Teacher-Parent Communication Strategies

It’s no secret that when schools make a concerted effort to foster healthy, strong relationships with families, students benefit in a number of ways. Studies suggest that parental involvement and communication can lead to academic gains for students: higher grades and test scores, improved social skills and time on task, better attendance and participation, and decreased behavioral problems in the classroom.

But parent-teacher communication can be challenging, say teachers. In 2006, 50 percent of participants in a survey of more than 1,000 K–12 public school teachers rated parental involvement in their children’s education as inadequate; 48 percent reported parental understanding of the curriculum similarly. And a 2016 study revealed that some of the largest barriers to productive parent-teacher communication were trouble getting to the school site, conflicting work schedules, lack of translation services, and consistent requests for donations or fundraising that seem prioritized over all else.

Research shows that the more deeply a parent is involved in their child’s learning, the larger the impact on the child’s achievement and performance in school. Check out these four incredible examples.

Show off your families’ strengths: Give parents a chance to highlight their talents, experiences, and skills to get them more engaged in the classroom, says education consultant and retired teacher Terri Eichholz. Eichholz created a Google Form where families could mention any skills that they might want to share with the class—which led to her finding a parent who was a drone operator. “[He] zoomed with my students (back before Zoom was a thing!), and we built an entire field trip around his expertise,” she says.

Provide pathways for entry: At Educare New Orleans, teachers maintain a monthly calendar marked with days on which caregivers are invited to engage with their child inside the classroom. For parents who can’t attend, there’s a take-home activity that provides a similar experience.

Empower students to explain their best work: At Design 39 Campus in Poway, California, parents attend in-school workshops. During the first half hour, students are in the driver’s seat, taking charge and explaining their work to their parents. The second half hour is reserved for parent-teacher communication—including a question-and-answer period—while students attend an elective, gym, or their lunch period.

Making your curriculum transparent: High school history and journalism teacher David Cutler posts two weeks’ worth of lessons and assignments online. The practice provides transparency to families about what their children will be learning—and when— while also allowing him to carve out time to meet with students and parents as they prepare for more challenging assignments.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services