Foster reciprocal interactions with families.

Fostering reciprocal interactions should include

• items of general interest to families
• one-on-one contact suggesting research-based strategies to deal with any concerns that emerge
• resources and child development information that may be shared through the appropriate medium (e.g., newsletter, website, personal conference, progress report).

Process/Skill Questions:

Thinking

• What information should early childhood professionals communicate to families?
• What communication methods are most effective in sharing information with families?

Communication

• Which information is appropriate to share with families?
• What does it mean to share an unbiased observation?

Leadership

• What should be done to ensure the information shared with families is accurate?

Management

• What are the consequences of sharing information that is not accurate or developmentally inappropriate?
• Why is it important for communication with families to be both timely and frequent?