Next Steps: Ideas to Extend Practice

Participants working independently or with other staff can build on the skills developed through this guide by completing activities such as the following ones. Some of the activities can contribute to the participants' professional portfolios.

Learn about the Organizations
in Your Community

Identify the community organizations that support Head Start children and families and find out about the services they offer. Collect fliers that community groups use to advertise their programs and services and give them to families. Invite community representatives to visit the Head Start program to meet with children and families and to find out firsthand what services are most needed and valued.

For example, invite a children's librarian to a meeting of parents and staff to discuss the library's programs. The meeting can educate parents and staff about what services are available. It can also give the librarian a chance to find out how to tailor services to better meet the needs of Head Start children and families.

Possible Portfolio Entry: Handout summarizing services provided through community groups

Update Your Parent Training on Child Development

Use The Child Development Universe as a part of the program's training for parents on child development. This model can help parents understand how they contribute to their children's growth and development and why their role is so important. The Appendices to this guide are also useful resources for parent training.

Possible Portfolio Entry: Parent training session evaluations

Involve Parents as Observers of Their Children's Development

Ask staff to involve parents in constructing their own knowledge of child development. Suggest conducting joint observations of a child at home, at the center, or during a group socialization session. The two observers (parent and staff member) can discuss what they saw and heard, noting how the child used skills in the four domains.

Possible Portfolio Entry: Observation recordings (with names deleted for confidentiality)

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