Focus Area 7.3 - Engage with parents/carers

The relationship between parents and educators has been recognised by a number of educational frameworks including the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and the National Quality Standards (NQS) as a significant contributor to the enhancement of outcomes for children’s learning (Rouse & Obrien 2017). The EYLF views the relationship between families and educators as reciprocal, trusting and respectful whilst the NQS shines more of a light on the process of sharing contextual information between the two parties. The use of the frameworks collaboratively provides opportunity for education staff to develop relationships with families where there is mutual trust and respect which in turn allows families to comfortably contribute to decisions and become involved in pedagogical discussions (Rouse & Obrien 2017).

Within my placement setting, a fortnightly newsletter was sent to families which provided insight into the learning which children had been engaging with in the past fortnight, as well as any relevant information/updates about the service. The process of creating this newsletter meets the EYLF’s (DEEWR 2009) partnership principle, by providing a platform for free and respectful communication and insight and perspective on the children. In week one of my block placement, I was given the opportunity to send out my welcome letter to families with the newsletter as well as add my own submission about my engagement with the children thus far. Having this platform meant I was able to introduce myself to families and detail my learning intentions with the children, opening the space for further pedagogical conversation by guiding families to where my documentation would be kept.

Standard 7 - Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community This page is part of the collection 'Isabella Lathouros - My Digital Professional Folio '.

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