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This week I attended a SBIC meeting at school (our site-based decision making committee) where we sat in on various VAT (Vertical Alignment Team) groups. Several parents and community members are members of the SBIC and afterward had several comments regarding the process. One parent in particular made a comment that really stuck with me and generated an idea I’d like to share with you this week. She expressed to our group how impressed she was with the effort and professionalism of the teachers during the VAT meetings. It seemed that she was not really aware of how much thought and effort goes into planning and implementing the curriculum taught to our students.

She also made a comment that went something like this, “I learned more about what my child is learning and doing in class tonight than I have all year long. We’ve been trying to help our child with her math division homework and I keep using the terms “borrow” and “carry.” I wondered why my daughter kept looking at me weird. Tonight I learned that she is taught to use the terms “group” and “regroup.” I never knew this. I, as a parent, want to support and enhance what is being taught in school when my daughter is home, but I don’t know what to do. I don’t have a background in education and half the time I don’t understand what the teachers are talking about. I know that other parents would also like to know this information so they are able to help you (the teachers) and their children.”

This comment really struck me because I realized how much I take for granted my knowledge base. As a parent who is also a teacher, I completely understand what my son’s teachers are telling me. I know the jargon and I know the strategies. If I am faced with an unfamiliar strategy, I am still able to connect it to educational research to understand how it works and helps my child learn. I also know where to go to read up on new strategies introduced so that I am more familiar with the concepts being used. However, most parents do not have this same level of knowledge.

I am reminded of the parent meeting held at my son’s school in August. The purpose was to inform parents on what to expect in 4^th grade. The teachers talked about the schedule which included time for Math, ELA, Specials, and IC. They also discussed various concepts and overarching themes and goals to be taught during the school year. We were told both the behavior and academic expectations for our children as well as the procedures followed in the classroom. Most of the parents nodded their heads, kept good eye contact with the teachers and seemed to be listening. When the meeting ended, my husband turned to me and asked, “Did you get all that?” I nodded and explained that I was very pleased with how the grade level was prepared and keeping parents informed. He shrugged his shoulders and said, “Well, as long as you understood it and are happy, then I guess we’re good.” I just laughed and patted him on the shoulder, shrugging off his comment.

However, after hearing the comment made by this parent at the SBIC meeting, it made me wonder – how many of the parents actually understood what was explained in the meeting? How many keep quiet because they don’t want to seem unintelligent – even the highly intelligent ones? It also spurred me to wonder how often we break down information to a basic level when communicating with parents. If you are like me, you probably try to give information as quickly as possible so as not to waste your and the parent’s time. Is this really helping the parents or our students? We are always stressing the importance of encouraging parents to be partners in their child’s education, yet we do not give them the tools to do so. We also tend not to expect too much from parents. Yet, there are those out there who truly want to do more for their children and play a more active role in their child’s education, as evidenced by the parent at our meeting.

Still, how can we accomplish the goal of providing parents with the tools they need to understand and encourage learning at home that enhances what is done in school? There are only so many hours to the day and we are already stretched to the limit with curriculum and standardized testing demands. In the past I have put a small paragraph of information in my monthly newsletter as a way of keeping parents informed. I must admit that most of these did not provide practical or really useful information for the parents, but instead defended a particular teaching strategy or curriculum concept being taught.

After reflecting and brainstorming about this issue, I thought of the new Web 2.0 that is such an up-and-coming part of our lives. What about blogging as a way to help keep parents informed? Unlike a newsletter, a blog is very informal and can easily be done at home without the precious use of the copier (taking up needed copier credits for class assignments). I can give my students and parents the blog address and encourage them to read it. While not every family will use this resource, it will continue to be there. The other wonderful thing about blogs is that they are archived and topics can be categorized. You can also provide links to other resources including district curriculum information, state information, etc. Once a topic was addressed I would not have to continually readdress the issue every year. Parents could be pointed to relevant archived blog entries as concerns or questions arise. Additionally, parents could post comments and questions allowing for two-way communication.

So, then, how might I use a blog to help inform parents and provide them with the tools they need in order to enrich their child’s learning process at home? I have brainstormed and envision the following:

• Blog entries that address specific questions from parents (not about students). I would post both the question and my answer.
• Having a blog category of terms commonly used. These would include educational abbreviations frequently used in my district and school. Currently we use ELA to say “English and Language Arts” which means writing and reading. IC stands for Integrated Curriculum which is a two hour period during the day where students utilize writing, reading, math, art, music, and movement to study a science or social studies topic. Most parents have no idea what ARD, IEP, ELL, or many of the other commonly used abbreviations stand for. Additionally, many districts have their own verbiage to describe different types of learners and learning situations. For example, in my district PACE refers to the Gifted/Talented program.
• Blog entries that explain the vocabulary used during specific content units for language arts, math, science, social studies, art, music, etc. (ie – “grouping” and “regrouping” as opposed to “borrow” and “carry”) These are especially helpful for parents to use the same terms at home when helping their child with homework or study for a test.
• Blog entries offering basic practical ideas parents can use at home to reinforce concepts and skills learned in school. What is something you would like for your parents to do with their kids when you teach decimals, temperature, world cultures, etc.? Break these down into very basic and easily understood directions that are free from educational jargon.
• Blog entries that offer questioning techniques. How can parents start and continue a dialogue with their child that will stretch the mind? What kinds of questions could a parent ask the child in the grocery store, when viewing interesting events in nature, construction sites, businesses, etc. that would encourage them to think critically?

