Parent-Teacher Communication: 5 Ways to Strengthen It

As a new school year starts, you can make sure your child gets the education they need this year by being an involved and supportive parent. One of the ways you can do this is by making sure there is parent-teacher communication throughout the year.

There are five simple ways to make sure your parent-teacher communication is strong.

1. Meet your child’s teacher.
   

   Meeting your child’s teacher doesn’t mean you have to volunteer in the classroom. It does mean that you should try to have a face-to-face meeting with the teacher, though.

   Some schools make this easy by having an orientation before school starts or a back-to-school night. Some will have parent-teacher conferences. If your child’s school offers any of these, make sure you figure out a way to attend at least one.

   If the allotted time doesn’t work for your family, get in touch with the teacher and see if you can set up another time to come in, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Having at least one in-person meeting will give you the initial connection you need to create a working relationship with your child’s teacher.

2. Find out their preferred method of communication.

   When you meet your child’s teacher, find out the best way to communicate with them. Then let them know you want to support them and your child throughout the year.

   If they know you’re interested in what happens at school, they’ll be more likely to reach out if any issues arise. You’ll also know the best way to get ahold of them if you need to let them know about something at home that you feel may impact your child’s time at school.

3. Ask how you can best support your child.

   Depending on your child’s comfort level with the material covered, you can ask the teacher where you can find information to support your child if they need help or are struggling. If your child seems bored with the material they’re learning about, ask if there are additional learning opportunities to help keep your child interested.

4. Encourage your child to talk with their teachers.
   

   Let your child know it’s okay to ask questions and talk with their teacher if they are unsure about something. The earlier your child learns to speak up for themselves, the better they’ll be able to help themselves throughout life.

   It can be hard for some children, though. If you believe your child is hesitant to ask questions, let them know it’s okay to talk with their teacher and ask for clarification.

   You can also let their teacher know they are working on speaking up for themselves and ask the teacher to help encourage or help them.

5. Progress reports.
   

   Find out how your child’s teacher handles progress reports, grades, and scores. Do they give feedback, either verbally or in writing, to your child? Do they talk with your child about their goals or progress for the year? Is there an online system you or your child can access during the year to see how they are doing? Will the teacher notify you if things are consistently not turned in?

   The sooner an issue with poor grades or uncompleted assignments is caught, the less work it will take to repair. If you or your child are not aware until the end of the semester, there won’t be time to catch up.