The home-to-school connection is powerful and crucial to a successful educational and developmental experience for children. “When parents and schools trust each other and collaborate, children do better academically, behaviorally and socially,” says Dr. Kyle Pruett, a child psychiatrist and member of The Goddard School’s Educational Advisory Board. Part of that connection is regular, ongoing communication with your child’s teachers, including regularly scheduled parent-teacher conferences.
How can you get the most value out of this more formal exchange to set the foundation for continued connections? Here are five easy steps for a successful meeting.
- Prepare for the meeting. Write down your questions before the meeting to ensure you cover the most crucial information.
- Share information. You know your child and family better than anyone. Be willing to share what’s happening at home, what your child’s interests are and what observations you have made.
- Focus on your child. Stay focused on what your child is learning and your child’s developmental growth. Don’t discuss other children unless you are curious about friendships in the classroom or are sharing that your child plays with another child outside of school. Keep an open mind about topics such as behavioral issues. Work out solutions together for consistency at school and at home.
- Ask about the program and upcoming activities. Learn about what’s in the curriculum and what’s coming up in the next few months. Find out how you can participate. Ask the teacher for advice on what to do and how to encourage learning at home. Share things you are already doing that have worked.
- Seek out opportunities to stay involved. Before you leave the conference, ask the teacher how you can work together and what opportunities there are to stay involved —and thank them for their time!
