Getting Ready for School--Some Tips

Source

Schwab Foundation for Learning

Forums

Your first contact with your child's teacher is probably the most important. In this contact you are building rapport and developing a relationship of trust. The time and setting are important and the first contact should be brief.

During the first week of school is a good time and face to face is best. It can be a note or a phone call, but keep it short. Introduce yourself and be positive. The teacher hasn't had time to get to know your child and she will not yet be able to tell you very much. If there is something that is vital for the teacher to know, tell her at this time and arrange to have a formal meeting at a later time.

It is always a question as to whether you need to impart detailed information about deficits. Sometimes, it is better to allow the teacher to see your child from a fresh perspective. The principal, school psychologist or resource specialist can guide you in this matter. Let the teacher know from the start that you want to work with her, that you are truly concerned that your child receives a good education and that you want to help.

After your child has spent a few weeks in school (sooner if your child has needs that would require immediate planning), call or drop a note to check on your child's progress. If there are mild concerns, set up a meeting time before six weeks pass and even if your child is not receiving special education, make some joint plans for what might be helpful. Discuss what the teacher will be doing, and what you as the parent will be doing.

If your child is in preschool or child care, some of the questions you might ask are:

• Is my child able to get along with others?
• Can my child participate well in group activities?
• Is my child able to spend time on an activity of interest alone?
• Are there activities I should help with to encourage school readiness or to develop better social skills?
• Is there anything you notice about my child that I should be aware of or we need to plan for?

If your child is in kindergarten you might ask the above questions, and:

• Do you think my child has sufficient readiness skills ?
• Are there any things you notice about language development, motor development or maturity that we could work together on to facilitate readiness for written language and math and the more formal structure of the coming year?

In the second or third grade you may want to ask these additional questions:

• I want some assistance in validating my child, because he calls himself "dumb." Can you help me?
• Is my child experiencing difficulty with any specific skills? If so, what are they?
• How can we help him with these skills?
• What can I do to encourage or help my child learn to read? Are there some materials I could use at home?
• Is my child experiencing any difficulty that may hinder learning in the future?

It is very important for you and your child's teacher to work together as a team. You may ask your child's teacher to make suggestions about possible supportive academic activities, whether to provide tutoring, or to ask for study team involvement or an evaluation. If difficulties are to be effectively overcome, parents and teachers need to be active teammates and appreciate the difficulties of each other's roles.

A Reprint from the Parent Journal, Autumn 1993