Parents as Resources

As you have seen from previous posts, connecting with parents and having them as a resource is invaluable. Educating a child truly is a partnership, and parents need to feel a valued part of that.

Here are some more tips on ways to do just that:

• Establish an explicit open-door policy so parents will know they are welcome
• Send written information home about classroom assignments and goals, and encourage parents to reply
• Call parents periodically when things are going well and let them know when they can call you
• Suggest specific ways parents can help in assignments
• Get to know the community by visiting the community
• Let parents know when you are available to visit homes or talk at some other location
• Arrange several parent conferences a year and let parents talk about their child's achievement
• Solicit parents' views on education through a simple questionnaire, telephone interviews, or student or parent interviews

Source: Weed, K. Z. & Diaz-Rico, L. T. (2010) The crosscultural, language, and academic development handbook. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.