Talking with Teachers
A strong relationship between families and teachers is key to ensuring students have what they need to succeed. Parent involvement not only leads to higher grades and test scores, but also helps students develop self-confidence, motivation, and social skills. Knowing what questions to ask at school visits and parent-teacher conferences can help you feel confident when it comes to addressing your childs’ academic needs.
Getting Involved in Your Child’s Learning
Families want to know what their child is learning in school. They are a child’s first, and most important, teacher. The following questions are meant to help families partner with teachers in order to help students grow and succeed.
What to Ask about English Language Arts Progress
- How do you select texts? Will my child see characters & topics that represent them, their background & their identity? Will they learn new perspectives & about diverse characters through classroom texts?
- What topics are children learning about through reading? What should my child be able to understand, write & talk about as a result of what they have read? Topics in history? Topics in science?
- How often does my child read grade-level text independently? If they are not reading grade level text independently, why not? How are you supporting my child’s reading needs & still giving them grade-level text? How can I help? (2nd grade and above)
- What are my child’s strengths, & how do you use them in instruction?
- What kinds of book(s) is my child reading during independent reading? Are they limited to a specific reading level?
- Can you show me the results of my child’s most recent phonemic/phonological awareness assessment?
- Does my child have a chance to practice handwriting and write regularly in class?
- Is my child writing clearly & legibly, & in complete sentences?
- Can you provide a sample of my child’s writing?
- How frequently is my child writing about what they’ve read or learned? How much writing does my child produce in a single class period? What does a typical revision process look like in class? (4th grade and above)
- Can you provide a few examples of my child’s writing, including multiple drafts of the same assignment? For which aspects of grade-level writing has my child demonstrated mastery & what are they still working on? How can I support my child to master these skills? (4th grade and above)
- Is my child able to talk, draw, or write in ways that show you they understand what they are reading & learning about? If not, what challenges them?
- What letters & sounds should my child have mastered at this point in the year? Has my child mastered these sounds? Does my child have a chance to read texts that help them practice decoding sounds they are learning? Be sure to talk about what you are seeing at home
- Can my child speak & listen in class discussions & conversations? Can my child show you they understand what they are reading & learning about? If not, what challenges them? (2nd grade and above)
What to Ask about Mathematics Progress
- What kinds of problems are children learning to solve this year?
- How does my child approach complex math tasks?
- How can I encourage them to learn challenging content?
- Can you show me the results of my child’s most-recent math assessment?
- How is my child progressing in their understanding of the key content of the grade? Can you share specific updates?
- What should my child understand & talk about from what they have learned?
- Can my child show you that they understand what they learned? If not, what challenges them? How can I help?
- How can I make learning math feel good?
- How can I support & encourage my student to take charge of their learning?