“What happened at daycare today? Did my son have a good day? What skills is he working on that I could reinforce at home?” These are some questions we get from working parents. And we are glad they ask. Parent-teacher communication is an important part of the child care experience. Every single day, toddlers are learning so much about how to navigate their little worlds, how to communicate their needs, and how to interact with others. The techniques at home and in the classroom should be in sync so as not to confuse them and strengthen their learning. At Choo Choo Train it is done on paper, in-person, and via electronic. Let’s look at how our customers are updated about what happens at the centre.

On paper – Daily Report Book, Milestone Report

Every time a parent or guardian picks up their child from the centre, they will receive a booklet that reports their child’s day in terms of mood, milk and juice consumption, water consumption, meals intake, bowel movements, naptime, diaper changes, and temperatures. Sometimes, a note is included to inform parents about any personal supplies that need replenishment such as diapers, shower gels, wet tissues, and milk.

Depending on the child’s age, parents will receive a developmental milestone report every 2 to 6 months. They can see their child’s progress and discuss with teachers how to further support their child’s new skills.

In-person – Parent-Teacher Meeting

Although it may sound serious, the meeting is actually casual. Parents are only called for a meeting if there is a difficult behaviour to address or if there is a delay in their child’s development. The meeting is just to inform parents about our observation so that they can decide on the next step.

Electronic – Family Chat Group, School App

Every family has a chat group with CCT personnel. This is the main medium where parents can raise a question, inform about changes at home, and basically communicate anything. CCT also uses this chat group to send urgent notices to parents such as if the child has no towel in her bag that day.

The school app is where parents can see their child’s attendance log, school fee invoices, non-urgent notices, and every parent’s favourite: activity photos update. The photos come with a brief description so parents get the idea of what the activity is about and what skills are being taught.

Tips

These are the tactics we use for parent-teacher communication. We want working parents to stay connected to their children even when they are apart all day. If you want to build on your child’s daily experiences, here’s a tip: ask about his meal in the report book or ask about the activity in the photo update. Just ask even when your child can’t tell you in detail. Before you know it, your child is telling you about his day without you asking first!