Parent-teacher conferences sometimes become a cause for concern for everyone involved. This Digest outlines ways to improve communication during parent-teacher conferences. Suggestions are offered to help parents participate more effectively in conferences, including identifying what is being done to help a child overcome a problem, examining the…

Through interaction with their children and experiences they provide for them, parents can influence and guide children's growth, development, and learning process. This paper, in English- and Spanish-language versions, lists several ways parents can support their children's learning. The paper first notes that parents can establish a support…

Discusses parent-teacher communication problems, factors that contribute to homework-communication problems, and strategies that the whole school community can use to ensure parent involvement in the homework assignments of children with high-incidence disabilities. Focus-group recommended strategies are provided for teachers, parents,…

This paper reports a survey of 355 parents and 166 teachers of young children starting school in New South Wales, Australia. Parents and teachers were asked to rate a list of 20 items in answer to the question 'How important are the following for deciding whether a child has had a successful first two terms of school?' The results are presented in…

Struggling learners and their parents often are exasperated by homework. They find it difficult, frustrating, and laborious, producing resistance, slipshod work, stress at home, and conflicts between struggling learners, parents, and school personnel. The author (1) identifies several causes of struggling learners' homework difficulties, (2)…

Meeting a crucial need, this book provides clear recommendations for authentic developmental assessment of children from infancy to age 6, including those with developmental delays and disabilities. It describes principles and strategies for collecting information about children's everyday activities in the home, preschool, and community, which…

Providing a low-key, nonthreatening way for teachers and parents to build partnerships for kids, this book presents short, concrete activities in English and Spanish to foster communication between teachers and parents and between parents and children. While the activities in the book are designed for kindergartners, none of the activities have…

This paper, written by a school administrator to parents, discusses parents' role in creating a positive educational environment, from providing a structured home life to volunteering in their child's classroom. The paper begins by asserting that a primary cause of behavior problems in the classroom is parent-child relationships in which the…

This annotated bibliography presents resources that will enable parents to fulfill their responsibility for developing their children's abilities to do mathematics, while at the same time encouraging more positive attitudes towards mathematics. The resources are divided into three categories: (1) activities initiated in the home, (2) activities…

Built on the experiences of educators and parents who have put research into practice to improve children's learning, this book focuses on the interdependence of educators and parents and their partnership of support for children. The first chapter, "Parent Involvement: Promises, Problems, and Solutions" (Rebecca Crawford Burns), provides a review…

The digest explores the rights as well as the responsibilities of parents of handicapped children in the special education process. Rights include a free appropriate public education, notification regarding evaluation or change in placement, informed consent, independent evaluation, review of all records, participation in the Individualized…

Intended for teachers to share with parents of school children, this paper presents techniques to encourage children to read during their summer vacations. The 21 suggestions for parents include the following: (1) model reading behaviors, (2) brainstorm with children to determine possible areas of interest, (3) read aloud to children, (4) allow…

This book is designed for parents who have trouble understanding their school-aged children's grades, report cards, and test scores. It helps them make sense of school reports and offers resources to open communications between parents and teachers. The seven chapters focus on: (1) "Getting Started" (e.g., what grading and reporting mean, whether…

One of the key goals of the Laboratory for Student Success (LSS) is to encourage school, family, and community partnerships to improve the academic performance and socioemotional development of children and youth. Teachers face the challenge of educating an increasingly diverse student population which is growing up in varied home environments.…

Presents guidelines on making the most of parent teacher conferences: how to prepare for the conference (talk to the child, make a list, and gather input from others); how to act during the conference (ask questions regarding the child, the teacher's methods, and the action plan); and how to follow through later. (SM)