“Co-op education brings together the expertise of parents and teachers to create an educational and rewarding experience for both children and adults. As a parent educator, by offering information, child rearing and educational strategies, and by building community and confidence, I hope to contribute to the growth of this community,” was a message that QACP’s Parent Educator, Jamie Cho, PhD wrote for a QA Co-Op blog post during August 2018.
The following items from Jamie contain advice and early childhood development “gems” she forwarded to QACP’s Internal Communications committee during the school year. As our 2017-18 classes wind to a close, we encourage our members to check out the information and contact Jamie directly with any questions, concerns, and/or for more ParentEd recommendations!
LET’S BE A LISTENING COMMUNITY!
~Adapted from Bellevue Planning and Community Development Mediation Article~
Being present and listening to others allows for open and thoughtful dialogue.
It makes our community closer and fosters trust and reciprocity.
Let’s all unleash the power of listening and the benefits it provides to our community.
How do we improve our listening?
The first step is to learn to be present to another person, putting aside our agenda, opinion and story to allow another to speak fully.
The second step is to allow for silence in a conversation, for it is in witnessed silence that others are able to hear themselves “think out loud.”
The third step is to let another person know what you have heard them say, again, without voicing your opinion, by just letting their story be retold without your interpretation.
~To address emotion, we simply name it;
“You seem sad/mad/frustrated/_ about this,”
is often all we need to say.~
Our focused presence is what others need.
Good listening can make or break relationships and partnerships.
LET’S GIVE IT FREELY!
MORE PARENT-ED CONCEPTS & RESOURCES:
- “Mirror Talk” and “Why Read 20 minutes at Home?” are both handouts available from QACP Parent Educator, Jamie Cho, by just emailing Internal Communications.
- The Department of Early Learning (DEL), in partnership with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and Thrive Washington, has published the Early Learning and Development Guidelines (PDF) for children from birth through third grade. Caregivers at QACP are encouraged to utilize this resource.
- “People First Language:” Jamie thought this was a great piece articulating the importance of people first language and said we should always remember that every individual has strengths and cannot be defined by their limitations.
- “Five Best Toys of All Time:” was sent out by one of Jamie’s teachers. She loved the article and felt compelled to pass it on to her co-ops and QACP’s InternalCom.
- “What’s the Difference Between Children’s Books in China and the US?” is an article highlighting cultural differences in the texts/lessons learned through children’s publicatrions. It’s a reminder to be cognizant of the messages we send to our kids about learning, perseverance, intelligence and happiness directly or indirectly.
- Jamie also felt this “chart” was a cute comparison (March 2018 Parents magazine):
Queen Anne Co-op Preschool 