Communication Between Parents, Child, and Teacher

Communicating With Your Child’s Teacher

Sustaining strong communication between home and school is like providing a bridge that makes it easier for your child to go back and forth between the two settings. As your child observes ongoing communication between his home and school, he realizes that you think school is important.

How to communicate

To effectively communicate, you need to send messages, as well as to respond to, messages sent home.

• Read newsletters and notes sent home (or have someone read them to you).
• Attend parent-teacher conferences.
• Telephone, write notes, or e-mail your child’s teacher on a regular basis.
• Visit the school periodically. If possible, arrange to occasionally eat lunch with your child.
• Volunteer in the classroom or in the school, any help is welcome, even short-term.

What should you talk to the teacher about?

 Find out what you can be working with your child at home on that will help your child’s progress.

• Keep your child’s teacher informed about what is going on in your child’s life that can affect his behavior or learning at school. For example you have an illness in the family, you are going on a trip, or his father was temporarily laid off at work, etc.
• Ask questions about how your child is doing in school—both socially and academically. Ask questions such as: “Does he have good work habits?” “Is he too tired in the morning?” “How does he get along classmates?”
• If you have concerns about your child’s adjustment to school, be sure to mention it to the teacher.