Research shows that parents’ involvement in their kid’s learning is the strongest predictor of academic success.
When schools, teachers, and parents come together to form a team, kids benefit. But how can we get started? Use these three ideas to engage families as partners in teaching and learning. ⤵️
1️⃣ Empower families to embrace their expertise.
Families can be their children’s first and most important teachers. They tend to know their kids best and can have valuable insight to share. Help families realize this by disrupting the idea that educators are the only “experts” that need to be listened to. Families come with their own expertise about their children and how they best learn.
2️⃣ Listen to families.
Encourage families to keep sharing what is working— and not working— at home. When you invite families to share how learning is going, truly listen to them. Come to conversations with a series of open-ended questions that you can ask. If you’d like to engage families as partners in their children’s reading development, ask questions such as: Is your family able to make time for at-home reading time?; What is working? What would make it easier for you?; Where could you use more support or guidance?
Cultivate patience, curiosity, and compassion. Do not try to direct the conversation or answer parents’ requests immediately. Instead, allow yourself time to truly listen. Dedicate time to reflect— ideally with colleagues— on what you heard families say, then make a plan for moving forward.
3️⃣ Foster collaboration.
To truly support students, we need to create a culture that invites parents’ voices and incorporates structured approaches that bring families and schools together. Work together with families to get clear on where their child is at academically and set goals for improvement. Create a plan together to support these goals both inside and outside of school. By keeping the lines of communication open, you can create consistency with the language and approaches being used at home and school. Working towards common goals creates a seamless support system for students.
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