While preschool teachers are undoubtedly important to a student, parent volunteers are the ones who give the biggest boost to their child’s chances for success. Parents are the role models, set up discipline, and give love and support to their child. Teachers only spend fifteen to twenty hours a week with their students, where at least one parent is with the child the rest of the time.
Keep in mind that preschool children are students both in and out of the classroom. These kids are basically sponges that can’t get enough water all the time. With that in mind, parents are the primary teachers whether or not young children are in preschool. Parents and teachers are frequently surprised at how quickly children can learn new topics. It is often the parents and teachers who need to pick up the pace to help their children learn as much as possible. Whether inside or outside the classroom. This is why parents need to volunteer in their child’s class.
Parents Need to Be Students
Parents who spend time in their child’s class are firstly learning what their child is learning. Secondly, they are learning new ways to teach new things to their child. They can take those things they learn and apply them at home and everywhere else.
One example something many parents learn at preschool is how to motivate their child. Many parents give up too early when trying to teach something new to their child. Parents need understand that learning can be a struggle, and the time and effort put into that struggle are achievements that build even more motivation for future learning.
Parents Get To Build Relationships With Other Parents Teachers, and Administrators
Parent volunteers get to spend time with other adults at preschool they wouldn’t normally socialize with. When you build relationships outside of your circle, it broadens our horizons and helps you feel like you’re a part of others’ lives. This can be beneficial to parents by understanding others, getting motivated, and just plain getting out of the house. Many stay at home parents become motivated to become preschool teachers when they see the value and contributions teachers make into children’s futures.
Parents Build a Stronger Bond With Their Child
A child seeing their parent in class is a special and memorable event for them. Parents typically don’t volunteer very frequently, so a parent’s presence is meaningful to their child. It is common in Head Start to never have parent volunteers. So keep in mind how powerful it can be for a child to see their parents show their love for them at school! This love and support builds a stronger bond between you and your child and these bonds last a lifetime.
Children Feel Safe and Comfortable
Both children and parents suffer from separation anxiety at the beginning of the school year. School doesn’t need to be such a traumatic event. Children feel their safest when they are near their parents and teachers can use this to help ease children into school. This way children don’t feel like they’re left alone in a forest without a path, and parents don’t need to feel guilty. This is the perfect time to have parents guide their child onto the right path in their learning environment.
There may be times in the middle of the school year where a child begins acting out for no apparent reason. This is a great time for a parent to volunteer in the class and help guide their child back onto the path to normalcy. Even though parent volunteers in preschool are supposed to help with general classroom tasks, it is normal for them to focus on their child more than anything.
Parents Know What’s Happening In the Classroom
Teachers commonly surprise parents with something their child did in class that day. Sometimes parents have no idea their child was capable of doing something, whether it’s good or bad. Sometimes parents can’t believe what the teacher tells them. It’s a pretty good idea for parents to get involved in these situations because this is an indication that the parent is losing touch with both the child and the class. When you see what’s happening in the classroom, you know what kind of person your child is becoming. This gives you a chance to intervene with either the child or the preschool staff if you don’t like what you’re seeing.
Parents Quickly Understand Things That Might Otherwise Frustrate Them
Frustration builds up quickly when you’re no long in direct control of your child. Parents have the right to be concerned about what is happening to their child and the classroom in general. However, it will take extra effort and time to properly understand why things happening a certain way. The following are common examples of things that may frustrate parents:
Fast Paced Curriculum and Schedule
Many parents get upset when they know that their child is falling behind in their class. When parents volunteer in preschool, they have an idea of what the teachers expectations are. One of those expectations is to follow the classroom schedule and guidelines that the school or state has set for the teachers. It is normal for children to fall behind in preschool, since they learn at different paces. When a child falls behind, parents simply need to spend a little extra time getting their child back on track. Teachers will spend time helping them improve in the areas needed most. When parents see equity in action, they will understand why some students get the extra support. And it is okay.
Children Hitting Children
Most parents get upset when their child comes home from school with a new bruise on their body.. Parents who volunteer in the classroom get to see why one student may exhibit negative behaviors such as hitting, pushing, shoving, and throwing items at another students. They will understand the reasons behind the situation that leads to the bruise. Some of the reasons may be out of frustration, anger, or not wanting to share toys. Parents will then understand this is normal at this age and will likely be able to accept it even if they don’t like it.
Parents Can Give Feedback
As parents are volunteering in the class, they have the opportunity to see, hear, and know what is going on in their child’s classroom. They are building a rapport with the staff and will feel comfortable to give their ideas or suggestions to the school. This is a great way for the school to look back, re-evaluate, and find solutions to improve and make the facility a stronger place than before.
Parents communicate with their family, friends, and neighbors about their child’s school. If a parent spreads the word about a positive experience with the school meeting their needs, other parents are more likely to enroll their child in that school. This will help give a high rating to the school. Both the school and future parents benefit because the number of enrollees will increase due to the parents desire of placing their child at the school of their choice.
Parents Learn About Resources They Didn’t Know About
Preschools and Head Starts frequently offer parents training, how to find jobs, courses, nutritional information and training, and many more free resources. Even though a lot of these are mentioned in flyers given to parents, they don’t always read the flyers. However, many parents will listen intently when those same things are mentioned in a conversation. Parent volunteers, and other highly involved parents, will have a greater chance to hear about these programs repeatedly and get the most out of them. This also gives parent volunteers an opportunity to ask questions about these resources to see if they fit their needs.
Be One of the Parent Volunteers at Your Child’s Preschool!
Be a volunteer and continue to help your child excel in school! Even if your child is the smartest kid in class, the extra support will benefit everyone and go a long way as well. It’s ok if you don’t know what you’re doing because the teachers are happy with any help they get. In return, you will be supported and rewarded with your efforts. Hurry and Sign Up!