Outlines a series of eight defense mechanisms teachers typically employ in parent/teacher conferences. Offers alternative approaches that teachers can practice and consider prior to conferences. (MG)

Notes that most parents, eventhose who are college educated, do not know how to teach reading nor how to help their children. Discusses possible methods of informing parents. (RW)

Summarizes ERIC documents offering suggestions for ways to conduct effective parent-teacher conferences. (FL)

Suggests that parents who understand how written language development resembles oral language development are more willing to accept whole language instruction. Offers teachers suggestions on how to convince parents of this similarity. (ARH)

Proposes that the best reading advice to give parents is this: parents should read to their children. Explains the reason why this is the best advice, and offers tips for successful read-alouds. (MG)

Describes eight steps that help students develop the skill necessary for analyzing their work and articulating their progress and goals. Describes how "We Can Charts" help students assess their growth as readers, explain their growth in reading to parents, and develop new reading goals. Discusses the characteristics of active learners and…

Describes a parent/teacher partnership that stretched over one school year: a home response journal/literacy conference effort involving parent/teacher conferences, discussion of the reading-development continuum, weekly newsletters, and response journals in which parents wrote about their children's interactions with language. Shows how parents…