Equally important, children are developing and refining understandings by purposefully engaging in an activity that has meaning for them. Teachers themselves, of course, are wonderful ambassadors for Project Construct. Many find that posting the appropriate Project Construct Goals for Students in the various learning centers helps parents and classroom visitors see the connection between learning activities and curriculum objectives. Posters or simple charts exhibiting developmental levels in writing, art, or block play, for example, also help illustrate the reasons for developmentally appropriate practices. Use various means to inform and involve families.
Some programs put together information packets to explain the constructivist approach to teaching.
Families and visitors find handouts outlining a typical day's schedule and the significance and purpose of instructional activities very useful. For example, the Early Childhood Development Program in the Kansas City school district provides parents with a two-page explanation of the purpose of learning centers and classroom activities, as well as a daily schedule. The handout also includes a chart outlining what children are learning when they engage in specific activities, and how these skills relate to school readiness. For example, Judy Collier and Mary Meihaus, kindergarten teachers in Kirkwood, Missouri, host a math night for parents. They set up a classroom with math stations and give parents clipboards with a checklist of math concepts and a comments section.