Keeping the lines of communication open in the educator-parent relationship can make a big difference in a student’s success.

A family’s involvement in and awareness of their child’s educational development is paramount to a successful school year. That’s why communicating with parents is an important part of setting up your students for academic success. While educators may struggle with keeping up communication with parents or guardians on account of conflicting work schedules, language barriers, or other reasons, doing your part to build a strong bond with your students' families can yield great results.

Some ways to strengthen educator-parent communication during the school year include:

Get ahead of negative feedback. The idea that everyone thinks their own child is perfect may not be totally accurate, but there is still a hint of truth there. Don’t wait to talk to parents until troublesome behavior or poor performance arises. Communicate positives and negatives throughout the year to build a rapport and help make uncomfortable conversations easier.

Utilize digital tools to avoid miscommunication. Language barriers happen from time to time, but they’re no reason to fail to communicate with a student’s family. Tools like Spotlight allow for the translation of grades, test results, and more, allowing parents and educators to overcome differences in language in conversations surrounding a child’s success.

Let students have a voice. Include your student in the conversation. Show shared support in a child’s success by allowing them to engage in conversations with you and their family and express for themselves where they feel they may be needing additional support or focus.

It may not always be easy to communicate with a student’s family but taking steps like these can help provide a more welcoming space for conversation and support throughout the school year.

For more tools and resources focused on supporting family involvement in a student’s education, check out the links below:

• Teacher-Parent Communication Strategies to Start the Year Off Right
• Making the Most of Parent-Teacher Conferences During Distance Learning
• Connect with fellow teachers by joining our educator Facebook community.