10 Ways to Make the Most of Your Preschool Parent Teacher Conference.

Participating in your child’s preschool experience is also essential. Research published in 2017 found that parent-teacher partnerships promote academic success and social-emotional development.

At English kids club 5 GREEN, biannual parent-teacher conferences are an important part of our curriculum and provide an opportunity to set and work toward mutual goals for each individual child.

How can you make the most of your next parent-teacher conference? Here’s our list of 10 things to do and questions to ask.

Talk to your child first.

Ask your child some questions before going to the conference! There are lots of things you can glean from letting your child talk about preschool in his or her own words. Your child’s answers may indicate important issues to bring up when you meet with the teacher.

Listen to the Teacher.

When you arrive for the conference, the teacher will want to share important information about your child’s development, progress and areas of need. You may also think of new questions or comments if you hear anything unexpected. Don’t be alarmed if the teacher brings up areas of concern, such as behavioral issues or struggling to learn math. This is not a judgment on your parenting skills! Instead, it’s an opportunity for you and the teacher to work together to help your child’s progress.

Ask general questions.

When it’s your turn to ask questions, start by getting an overall sense of what preschool is like for your child.

Ask about strengths and weaknesses.

Because preschool exposes your child to a wide variety of activities, it may uncover special talents or problems that you don’t see at home.

Ask about social/emotional development.

A quality preschool curriculum is about much more than learning letters and numbers. It’s also an important place for developing social skills.

Ask how your child gets along with adults.

Preschool gives your child the opportunity for quality time with non-parental adults. Some kids will adapt to this easily, while others may take more time.

Ask how your child gets along with peers.

The way your child interacts with peers at school gives you important insights into his/her personality.

Ask whether your child has any behavior issues.

If the teacher mentions any behavioral issues, ask for details. Are there some situations that tend to upset your child and trigger misbehavior more than others?

Provide the Teacher with information.

Tell the teacher about personality traits or family circumstances that may affect your child at school. This will help to customize your child’s learning experience and resolve any problems your child has at school.

Ask how you can help.

Remember, the teacher is your ally in your child’s development, and will be happy to offer helpful things you can do at home.