Parent-Teacher Communication Strategies in Preschool

Introduction

Parent-teacher communication is important to the academic success of any child, regardless of age (Wayne & Youngs, 2003). When parents and teachers have open lines of communication, students excel. The purpose of this discussion is to focus on my experiences related to parent-teacher communication in my preschool setting. The discussion contains research related to the benefits of proper parent-teacher communication, and also provides insights into my personal experiences as a teacher and the manner in which I communicated with parents concerning their children.

"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." — Albert Einstein

My occupation as a teacher has afforded me the opportunity to shape the minds and lives of the many young people entrusted to me. Teaching can be a challenge in many ways because it demands a great deal of time, patience, and energy. In addition, it takes years to realize the true impact one has had on the life of a youngster.

Teachers are special people. We get up early to go over our lesson plans for the day. We go to bed late because we often have a great deal of work to do after school hours are over. We also often have the added responsibility of buying supplies for our classrooms and even for our students. Although teacher incomes throughout the nation are extremely low, many still choose the profession even when they have the opportunity to work in the private sector.

The Importance of Parent-Teacher Communication

This reflects the love that teachers have for their occupation. It is important to remember that behind every successful man or woman, there was at least one great teacher who encouraged that person to do their best — and parents who made a concerted effort to communicate with teachers via phone calls and parent-teacher conferences. In my own career as a preschool teacher, I have witnessed the impact that parents have on their children's ability and even will to learn.

"A Loving Parent"

Dear Teacher,
I am sending you my most precious possession today,
Trusting in your care what to do and say,
Be gentle and loving and encourage him too,
I'm trusting in you to know what to do,
Show him things and let him draw,
So he'll remember the things he saw,
Let him jump and run and play,
He'll tell us all about his day,
Let him do things on his own too,
But please help him when he looks to you,
Give him a hug and smile a lot,
Memories of you will never be forgot. (Davis, n.d.)

As a teacher, I understand the important role of parent-teacher communication all too well. It is important to have open lines of communication with parents so that they are aware of the general progress their child is making, or any problems that might be present (Driessen et al., 2005; Boethel, 2005). This is particularly true in preschool, because it is important to identify learning problems as early as possible. Early detection allows for early intervention so that problems can be resolved or properly managed.

Communication with parents is also important to secure the future academic success of the student. According to the article "Evaluating Evaluations: The Case of Parent Involvement Programs," parental involvement and communication with teachers is extremely important to the well-being of children as it pertains to their academic and social success:

"Through the last three decades there has been an emerging consensus that the quality of relations between schools and families plays an integral role in student success. Parent involvement in children's education has been emphasized as a particularly important aspect of the school-family relationship, with significant implications for children's education. Numerous studies show that parent involvement is correlated with higher student academic achievement, better student attendance, and more positive student and parent attitudes toward education (Mattingly et al., 2002, 549)."

The authors further report that efforts to augment the involvement of parents in the academic careers of their children can even be seen in federal and state education strategies (Mattingly et al., 2002). At the national level, efforts to improve parental involvement in schools have received bipartisan support in all legislative efforts to reform education. In fact, in 2001, parental involvement became a significant part of the No Child Left Behind Act (Mattingly et al., 2002, 549). Additionally, "rhetorical support has been supplemented with financial support; schools receiving Title I funding are required to spend part of that money on parent participation programs" (Mattingly et al., 2002, 549).

Parent-Teacher Conferences and the CORE Model

As a preschool teacher, I understand the importance of parental involvement and therefore make a concerted effort to establish communication with parents at the beginning of each school year. This is done through contact forms sent home with students on the first day of class. Parents are asked to complete the forms and return them within the first week of school. These forms request information such as telephone numbers and email addresses, allowing me to contact parents to discuss the progress of their children and any concerns I may have.

Once contact information is received, I reach out to parents by phone during the second week of school. Initial phone conversations usually involve making sure parents understand that their child's education will be a collaborative effort. I emphasize that I am always available to speak with them and I review some of the skills their children will learn throughout the year. This initial conversation also allows parents to voice concerns and share the likes and dislikes of their children — information that helps me make the learning environment more conducive to meeting each student's needs. For instance, one year I had a student who had an ear fetish: he liked to rub people's earlobes, especially when sleepy. Because his parents had warned me of this habit, I was able to work with them to address the behavior constructively.

