Hear their voices! Why it’s important to really hear from your students’ families.

Build trust, be patient, and communicate—these three guiding pillars are at the heart of what it takes to build relationships between early childhood educators and families in meeting the developmental needs of young students. This was the key message conveyed by Bweikia Steen, associate professor and academic program co-coordinator of the Early Childhood Education undergraduate program at George Mason University’s School of Education.

Steen offered a few tips for working with children and families who bring diverse cultural, racial, linguistic, ability, and socio-economic backgrounds to early childhood education settings. Steen is the author of a book, Hear Our Voices! Engaging in Partnerships that Honor Families, drawn from her more than 25 years of experience in early childhood education. The book highlights the importance of actively listening to the families of young children, honoring their experiences, and recognizing the strengths that their children bring to the classroom through their diversity.

A theme that Steen focused on is why family voices matter. Steen maintained that it is only by actively listening to the concerns of families and engaging them in their child’s learning that a partnership based on trust and respect can be established. In building this partnership, it is crucial to ask families about their experiences with their child and to respect the insight they provide on the support they think their child needs. Early childhood educators need to proactively involve families in the decision-making that affects their child’s learning program.

Developing relationships based on trust takes time.

Relationship building, however, does not happen quickly. It is a slow process and requires that families and students feel a sense of belonging within the school setting. It also requires them to feel that they are heard by administrators and teachers alike and that decisions are made collaboratively with the child’s best interests in mind. Only then can a level of trust be established.

Communication with students and families should take place throughout the school year.

Consistent communication throughout the school year with students and their families is important so that expectations are clearly understood. Communication does not have to be limited to formal parent-teacher conferences but can take the form of newsletters, videos, personalized notes sent home with the child, or even postcards dropped in the mail. Adding an individualized touch to communications can go a long way in enhancing a good relationship between teachers, students, and families.

Recognizing the strength of diversity in the classroom can encourage learning.

Early childhood educators can facilitate a welcoming classroom by leveraging the assets and strengths inherent in the diversity of their young students. By adapting the curriculum to reflect the diverse cultures, traditions, languages, interests, and family backgrounds that young children bring to the classroom, early childhood educators can create a more personalized and relatable learning experience for their students—one in which young children are more emotionally engaged. When that happens, learning is more likely to occur. Steen says, “Emotion drives attention, and attention drives learning.”

For more information on Mason’s Early Childhood Education program, please visit the program website.