Whether you’re starting fresh with a brand new class or anticipating new arrivals, here are four tips to help you warmly welcome new children and their families to your early learning setting.
1. Get Organized.
To help things go smoothly on the first day, give yourself time to prepare yourself and the learning environment.
- Learn about the child and family. Knowing how they learn best, some favorite activities, interests, or fears will help you help them succeed throughout the year. Are they coming from another classroom in your program? If so, ask the previous teacher to share information.
- Set up the classroom for the new child. Set up and label spaces and items such as cubbies, cots, or cribs for each child. Be sure to update your classroom roster, charts and filing systems.
2. Build Relationships.
The first days and weeks lay the foundation for strong partnerships and learning. Focus on relationships to build a positive learning experience.
- Have new families complete an information form. Information about the child’s preferences, routines and behaviors goes a long way. The Arizona Department of Economic Security created an About Me Questionnaire you can use.
- Carve out time to get to know new children. Playing “getting to know you” games is a great place to start. If you’re welcoming an individual child, set aside one-on-one time. Playing side-by-side with a toddler or preschooler helps you understand how they learn and communicate. Build trust with infants and toddlers by offering extra snuggles to help them feel safe.
- Set up communication channels with families. Plan at least two ways to share information. This can include verbal communication at drop-off and pick-up, a whiteboard for leaving notes, an app, by phone and more.
- Greet daily. Greeting each child by name in a warm, upbeat manner (like a high-five or hug) every day builds trust and shows them that you’re happy to see them. Also, be sure to connect with families by asking about their child or recent events in their lives or communities.
3. Establish Routines.
Whether you are welcoming a brand new group of children or one child, setting routines early on is crucial.
- Teach behavior expectations. Use group discussions and small group activities to teach these concepts. Check out this blog to learn more.
- Introduce learning centers, one by one. Model how to use the materials in each center. In large or small groups, practice cleaning up materials and putting them away.
- Be patient. Learning routines and expectations is just as important as literacy and math. It takes time and practice. Emphasizing routines early on sets the foundation for a successful year of learning.
4. Be Flexible.
Each child and group is unique and may need a tailored approach.
- Set aside expectations. Establishing routines with one group of children might take longer than with another and building relationships with individual children may require different approaches.
- Ask for support. You may try these tips and still feel challenged welcoming a new child or family to your group. If that’s the case, ask a colleague for advice. If you’re a Quality First participant, contact your coach for suggestions.
For more tips on welcoming new children and families, check out this article Welcome Children and Families to Your Classroom from NAEYC’s Teaching Young Children.
We’d love to hear from you!
Leave a comment below sharing your experiences and tips for welcoming new children and families into your program.