Involving Families in Scheduling

When creating a program schedule, you'll want to be sure to involve families in the planning process. Children and parents can help make a program schedule successful. The most heroic efforts to manage a program will not succeed if parents and children are kept out of the loop on class schedule updates and other changes to program information. The following procedures can help children, parents and staff keep the program schedule running on time and smoothly:

• Post a program schedule for children
  A large, detailed, colorful and prominently displayed program schedule will help children remember what activities are scheduled to happen every day and at what time. For younger children's classes, a program schedule using a combination of words and pictures on poster board will work especially well. The schedule should list times and type of activity (e.g., 3:30 to 4:00 p.m.—snack time; 4:00 to 4:15 p.m.—clean up). Staff should refer to the schedule regularly to encourage children to read it on their own.

• Keep a clock in every room
  Younger children often do not wear watches. For children who are learning to tell time, clocks with large, colorful hands and numbers are fun to look at and encourage them to practice telling time.

• Post a program schedule for parents and visitors
  A large program schedule displayed in an entrance area will help parents, staff, volunteers and program visitors remember the sequence of daily activities. This schedule does not need to have as much detail as a children's schedule, but detail never hurts.

• Send regular written communications to parents
  Weekly or bi-weekly newsletters or memos from instructors help parents remember the dates and times for the start and end of classes. Written communication also provides an opportunity to remind parents about policies regarding picking up and dropping off children; safety issues or other program concerns; upcoming special activities such as field trips; and news about class activities.