If I were
working in an early childhood center and was expecting a child from a family
that had recently emigrated from India, I would prepare to welcome the child as
follows:
1. Have the parent and child fill out a questionnaire
to get to know the family a little better. By doing so I can find out the child’s
likes and dislikes. Also I will be able to know more about the family’s
educational values, language, traditions, and first-hand more about their
culture.
2. Provide the families with a biography
about myself and things that their child will be doing in the classroom.
3. Have all the children in the class do
an “All About Me” bag or a “Family Treasure Box” activity. The children will
have to fill the bag or box up with family customs, traditions, artifacts,
pictures, etc. and share with one another in the classroom. By doing so the new
child will not fill singled out and we would get to know about not only the new
student’s culture but the student will also be able to get a little more
familiar with the other children’s culture.
4. I would make sure the classroom is
diverse with different books, pictures, and include Indian clothing in centers.
I would also label things around the classroom in both English and in the child’s
native language.
5. Make sure that I am offering a
welcomed environment towards the family. Inform them that we will always have
an open door policy, invite them to volunteer, and also make sure that I
communicated with them on a regular basis.
I think that
each of these preparations will benefit both me and the family because it will
help to build a relationship with me, the child, and the parent(s). I will be
able to accommodate both the similarities and differences of the child’s
culture which will help the child recognize that their culture too is just as
important as the other children. This
will also help the child socially in the classroom.
Erika,
ReplyDeleteI love all of your ideas! The questionnaire is a fantastic idea. I really like the family treasure box activity, what a great way for children to get to know and learn a little about their classmates. Having the family treasures at school may also help the child to be more comfortable as he or she adjust to his or her new environment. Thank you for some new ideas that I can use in my program.
Randee
Hi Erika,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Love this country that you would welcome. I love your ideas and how you would get to know your family. The treasure box was very creative! We should be creative in our classrooms with an open mind policy.
Brenda
Hi Erika,
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of giving parents a biography about yourself, this will help parents in becoming familiar with you and your background just like you will become familiar with them and their background and having areas labeled in English and other native languages is also a great idea.