Parents often find themselves at school for parent-teacher conferences around this time of
year. For many families, this is your first opportunity to sit down one-on-one with your
child’s teacher to talk about school progress. It’s important to use this time to share your
impressions of the school year, and to ask any questions you might have.
Here are some questions that might help set the tone for a productive and positive
conference:
- At what level is my child currently reading? What type of growth have you seen so far this year?
- Can you describe my child’s reading? Is it fluent and expressive? Does my child read at an appropriate pace?
- At home my child enjoys reading ________________________. Can you make any other recommendations for reading material?
- At home we try to talk about what our child has read. What other things can we do at home to help with comprehension?
- The homework you assign typically takes about _____ minutes to complete. We feel the homework load is (too challenging, not challenging enough, just right, etc.).
- What strategies can you recommend to make homework as effective as it can be?
- What sort of things can we do at home to keep our child motivated about his/her schoolwork?
Did you run out of time? It’s often hard to fit it all in during one conference. If you still
have unanswered questions, follow up with a written note, or schedule a second face-to-face
meeting. Develop a solid relationship with your child’s teacher – consider it your
homework for the year!
For information on the importance of strong parent-teacher communication,
visit: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/19308
Reading Rockets, Coloron Colorado, and LD Online are services of public television station WETA, Washington, D.C. Reading Rockets is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. Coloron Colorado, a web service to help English language learners become better readers, receives major funding from the American Federation of Teachers. Additional funding is provided by the National Institute for Literacy and the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. LD Online is the world’s leading website on learning disabilities and ADHD, with major funding from Linda mood-Bell Learning Processes.
