If I were to open my open family childcare center I would
make it very inviting and warm to all families.
In the video, I liked how Adriana had a whiteboard upon entrance that
said good morning in English and Spanish.
This sent a message right away that she is aware of the languages her
families speak. I think that this is
very important. Along side of this I
would also include a newsletter that was written in the different languages of my
families. I am fortunate enough to know
students in high school and colleagues that are fluent in various
languages. I also would utilize a
website that I have heard about that takes English and translates it into other
languages. This would allow all my
families to feel connected to the center and to be up to date on current and
future happenings.
In my center, I would have bright, warm colors that were
soothing and inviting. Everything would
be at child's level, just like Adriana had things low for the kids to
reach. The walls would have portraits
made by the kids as well as portraits depicting diverse cultures. I think it would be fun to have a mural
somewhere at the center with different cultures and languages. I am a person that loves music, therefore I
would be softly playing various types of music in the background.
Children would have different centers to explore. In the
dramatic play area, there would be numerous items for dress up clothes,
ethnic foods for pretend cooking/eating, babies of various races.
In the library, I would include books that had main
characters of different races and genders.
I was recently thrilled to find a Red Riding Hood book for my class in
which the main character was an African American girl. The kids were very surprised to see it. I also encountered a Three Little Pigs book
that portrays the pigs as 2 boys and 1 girl…can you guess which one built their
house of bricks? I love picture books
because young children can read the pictures and make their own stories. This is a great way to have conversation with
them about what they are thinking.
To help children feel safe, I would have a room set aside
for those not feeling well. This would
allow them to rest comfortably until a parent could come and take them
home. This room would have stuff animals
for the child to cuddle with on cots.
Parent involvement would be encouraged. I understand that parents are working, but I
would try to encourage them to come in for a short time to help in the
center. Even if a parent could only
spare 30 minutes, that is enough time to sit and read a book to a group of
children. Parent involvement is crucial
to build a positive relationship between daycare and home.
Upon check-in, I would have notebooks available. These would be used by parents to ask questions
or make comments. I know from my
previous experience that as a director, you are not always available to talk to
parents when they arrive. This allows
them to leave me a brief message so that I can ensure I make time available to
meet with them or contact them throughout the day. Open communication is very important and I
find this to be a valuable tool.
Alisha, your home child care center is an enjoyment to read about! I love the fact that you included and appointed area for those who are not feeling well. Very creative idea! Do you think that you may ever have a child to pretend that they were sick and not feeling well more than ocassionally just to keep from being around other students? I heard a story similar to this and was curious of what you think about it. I fell in love with the thought that you would have notebooks available for questions or comments from parents. If I were a parent, I would feel that you are serious about incorporating what families have to offer. I enjoyed reading your post! Great job!
ReplyDeleteI am currently at a school where their is very limited number of parents who will volunteer or be involved at the school. It seems in kindergarten they are but soon after they lose interest. My school has tried several activities, programs, incentives, etc to get parental involvement but it ultimately does not help. You are so right about parental involvement making a difference in a school and child's academic success.
ReplyDeleteI really loved how you focused on warm colors to make the place bright and inviting. It really is amazing how we can link our emotions to colors and it does make a huge difference to carefully plan out what colors you want to use to illicit feelings of safety, security, warmth and growth. I also liked how you thought about getting books for the library that featured all of the different genders and cultures. That is fantastic!
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