The main goal of this article is to encourage and facilitate parental involvement in the elementary classroom . Since there is no single reason not to participate, we want to present several approaches that seek to address the variety of obstacles parents face in getting involved in their children’s education. The ideas that others may have on this topic may also be interesting, so comments and discussion around this article are welcome.
- Time to introduce yourself
At the beginning of each course, it may be interesting for you to contact the parents of the students before the arrival of the first class. This will allow them to introduce themselves, a fact whose importance you must emphasize from the beginning so that good and abundant lines of communication can be opened . Invite the parents to a meeting and take advantage of that moment to discuss all the doubts and to schedule another meeting in which each and every one of them can attend.
- Communication channel
Create a WhatsApp group or make one of the most active parents responsible for communication between you and the other parents, as long as they are willing to do so. You can also create a network in which each parent is responsible for calling two or three more parents to report special events or important news.
- Beginning of the year questionnaire
Send a questionnaire home to parents on the first day of school and ask them these types of questions, the answers to which will be very useful throughout the course:
- Tell me about your son / daughter, what are their interests?
- What do you think is important for your child to learn this year?
- Is there something special you want me to know about your child?
- How would you like to be involved in your child’s education this year?
- Suggestion box
Make or reuse a box and put it outside the classroom door so that parent or student suggestions can be inserted into it. This idea will invite sincere participation, because you, as a teacher, make them see that it is good to participate and suggest for the good environment and development of the work in the classroom . These suggestions will be anonymous.
- Notes and folders for good communication
Send home a folder at the end of the week with the work of each student and with the comments on the progress and activities carried out. This folder always includes sheets so that parents can ask questions or make any comments they want. The folder will be returned to the classroom on Monday of each week. This way of working can be very useful to promote communication between parents and teachers, especially for those who do not have much free time.
In this folder, at the beginning of the month, you can include a calendar that highlights the moments in which a specific participation of the parents will be requested. It includes the hours and activities that must be carried out on those days. Invite parents to have breakfast or lunch, to share a recess with their children, to enjoy a little reading in the library or in the laboratory, or to do any special activity, such as a storytelling day. Try to schedule at least one thing per month and at times when a greater number of fathers and mothers can participate. It also includes activities that can be done with input from parents, such as family stories, surveys, or projects.
This calendar will give parents the opportunity to plan in advance their options and possibilities for participation .
- Hours of operation
Dedicate a specific day of the week or a couple to the parents’ attention. Said attention can be by phone, live, in an office … Periodically change the time if you see that too many parents cannot participate in the first set time and remember to mark it in the folder that the children will take home on Fridays.
- Teacher calls to parents
In the event that there are parents who do not respond to written communications, try to try to call periodically so they know that you know them and that you care about their comments. Mobile groups can be very practical in this regard as well, as long as they are used solely and exclusively for communication, and not for criticism or anything else out of place.
- Additional help for parents
If you have skills with new technologies, you can create a Facebook group for the parents of your school and include materials that may be useful to them. You can also create a shelf in the classroom with books on parenting, homework and study skills, etc., so that parents can answer all their questions every time they go to a meeting, or even take the books on loan, knowing that they will be having quality information.
It has helped me, the pedagogical strategies for infants, and communication with parents. Thank you