Cleveland Heights, OH

Cuyahoga County Universal PreKindergarten / Starting Points

Margie Jennings, Site Manager

Margie.jennings@thecentersohio.org

Unique Family Tiles

McMillian Early Learning Center has an on-going goal to strengthen the “school family” with productive partnership practices. The COVID-19 experience—though very challenging—demonstrated that Zoom helped teachers meet and work with  parents and students for extended learning activities. The ATP and teachers organized Unique Family Tiles to engage parents and strengthen students’ language development, small motor skills, and creativity. Parents were guided to talk with their child about their family, and how families are alike and different from each other.

The ATP, teachers, and family advocates obtained tiles, paint brushes. and cups for red, yellow, blue, orange, green, white, and black paint. Parents picked up a Ziploc bag of these supplies at school. As they got into the activity, teachers, parents, and students discussed and named the paints and tried mixing colors. Parents and students talked about their families, what they enjoyed doing together, and what they wanted to put on their tiles. Parents and students shared their ideas with each other and with the other families working in the Zoom room.
About 30 students, 40 parents, and all teachers participated. Parents agreed that it was “fun” and “eye-opening” to hear their child’s ideas about how to represent their family on the tile. One teacher reviewed, “The interactions were great!” 

At the end of the Zoom session, families shared their stories and showed their Unique Tiles. At school, the tiles were glued together on a “school-family” board and displayed for all to see. For many days, students enjoyed pointing out and explaining their tiles to each other. Each family had a unique family story, a unique conversation, and a unique tile.

Read more about Unique Family Tiles in Promising Partnership Practices 2022.