I'd been told that three-year-old Gabriel could speak, but only spoke to his parents. If anyone else was around, he wouldn't talk at all. His parents and the school's administrator were concerned that this would be a problem at school. They suggested I make a home visit so Gabriel could meet me in a familiar setting before school began. While this visit was supposed to be for Gabriel's benefit, I found, to my surprise, that it was valuable to me, too.

      As I approached Gabriel's house, I saw a motorcycle in the side yard. Close by were two child-sized motorcycle-like wheeled riding toys, and on the patio sat a collection of toy motorcycles. Before parking my car, I already knew that one way to engage Gabriel was to include motorcycle activities in my in classroom. I made a mental note to put toy motorcycles in the block center and a motorcycle book in the book center.

      When I entered Gabriel's living room, in addition to adult-sized furniture, I saw a small corner area with a child-size table and chairs and a bookcase holding a few familiar children's titles. I made note of the titles - Gabriel would respond to these at school. I was delighted to see, too, a large shelf of his parents' books. "Ah, a family of readers," I thought. On Gabriel's table sat a small fish bowl complete with goldfish. It was apparent that his parents believed children are valuable family members who should be included and not sent to back rooms to play.

      Never speaking a word, Gabriel led me to the back of the house to see his room. I noted the stuffed animals on his bed and the toys he'd been playing with. I knew I could refer to these in class.

      Before I left, his parents proudly announced that Gabriel would have a new brother or sister in six months. Now I had another piece of information that might lead him to talk to his classmates and me.

      In a ten-minute visit, I learned more about this child and his background than I had previously learned about some children in an entire year as their teacher.

      I decided to visit my other students before school began, and I've made home visits part of my routine ever since. Not all visits have been as pleasant as my first, but all have been as helpful.

      Sitting in their own homes, parents feel at ease. They discuss issues they would never feel comfortable mentioning at a parents' meeting. I've learned that one student was hearing impaired, another was a victim of incest, another was stressed over his parents' recent divorce. Before the school year's beginning, I've learned which children need to be referred for speech services and hearing or vision screening.

      Watching children in their homes lets me gauge their activity level. Seeing them interact with parents and siblings tells me about the climate in the home.

      Parents benefit from home visits, too. They receive information about the beginning of school, the school's discipline policy, my classroom management techniques, field trips, and class routines.

      Many of the parents I work with were once poor students in school, and some were school dropouts. Their memories of school and teachers aren't pleasant, and they have bad feelings about sending their own children to school. They associate parent/teacher conferences with bad news and school problems, but realize I'm visiting because I'm interested in their child's success.

      Children benefit most from the visit. Taught to be wary of strangers, students meet me in their own homes, with their parents present. When they walk in the classroom door, my face is familiar. The snapshots I took of them and their families are on the bulletin board. Because I've met every child, I can greet them all by name.

      I've been in homes where the wealthy live, and I've been in a home where the only furnishings were two mattresses on the floor. I've learned about the children and their needs, rich or poor. That knowledge helped me be more in tune with the whole child and therefore a more effective teacher. If you've never made a home visit, I urge you to try it. You'll find it to be one of your most valuable teaching tools.

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