Let the child know when your visit is about to end. We will play for five more
minutes, and then I will need to chat with your parents before I leave.

If you feel uncomfortable at any time, leave the location immediately with a tactful
explanation to the parents. It is important to share this with your principal.

After the Visit

It is helpful to jot down a few notes to remember information about the child and the
visit.

Build time into the travel schedule for reflection. This will help when you meet the
child on the first day of school. Sam, I had fun visiting your home. How is your teddy
bear?

When you return to school, summarize your visits with your principal.
THE EXPLANATION OF HOME VISIT SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT BY
PRESCHOOL TEACHERS IN MALAYSIA.

Home visit should be carried out by preschool teachers in Malaysia due to several
reasons. First, Malaysia is a multiethnic society. In Malaysia, ethnic composition is one
of the forces that influence and shape politics, economics, educational policies and
environment. The politics of ethnic identification among the three major ethnic groups
(Bumiputera including Malay, Chinese, and Indians) have resulted in power imbalances
and hierarchies along with the various social, educational, and economic dimensions.
Inequalities exist between different ethnic groups. Although Chinese make up only one-
third of the population, they account for 70% of the country's market capitalization.
Bumiputeras play major roles in politics and government, but the majorities of them live
in rural areas with poor living conditions and far lower average income and wealth than
the Chinese and Indian. By conducting a home visit, teachers in particular can study the
norma and activities of their students in accordance of their daily life and beliefs.

Secondly, home visiting is regarded as one of the best methods for gathering information
about familys values, their attitude and behavior towards their children, and their
expectations of them, and generally for becoming. Although such visits may be difficult
for the teachers, they offer crucial educational opportunities, and above all, they allow
teachers to be closely acquainted with the children and their families. Thus, during home
visits, the family can express their ideas and emotions more readily, and the child can
develop his/her self-respect by assuming that the teacher cares about him/her.

During home visits, the teachers should respect the parents attitudes and value
judgments and should support them by means of sharing their own thoughts and
emotions. The teachers should guide the parents to involve their children within their
daily lives. The teachers should give parents information regarding activities that they
can organize and practice with their children, and how to provide a stimulating
environment at home. The teachers should organize supportive activities by observing
and evaluating the strengths of the families and the interaction between the families and
the children. In addition, teachers should use the information that they obtain through
home visits only to support the development and educational life of the children.