High quality early learning and care approaches start from the understanding that parents and other family members are the most important people in any child’s life. They are the people who are involved in their growth, learning and development from birth; they provide the cultural and value system for their socialisation. It is precisely with this contribution that the family can and should be an important factor in good coordination between the home environment and the kindergarten.
However, in order to achieve a meaningful partnership between the family and the kindergarten, it is not only important that parents and other caring family members participate in activities and events organised by the kindergarten. Parents should be a sought-after source of information about the child’s interests and needs, and should be regularly provided with information about the child’s individual development, his/her achievements in kindergarten, his/her feelings, emotions, interests and areas for developmental support, and be actively involved in setting goals for this development.
This philosophy underpins the learning content and activities on the theme of child portfolio developed and piloted in 2023 within the REYN Network. Through these, TSA hopes to support professionals working with children and their families, and pre-school educators in particular, to achieve a fuller interaction between the kindergarten and parents and families as an important element of high-quality pedagogical practice.
In 2023 we held three trainings in Sredets and Lukovit with over 35 participants, pedagogical and non-pedagogical specialists. The trainers Albena Boneva, psychologist and certified Montessori teacher, and Zlatina Marincheva, director of kindergarten “Barborino”, town of Sredenitsa. Sredets with many years of experience, shared with the participants many personal examples and approaches for the regular use of the portfolio in the interaction between family and kindergarten, as well as showed visual examples of originally developed portfolios.
In 2024, a new portfolio will be launched. TSA plans to register the training with IROPC and continue to offer similar training opportunities for its members. Keep an eye on the REYN Network website for more information.