8.5: Engaging Caregivers

Teachers can make the following suggestions to caregivers to facilitate their support of history and social science:

• Use science learning as an opportunity to involve caregivers by inviting them to the program and by sending home suggestions for activities that they can do with their children.
• Communicate to caregivers their important role in supporting children’s curiosity and the development of scientific knowledge.
• Share with family members your approach to science and how you support children’s development of inquiry skills.
• Invite family members to come and talk with the teacher and children about their beliefs and connections to nature
• Share the importance of active, hands-on explorations of objects and materials
• Inform caregivers about children’s explorations and experimentations with objects and materials.
• Involve family members as volunteers and provide rich resources in the preschool environment.
• Provide caregivers with enrichment and follow-up activities they can do with children at home.
• Ask caregivers about children’s previous experiences, cultural beliefs, and theories about living things.
• Share with caregivers children’s experiences with science in the classroom.
• Remind family members of the many opportunities to engage children in life science explorations outside the preschool environment.
• Provide family members with tips to support children’s awareness and understanding of their natural environment.[1]