Partner with whānau, parents and caregivers
Suggestion for implementing the strategy ‘Identifying needs and strengths, and accessing support’
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Work together
Work together
Whānau and teachers worked closely together to help a student with low vision to feel less anxious in her first months at school.
Closed Captions
What to ask
What to ask
Connect with parents, whānau, and caregivers to understand the strengths and needs of students.
Practical elements:
- the language(s) spoken at home
- medications and allergies
- equipment used at home
- what they do at home to support learning
Students' likes and dislikes:
- likes, interests, strengths, what they’re good at, can do independently
- dislikes, what can upset them, how they express this, calming skills
- favourites (TV programmes, hobbies, books, songs, sports)
The people in the students' lives:
- parent and whānau hopes and priorities
- important people in the student’s life
- best methods and times to communicate with the family
- professionals working with the family
- questions they have and support they would like from the school.
Support information sharing
Support information sharing
- Encourage parents and caregivers to share what they have noticed or assessments they have had done outside school.
- Build on any programmes or materials used at home, to maximise consistency and support for the student.
- Develop systems for passing on information about a student’s needs, progress and next steps.
- Share information about out-of-school programmes that may help boost the student’s self-esteem, for example, classes or groups for music, art, dance or sports.
Share observations in ways that work for whānau and ākonga
Share observations in ways that work for whānau and ākonga
Sometimes the language of teaching and learning can create a barrier for families.
Consider how you can share information about learning in ways that are mana-enhancing, support understanding, and promote conversation, for example:
- drawings or graphics
- photos
- videos
- learning stories
- simple graphs of learning data
- culturally relevant metaphors and analogies.
Useful resources
Useful resources
Family/whānau file
A booklet to help parents of students with additional needs to brief their child’s school.
The vision book: My child, our journey
Read time: 89 min
Families share their experiences about parenting a child who is blind, deafblind or who has low vision.
Next steps
More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Identify needs and how to provide support”:
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Return to the guide “Low vision and learning”
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How to use this site
Guide to Index of the guide: Low vision and learning
Understand:
Strategies for action:
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Identify needs and how to provide supportShow suggestions for Identify needs and how to provide support
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Key areas to supportShow suggestions for Key areas to support
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Helpful classroom strategies years 1-8Show suggestions for Helpful classroom strategies years 1-8
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Helpful classroom strategies years 9-13Show suggestions for Helpful classroom strategies years 9-13