In addition to phone calls, parent-teacher conferences are also utilized as a way to communicate with parents. The article "Restructuring Routine Parent-Teacher Conferences: The Family-School Conference Model" explains that parent-teacher conferences are a traditional form of communication:

"Routine parent-teacher conferences (i.e., ones regularly scheduled for most or all students throughout the school year) are 'probably the single most frequently used (and most institutionalized) method of parent-teacher communication' (Hanhan, 1998, p. 116). Administrators allot time for them, and teachers expect to participate in them (Minke and Anderson, 2003, 49)."

Although conferences can be extremely beneficial, the article also explains that they can be of little benefit if not utilized properly. Many teachers have not been adequately trained in how to hold productive parent-teacher conferences, and research suggests that such conferences can result in a great deal of confusion when the time is not well spent.

Because I understand the importance of making parent-teacher conferences productive, I have adopted a specific approach known as the Family-School Conference Model, or the CORE model. According to the research, this method was first developed as a way to instruct school counselors, psychologists, and teachers on alternative options for communicating with families — with the goal of creating family-school relationships that are more productive for everyone.

The goal of the CORE model is to ensure that everyone participating in a parent-teacher conference leaves knowing they are all striving toward the same goals and objectives. The CORE program also seeks to ensure that conferences leave parents feeling respected, hopeful, and capable of assisting students in achieving important goals. The CORE method draws from systems theory, active communication and listening skills, and solution-oriented counseling. It was also influenced by the family-school collaboration project, solution-oriented consultation, family-focused intervention, and enabling and empowering families.

One of the most significant aspects of CORE is training. The CORE program recognizes that traditional parent-teacher conferences have often not been as productive as they could be due to insufficient teacher preparation. Accordingly, the program provides structured training for conducting conferences. Research supports this emphasis:

"Routine conferences are considered an opportunity to develop productive family-school relationships that is not fully realized by traditional approaches. There is evidence that teacher outreach to families is a better predictor of parent involvement than sociodemographic variables, and that the quality of parent-teacher contact is more important than quantity in supporting student success (Patrikakou & Weissberg, 1999, 2000; Minke and Anderson, 2003, 49)."

The training emphasizes three tasks. First, teachers are assisted in learning to think outside of their comfort zones with respect to families and the problems that may exist within family units, and how those problems impact students. This task emphasizes that "developing productive family-school relationships with families of diverse backgrounds is acknowledged as particularly problematic (Hanafin & Lynch, 2002; Lareau & Shumar, 1996) due to language barriers and cultural differences. In the model, teachers are asked to assume that all families care about their children and are acting in their best interests (Minke and Anderson, 2003)." Teachers are also taught how to avoid circular patterns of interaction so that issues are truly resolved and students receive the best education possible.

Second, teachers are given the skills needed to communicate with different types of parents. This involves active listening techniques, communication approaches that uncover the true feelings of parents, role-playing, and other practice exercises. Teachers learn the skill of reframing — replacing negative labels with more positive ones. The author explains that "a great deal of attention and practice are given to managing negative information. In delivering negative messages, teachers are taught to be brief, specific, calm, and tentative in their presentation, conveying confidence that the problem can be solved." When receiving negative information, teachers are taught to listen without becoming defensive, clarify the problem through careful analysis of both the emotion and the subject matter, and develop a response based on the goals of the other party (Minke and Anderson, 2003).

Third, teachers are presented with a structured format for how conferences should be conducted. This format distinguishes CORE from traditional parent-teacher conferences because "(1) all parties prepare in advance, (2) students are active participants, (3) teachers concentrate at least as much on receiving as on giving information, (4) teachers focus on family and child strengths, and (5) the conference is a conversation; teachers are not 'presenters' of information (Minke and Anderson, 2003)." The expected outcome is a collaborative plan for the student that leads to improvements in student performance, supported by routine follow-up conferences to keep communication open (Minke and Anderson, 2003).

In my own implementation of the CORE approach, conferences take place twice during the year, and parents may request additional conferences as they see fit. During these conferences, parents are encouraged to ask questions and voice concerns. They also have the opportunity to observe the learning environment. Conferences last one hour, and appointments are made on designated days. Because I teach preschool and students do not receive conventional grades, conferences are a convenient way of showing parents how their children are performing relative to developmental benchmarks, and of making mutual suggestions about how to best support each student's progress.