Obviously when brainstorming, many ideas come out but not all of them are reasonable. Still, I think there are probably other ways we could use this blogging technology to help our parents become better helpers and teachers in their child’s life. There are so many experiences in life that reinforce what we teach in school, yet many parents do not know how to take advantage of these experiences as learning opportunities. They may desperately want to, but simply not have the tools needed to be effective.

I hope this has spurred some thinking on ways you might be able to use a blog, not just to keep parents informed of what you are doing, but to help them understand and learn how to be teachers at home. After-all, a parent is the child’s first and main teacher in life. It behooves us to offer them some training they can use at home. Take some time to do your own brainstorming. In an ideal world, if you had tons of time, what might you include in a blog like this? How would you organize it? How would you utilize it? How would you promote it to the parents? I would love to hear your ideas. I sincerely hope you will post comments below sharing your own ideas. Although this is only at the idea stage right now, I certainly plan to think more about it with the goal of starting a parent blog in the near future and I hope you’ll do the same.

Research shows us that parent involvement has a higher impact on student success than any other factor, including culture and socio-economic issues. For teachers, simply calling parents when a problem arises is not enough to keep parents involved. Children and adolescents need their parents to play an active role in their academic careers. As teachers we must foster active parent participation as much as possible. How can we do this?

1. Routinely invite parents into the classrooms and schools for special events.

2. Enlist parents as volunteers whenever possible.

3. Keep parents informed about classroom events and procedures.

4. Help parents know how to effectively help their children develop good study/work habits at home. 

I’d like to address the last strategy in more detail. Some families have problems helping their children develop good work and study habits. Although we try to teach our student good work habits in the classroom, these need to be reinforced at home. We can help parents implement these strategies at home by offering tips and strategies to use with their children. This information should be given in short bursts so as not to overwhelm parents. One excellent way to disseminate information is through a classroom newsletter.

A newsletter is an excellent way of keeping parents informed of:

·Classroom activities
·Units/themes of study
·Upcoming events and field trips
·Important due dates for projects and tests
·Keep them up-to-speed on the latest learning strategies
·Lastly, the parent newsletter is a great way to give parents those tips on creating a good learning/study environment in the home!!

Break your newsletter into sections that are short and to-the-point.  Parents won’t read your newsletter if it looks like a novel or even an article out of Time Magazine. Parents are busy. They need information in quick bites. Every segment of your newsletter can be a sentence or maybe a short paragraph. Use bullets frequently, so that your newsletter is not wordy!

A great idea is to include a short section titled “Tips for Home” in your newsletter. Key to Success–  Put only one or two tips per newsletter, so that parents are not too overwhelmed to actually incorporate this into their daily lives! Below are some strategies you can include in your newsletters to help parents utilize good study habits at home.

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• Stress to your children that you are a team player in their school life. Your role is to help them be better students. It is important for your children that you create an environment where your child can study and do their homework with few interruptions and distractions.

 

• Schedule homework at a time that works for both your child and the rest of the family. Routine is important for children, as they feel more balanced and comfortable when there is a routine for the day. Don’t expect children to sit and work quietly on homework during a chaotic time in the house.

 

• Plan a “quiet time” for the family every day. Parents can be reading, folding laundry, working on the computer, etc. - but not watching TV or talking on the phone. This will give your children the idea that it imperative that we all get our work done in a quiet and efficient manner.

 

• Help your child set up a “calm corner” and/or peaceful study area. This doesn’t have to be alone in their bedroom. It could be in any area of the house. The kitchen table is where I often did my homework. I didn’t like being alone, and my mom and dad were available to answer questions and help if I needed it. However, some students need total quiet and are distracted easily. So, if they don’t have their own bedroom, maybe they could use your room. Most parents have their own room as “off limits” to the children. If your child needs a quiet place to study, other siblings won’t distract them in your room.

 

• Don’t complain about your child’s homework in front of the children! If you have a comment or concern about homework or academic requirements, please call your child’s teacher or conference with the teacher, outside of earshot of your children. YOU have a huge impact on the attitude of your children towards school. Don’t let it be a negative one!

 

• Don’t do the homework for your children. Some parents get carried away and take over the project. Doing your child’s work for him/her may hamper his/her comprehension of the material and he/she could fall behind in class. Help and advise without doing the work. If your child is still having trouble,send a note to the class teacher or call to discuss your concerns.

 

• Make sure that your children are eating well. Just as cars can’t run without fuel, our brains can’t either. Even just one missed meal can affect a child’s behavior and thinking skills. Please make sure that children come to school well-fed and fueled up for the day!

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Each of these tips are short, to the point, and offer helpful strategies for parents to use at home with their child. Over time you may think of other strategies you want to share with parents. Just remember to keep the information concise and to the point. Try to avoid educational jargon and use plain language. This will encourage parents to read and utilize the strategies you share.