Title: Building Parent-Teacher Relationships | Reading Rockets
Headings: Building Parent-Teacher Relationships
Building Parent-Teacher Relationships
Parent benefits
Student benefits
Teacher benefits
Good two-way communication
Communication strategies
Effective communication strategies involve:
Surprise a parent
Phone guidelines
Reprints

Content: There are other advantages for children when parents become involved — namely, increased motivation for learning, improved behavior, more regular attendance, and a more positive attitude about homework and school in general. Teacher benefits
Research shows that parental involvement can free teachers to focus more on the task of teaching children. Also, by having more contact with parents, teachers learn more about students' needs and home environment, which is information they can apply toward better meeting those needs. Parents who are involved tend to have a more positive view of teachers, which results in improved teacher morale. Good two-way communication
Good two-way communication between families and schools is necessary for your students' success. Not surprisingly, research shows that the more parents and teachers share relevant information with each other about a student, the better equipped both will be to help that student achieve academically. Opportunities for two-way communication include: Parent conferences
Parent-teacher organizations or school community councils
Weekly or monthly folders of student work sent home for parent review and comment
Phone calls
E-mail or school website
Communication strategies
Personal contact, including conferences, home visits, telephone calls, and curriculum nights or open houses, seems to be the most effective form of communication and may be among the most familiar. However, the establishment of effective school-home communication has grown more complex as society has changed. The great diversity among families means that it is not possible to rely on a single method of communication that will reach all homes with a given message.