By Jane Drake, a partnership advisory teacher in Leeds and author of Planning Children's Play and Learning in the Foundation Stage and Organising Play in the Early Years (David Fulton)
Parents are 'children's first and most enduring educators' (Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage, QCA 2000), making partnership with parents and carers essential if early years practitioners are to plan effectively for a child's learning.
A genuine commitment to work co-operatively with parents should be a feature of any high-quality setting and should impact on every aspect of practice.
As practitioners, we build up expertise in how young children learn and how each child operates within our setting. But it is the parent who knows their child best, and unless there is a sharing of information between practitioners and parents, a child's learning needs will be neither fully understood nor, ultimately, met.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here