Home-school connections
Type of Submission:

This idea is a submission for:
__A curriculum idea
__Cool things to do
X A special issue

Age group for whom this activity is appropriate:

3-5 year olds
 
Brief description of activity:
Building relationships with parents through making the computer available

What I did to set this up and how I followed through:

This was really simple. At the beginning and end of the school day many parents and caregivers spend a little time in the classroom. I sent a note home telling parents that the computer would be available during this time for them and their children to use together. Initially, we got so many responses I had to set up appointments for parents.

Materials used:

Note home, computer station

What the children had to do and what I wanted them to learn:
  • The kids had to show their parents how to use the computer
  • They had to explain what to do and why they were doing what they were doing

Images of the Activity:
   
   
Background: How I got the idea:
Parents have been very enthusiastic about having a computer in the classroom. So many of them have told me that they’re pleased their children have this opportunity and how important they believe it is to have computer skills. Often, they would also say that they don’t have computers at home and feel ‘left out’ of the information age. I realized we could very easily make our computers available to parents.
Analysis: How the kids and/or parents responded:
This was a really popular activity, a real win-win situation. The parents felt good that they could learn some basic computer skills like manipulating a mouse. The kids felt good that they could teach their parents. The center was pleased to have such active participation by parents in a classroom activity. We are always trying to encourage home-school connections and this was a natural because the parents were so motivated.
Extension

 

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Adult Participation

How do I make sure children get
adult help when playing with the computer?
Having Conversations
How can I make computer activities part of the conversation in the classroom?
Curriculum Extension
How can I extend computer activities into the rest of the classroom program?
Computer Placement
How can I integrate the computer
into the space and materials
available in the classroom?
Sharing Creations
How can I share children’s computer work with others?
Sharing Discoveries
How can I help children share their computer discoveries with each other?
Taking Turns
What are some strategies for taking turns when using the computer?