CDI’s Parental Engagement and Relationships (PEAR) training is a short course for Early Childhood Educators and Services to promote parental engagement in their service for the benefit of children and families. This training equips learners with the skills, tools, and methods to increase parental engagement in children’s learning and development through the Toolkit and six strategies covered in detail throughout the training.
CDI’s Toolkit for Parental Engagement and Relationships provides a practical resource for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Services seeking to increase parental engagement with a view to improving outcomes for children and families. It can also be suitable for primary school settings to maximise parental engagement in children’s learning and development during the junior and senior infant period.
The purpose of this Toolkit is primarily to support front-line staff working in services to develop and maintain strong partnerships with parents. It works as a guide to building and sustaining parental engagement and provides the tools needed for implementing six powerful strategies that can be used to introduce and maintain effective parental supports.
Aims:
To support ECEC Services in improving their parental engagement with a view to improving outcomes for children and families.
Objectives:
- To enhance learners’ understanding of the context and background as to why parental engagement is important to children’s development.
- To explore how this can be promoted through the ECEC setting.
- To demonstrate how to use the PEAR Toolkit in practice.
- To foster a culture of reflective practice.
At the end of this course, learners will:
- Feel more confident and competent in engaging with parents and carers of children in the ECEC setting.
- Have the tools and ideas to build on parental engagement in their own setting.
- Have the knowledge and protocols to carry out home visits.
- Have the skills to embed a reflective practice element into their own work and the work of their team.
Modules delivered as part of PEAR training:
- Strength-based Approach to Parenting.
- Building Relationships.
- Inclusion and Partnership.
- Improving the Home Learning Environment.
- Supporting Transitions.
- Supporting Childhood Difficulties.
How training is delivered:
PEAR training consists of live training sessions with an experienced facilitator (online or in person). The entire PEAR package consists of six modules, or sessions, each lasting two hours. Sessions can be delivered individually or in a bespoke way that suits your staff team. Learner’s receive pre-reading material, the PEAR Toolkit, and a Learner’s Booklet. The training sessions consist of self-directed learning activities and in-session group work. The provision of the PEAR Toolkit encompasses reflective exercises that allow the attendees to bring back and apply practical skills in their place of work.
The Toolkit also includes information, case studies and practical steps that professionals working with parents can draw from as they develop engagement strategies with parents, children, and other services in the community.
The Toolkit is designed to be a valuable and practical resource for front-line practitioners and managers working in ECEC settings where there is a commitment to developing or strengthening their partnership with parents.
How to get in touch:
For more information about PEAR training for your team contact louise@cdi.ie
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