6 Effective Ways to Communicate with your Child's School

1. Be constructive in your approach! Assume that the school and teachers and staff want what is best for your child. By taking this mindset, parents can then approach the school in a manner that promotes collaboration. Patiently ask for clarification or what you can do to support the school in educating your child.

2. When you have a question or concern, go directly to the source (usually begin with the classroom teacher). Do so as quickly as possible and follow step one in your approach. A good way to begin might be saying, “This is what has been reported to me. I wasn’t there, so I am not 100 percent sure this is accurate, but please help me understand . . . ”

3. Clarify communication preferences at the beginning of the year. Expect timely, two-way communication. Find out how your child’s teacher wishes to communicate (via e-mail, face to face, text, notes in folders) and be respectful of his or her preferences. 

4. Request a goal-setting conference with your child’s teacher. Check to see if your child’s teacher is open to sitting down at the beginning of the school year to establish shared goals for your child’s learning. This will help you know how to better support your child at home and to look for benchmarks along the way. Goal-setting will also help guide parent-teacher conferences.

5. Be of service. Teachers and school staff have a lot on their plates, so offering to help, even in the smallest ways, will build relationships and trust, ultimately providing a more positive learning environment for your child. 

6. Ask for ideas for supporting lessons at home. Expect frequent updates from your child’s teacher about what units they are studying and request ideas for how to support the learning outcomes at home. You are helping the teacher while connecting to your child and his or her school experience.

Sources: Kerrie Urosevich, Executive Director of Family Hui, PJ Foehr, lead consultant at foehrWARD THINKING

Want to add more play to your child’s life? Here are five great ways.

Adapted from Dr. David Elkind’s The Power of Play

1. Cut TV time and replace it with playtime. Television sitcoms and movies have all but eliminated the self-initiated dramatic play that once mimicked the adult world. Give your child the time, place, and materials to engage in make-believe, express his or her individuality, and grow physically, emotionally and mentally through play.

2. Make play dates with children of a similar age and let them initiate the kind of play they wish to engage in. Children of the same age love to play together. These children are at the same skill level and create a relationship of mutual authority. It’s important for children to engage in play with their peers so they can establish a sense of alliance that will grow as they do.

3. Avoid too many toys too often. Toy play is one way that children nurture their dispositions for imagination and fantasy—and these human potentials can only be fully developed through practice. But the sheer number of toys owned by the contemporary child weakens the power of playthings to engage children in dramatic thinking. When it comes to toys, less is more. Children are easily overwhelmed by the multitude of their playthings, and will end up going from toy to toy without spending time on any one of them. Make sure the toys you buy encourage imaginative inspiration, not momentary amusement or distraction.

4. Watch out for over-scheduling. These days, parents are too anxious for their children to succeed in an increasingly competitive global economy. Many parents regard play as a luxury that the contemporary child cannot afford. Make sure to leave some unscheduled, free time for your child each day. Allow him or her to choose the activity to fill that time and provide materials, like hand-me-down clothes, that encourage creative expression and imaginative play.

5. Explore the great outdoors. For adults and children alike, nature can provide endless inspiration and delight. Take your kids to a park or on a hike. Encourage them to ask questions and engage with the world around them. Climbing a tree and playing games with plants and dirt are simple, fun and important ways for your child to become acquainted with the natural world. Interacting with the natural world teaches children about sameness and difference, and about constancy across change. These concepts are important to prepare for constructing the basic units of math, reading and science.