Why do preschool teachers come to do a home visit before the child can go to preschool? The state says they

Question

have to but I dont understand why. The teacher is coming to my house on wednesday, and thats fine but I'd like to know what for.......Any suggestions or answers will help. Thank You

Answer 1

If your child is enrolled in a state-funded program, such as Head Start, or Early Start, the staff is required to do a home visit.  Sometimes, this can be intimidating to parents, but really, it is just an informal visit to meet the child that will be in their classroom and to talk with parents about any concerns they may have.  Home visits have become an important component in preschool settings, as so much can be learned about the child from their family background and homelife.  Look at this as an opportunity to get to know the teacher and their teaching style, and to tell them about all the wonderful aspects of your child.

Many parents also worry that this is a "check up" of some kind...  Don't worry- the teacher isn't coming to see if you have nice furniture, or check on your cleaning skills.  (However, if you do have things that are a safety or severe health hazard that are in your control to change, they can report you to child protective services if they feel that the child is in danger).  But, that is not the main reason for the visit... the main reason is to meet your family and find out about the child before the first day of school.  Some schools have a meeting at your home twice a year, others have it every month.  This is your chance to check out the teacher, as well- and see if they are a good fit for your child's educational needs.

At my center, we have different setups... I work with children with disabilities and behavior difficulties.  We have a home program component of our special education program, where children with disabilities under the age of 3 are seen in their home for an hour each week.  The kids in my caseload are ones in the behavior support program, and I see them and their families in the home once a month.  It just depends on the school's home visit policy.

Bottom line... look at this as an opportunity to get to know the teacher on a personal level, and to tell them about the wonderful things that make up your unique child.

Answer 2

  I agree with what Dr Kim stated above.  I would like to add to it a little.  I too do a home visit at the start and end of the year.  My visit is usually an hour long.  I have paperwork to be signed and a lot of information about the program to go over.  I'm there to make a few mental notes about your child's environment to use at a later time to make your child feel included in a conversation. (ex.  pets, toys, furniture.....)  I use this time to get to know you and your families interests, strengths and weaknesses if you volunteer them.  I may need to use your strengths and interests in my classroom.  I work for Head Start and these visits are required of us and our families.  The visit at the end of the year tends to be longer because the students want to show you everything they own.  It is suppose to be a time to show the parents the progress their child made.  Most teachers will make you and your child feel at ease during this visit.  

Answer 3

This probably has more to do with the funding source for that particular preschool or a new state requirement.  There are many funding sources that feel that home visits are an integral part of getting parents involved in teaching children at home.  It has been found that children do better in school and are more vested in school, when their parents are active in their education.

Suggestion:  Don't worry about it.  The teacher is not coming to look for anything wrong.

Answer 4

Yeah, this is something new that schools have been doing for a while now. I am a teacher, and it isn't required where I teach, but I guess the teachers want to get a feel for the environment from where their students are coming from. I sometimes think that it can be a good thing in the way that sometimes it helps the child feel like they can trust the teacher because it is kind of a personal thing when your teacher comes to your home, but then again, I don't think that every body has homes that are built to impress, but to just shelter. Not everyone can afford a beautiful home. It can be embarassing for the parents, if they feel they are being judged on where they live. I can tell you this though, I have been in the teachers' lounge, ( I prefer to eat lunch in my class) and teachers DO gossip, so it would be wise to make sure your home is nice and orderly, and clean. Also, offer them something to eat or drink when they are there. It shows good etiquette, and will show them what kind of role model you are for your child. It tells them a lot about the kind of person they will be dealing with in their class. A helpful hint: teachers really appreciate it when a parent shows an interest in their class by donating money or items to the class whenever they can, but they cannot stand it when parents interfere too much or act like their child is so special that they need special treatment. I hope this helps.

Answer 5

Home visits are often done to help your child transition to preschool. Your child will get a chance to meet his/her teacher and you will have an opportunity to ask questions.  Also, many preschool programs are increasingly trying to build the curriculum around the children (instead of build the children around the curriculum).  Because of this, the teacher may ask you to give input into some of your child's skills, abilities, and developmental patterns.  The info you give will help the teacher cater the program to your child.  

Answer 6

hi. i work at a center where we are required to do a home visit...one at the beginning of school and one at the end. it is a program that is federally funded. it's nothing bad. i promise. my visits only last about 10-15 minutes. it helps with communication. you get to meet the teacher....the teacher get's to meet you...the child will get to meet the teacher and be more comfortable when he/she actually has to go to a classroom setting. i can't speak for other teachers, but i just go over the center...rules, services offered, a little about what we'll be doing, resources, ... i enjoy meeting the child and getting to know where he/she comes from. it may seem unneccessary now, but it really is beneficial in the classroom. it's nothing to worry about though.

good luck! :)

Answer 7

What state is that? I never heard of such a thing.

This wouldn't happen to be a Headstart program, would it?

Answer 8

Many State and Federally funded programs have this as a requirement.  We aren't "looking" for anything.  :-)  It's a way to form positive relationship with child and parent and also for the parent to get an idea of the environment the child is living in.  When we know the general environment the child is living in...it helps us to individualize better.  Also, I find that when we have home visits... parents are more apt to let us know when they need help. One of the services of a state or federally funded program is to put families with needs in contact with the right resource to receive help.

Enjoy the visit...the children usually love the fact that their teacher is coming to THEIR house.

Answer 9

I am a preschool teacher and I never heard tell of doing that before. I do live in Canada and as far as I know, we don't have that ruling here.

I think they are doing it just to see what kind of a home the child comes from. You know, to see if there is any abuse or something like that going on. It might also be to meet the child and to test them to see what kind of education to offer.

Good Luck on Wednesday.

Take Care,

Cindy

xoxo