At the start of a new school year, early care and learning providers often get to meet and welcome new children and families into their early learning programs. By creating a warm and welcoming environment, we offer children a feeling of safety and belonging that equips them to play, learn, and thrive. In this article, we share some helpful tips for ensuring that new children and their families feel welcome from the start.
Invite new children and their families to visit your classroom to enjoy circle time or outdoor play before their start date, if their schedule allows that. This will help the first day feel less overwhelming for young children, since it gives them some time to get comfortable within the early learning space while their parents are present. These visits also create opportunities for educators and parents to chat with one another and begin building a foundation for a collaborative partnership.
For children who speak languages other than English at home, talk with their parents and see if there are any key words or phrases that you might be able to learn to help you communicate with the child. For example, maybe you can learn the words for important caregiving routines, such as “diaper,” “bottle,” “snack,” or “nap.” You might also consider creating a welcome sign in a variety of languages to represent the different languages spoken in your community. Incorporating these words will help children feel comfortable and understand what to expect while they get used to your daily schedule.
An article from HighScope Education suggests singing songs, reading books, and telling stories in children’s home languages, as well as in English: “Invite children and families to share songs, fairy tales, and rhymes from home, and to teach these to the class. Incorporating a range of music and stories celebrates cultural diversity while helping children retain their home language as they learn English. Make an effort to choose songs and stories that build vocabulary that children can use during the activities of the school day.” When we create classrooms that celebrate the diversity of our communities, it helps children to feel included and valued. As an added bonus, the entire class will learn from being exposed to another language!
Because beginning in a new early learning program is a big transition for many young children, we can expect them to experience some separation anxiety for the first several days. We can help support little ones by carving out a place where they can say goodbye to their parents. An article from Edutopia suggests creating a “waving window,” through which young children can say goodbye to their parents: “One way to support children as they say goodbye is to establish some waving windows where children can go to wave one last goodbye or blow a kiss to their caregiver. This special place gives children some autonomy and space to say goodbye to their carers. Using the waving windows can also become a familiar routine that assists young students with processing their feelings.”
For additional support in helping children cope with separation anxiety, you might enjoy these Good2Know articles from the archives: Understanding Separation Anxiety, Helping Preschoolers Cope With Separation Anxiety.
When families drop their children off, consider whether the sign-in/sign-out space is designed to be a welcoming place for families. You might consider putting up a sign with new children’s names, such as “Welcome, Amy and the Smith Family!” to let the parents and child know that you are excited to have them and that you have been eagerly awaiting their first day.
You can personalize the welcome station by posting family photos and pictures of children playing at school to create a sense of community among families, educators, and children.
To create a sense of belonging, consider singing community-building songs that incorporate children’s names during circle time. These songs can help children get to know each other’s names, which in turn will support an atmosphere of welcome and inclusion in the classroom. Some fun name songs to try include: Hello Name Song with Simple Movements and The Clapping Name Song.
