Why are Parent-Teacher Conferences so Important?
Originally published on the motherhoodlater.com website
Research tells us that when parents and teachers work together as a team, students perform much better in school. Parent-teacher conferences serve as an opportunity to build a relationship with your child’s teacher, set up a line of communication, and learn about how your child is doing in class. Why are parent-teacher conferences so important?
Learn about your child’s performance
Many parents work with their child at home, helping them study for tests, complete their school work, and work on projects. You might be able to gauge your child’s academic abilities through this work, but your child may show a completely different profile at school. In a large classroom setting, some children lose focus, struggle to process information, or display academic difficulties. Parent-teacher conferences provide you with the opportunity to learn more about how your child is doing in class. Their teacher will tell you about areas of academic strength, how your child interacts socially with peers, and areas where your child may be struggling. All of this information is helpful for you to learn, and can further guide you in working with your child at home or seeking extra support.
Setting up a line of communication
If your child is demonstrating any academic challenges or has a learning disability or ADHD, it’s important for you stay in touch with their teacher on a regular basis. Sometimes a child may start the year off strong but then quickly begin to struggle once the school year is underway, and parents may not always find out about these struggles under months later if they don’t set up a regular line of communication with the teacher. Parent-teacher conferences give you the opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher face-to-face and not only learn about how they’re doing in class, but set up a plan for communicating going forward. You might set up monthly phone calls, regular emails, or even periodic in person meetings to discuss your child’s progress. Try to come up with a communication plan that works for both of you. Don’t wait for your child to struggle; be proactive in communicating with their teacher regularly, not reactive once the struggles become more severe.
Opportunity to ask questions
Parent-teacher conferences offer an opportunity for you to ask your child’s teacher specific questions you may have. You might ask how your child has performed recently on tests, projects, and assignments. Ask if the teacher is noticing any foundational skills struggles. You may also want to ask about how your child interacts with peers and if they have many friends in school. Also find out about their ability to stay focused during lessons. Be prepared with these questions before the meeting starts so that you can be organized and systematic in asking them. The information you gauge from these questions can be very valuable.
Possibly seek an evaluation
If you are noticing that your child is struggling at home – perhaps with completing homework on time, reading words, writing sentences or paragraphs, or completing math problems – parent-teacher conferences can give you a chance to discuss these challenges with your child’s teacher. Ask the teacher if they are noticing these difficulties at school. If so, perhaps there are some accommodations that can be integrated, like seating at the front of the class or extra time on tests. If the struggles become more severe, you may want to request an evaluation for your child. If they are given a diagnosis, they will likely receive an IEP or 504 plan, which can provide them with services and accommodations that can help them thrive in school.
Parent-teacher conferences give you an opportunity to connect with your child’s teacher and learn valuable information about how your child is doing at school. Try to be organized and well-prepared for this meting, and you will learn important that can help your child thrive in school.