Title: Parents Need to Learn: Five Ways to Engage Parents in Student Learning - ASCD Inservice
Headings: Parents Need to Learn: Five Ways to Engage Parents in Student Learning
Parents Need to Learn: Five Ways to Engage Parents in Student Learning
Nurture Partnerships Centered on Learning
Offer Learning Opportunities for Parents
Re-Envision Curriculum Nights
Turn Parent-Teacher Conferences into a Story about Learning
Open Classrooms

Content: Schools can facilitate this process in a number of ways. Nurture Partnerships Centered on Learning
Allowing parents to take initiative on learning-related matters is vital in forging productive partnerships. Because parents generally see things differently than educators, they might find effective ways to present educational concepts to other parents and serve as a good resource for teachers. Our school’s PTA leaders, for example, conducted a sample study of teacher-parent communication and surveyed parents on what information they needed to receive from their teachers to feel like partners in their children’s education. After the results were shared at the staff meeting, many teachers made some adjustments to their weekly communication practices. Opening the door to continuous collaboration is not easy, but it has proved to be beneficial to everyone, especially children. Offer Learning Opportunities for Parents
The most powerful example of meaningful parent learning we have witnessed was during a community visit. Our school invited community members to spend two or three hours one morning observing the type of learning students experienced at school. After the initial exploration of ideas and a short presentation by the principal, parents had an opportunity to see examples of student thinking displayed in the halls and visit a classroom where 4th grade scientists reasoned and collaborated while writing headlines about electricity. Following the observation, we involved participants in some hands-on activities, leading them to a deeper level of thinking and understanding.