Your Child Will Learn
About their family history and how their family fits into the school community
Here’s What to Do
- Talk with your child about your family story. You can talk about:
- Who is in your family
- Your ancestors- what were their names? Where did they live?
- How parts of your family became connected
- What you think makes your family special
- Whatever feels important
- Talk about what part of your family story you might be able to show on the quilt square cut-out that your teacher has provided for you.
- Make your family story on the quilt square together. You can draw with permanent marker or pen, glue or paste items onto the square, or use paint (puffy paint or fabric paint works best).
- Return your family’s quilt square to school, where it will be combined with other children’s squares into a School Family Quilt.
Put PEER Into Action
PAUSE
- Gather in for a good family hug.
ENGAGE
- “What do you know about our family story? Who’s in our family? Where did our family come from?”
- “What do you think is important for your friends and teachers at school to know about our family story?”
ENCOURAGE
- “You want to show that our family is from Mexico. What would be a good way to show that in a picture?”
- If your child makes a mistake in their drawing, see if you can turn it into a new idea. If not, tell them it’s all part of the process of making art, and their quilt square is so special because they made it.
REFLECT
- “What will you tell your class about your quilt square?”
Not Quite Ready
If your child is not yet drawing objects, you can draw objects for them. Encourage your child to color the objects, or add other decorations to the quilt square.
Ready for More
Encourage your child to make more art telling your family story.
As Your Child Masters This Skill
They will understand what makes their family unique, and how their family is part of a school community.
Time to Complete
30 minutes
Materials Needed
Fabric or Cardboard Quilt Square (provided by school)
Ways to decorate the quilt square, like: permanent markers, pens, glue, photos and other items to glue onto fabric, needle and thread, puffy paint or fabric paint