Preschool Conference Strategies
Tips for a Successful Preschool Parent-Teacher Conference
Apr 13, 2008
Preschool conferences are an important element in a child’s development. In early childhood education, the parent-teacher conference helps parents ensure that their child is receiving the proper foundation for developmental growth.
Questions for Teachers
During a parent-teacher conference, parents should ask questions that address how their child is developing academically, socially and behaviorally.
Parents should ask how their child is adjusting to preschool:
- How well do you think my child is transitioning to your class?
- What examples do you have to support this transition?
Parents should find out how their child is growing. In addition, it is important to determine their child's strengths as well as the areas of development in which their child can improve:
- In what areas has my child grown the most during school?
- Are there any areas of weakness or problems at school? If so, how have you handled these problems and how did my child react?
- Are there any there any areas of concern?
- What does my child need to know for kindergarten? This is a very important question because it is important that the preschool teacher’s curriculum prepare children for future success in kindergarten.
Parents should find out the best ways to support their child’s development while they are at home:
- In what ways can we best support your program while we are at home?
- What are the best ways we can be involved in the class and communicate with you in the future?
Parents should also ask questions in order to get a feel for how their child is developing socially:
- What is my child’s favorite activity at school?
- How do the other children respond to my child?
Top Tips for a Successful Parent-Teacher Conference
Tammy Gold, founder of Gold Parent Coaching, recommends several strategies for a successful preschool parent-teacher conference:
- Parents should be on time, respectful, and upfront with their views.
- Think about the conference ahead of time and write down all questions and points that are important to address.
- Depending on the age of child, parents should let their child know they are going to be speaking to the teacher and ask if they have any topics or questions.
“Remember it is preschool. The goal is to expose your child to socialization, rules and beginning education. Set realistic expectations of what the teacher is going to tell you and what you will do with this information once you get home with your child,” says Gold.
Lonna Corder, renowned parenting expert, provides the following tips:
- Parents should be completely honest and not hide things from the preschool teacher. For example, if dad has moved out of the house the school needs to know. “Home and school will affect each other. The lines of communication must be open. School and parents are partners and must work together,” says Corder.
- Try everything. This means that if teachers suggest strategies that may aid the child’s development, take the suggestion seriously. For example, a teacher might suggest occupational therapy to help strengthen the child’s gross motor skills. If the teacher lets you know that your child is tired during the day, he or she might suggest that you get the child to bed earlier. The preschool teacher is a professional. “Parents should ask themselves: ‘Do I take the advice of my car mechanic more seriously than my preschool teacher?’”, suggests Corder.
Remember communication is the key. With the proper preparation, the preschool parent-teacher conference can be successful for teachers, parents, and students.
