Parent-teacher conferences are one way that families and schools can communicate about a child’s progress. Effective conferences can help build collaborative relationships between families and staff, which in turn may improve students’ success in school.

It is helpful to think of some questions to ask as you prepare for the meeting. “In some cases, parent-teacher conferences may not be very informative, especially if the teacher reports that the child has no problems. Some parents may repeatedly hear that they “have nothing to worry about.” While this may sound reassuring, these parents may come away without the necessary information to help their children continue to make steady progress in school. When parents anticipate such an outcome from a conference, they may want to be prepared to ask some of the following questions:

1. What does my child do that surprises you?
Very often this question can reveal to parents what expectations the teacher has for the child. Sometimes a child will behave quite differently at school than at home, so the parent may be surprised, as well.

2. What is my child reluctant to do?
This question may reveal to the parents more about the child’s interests and dislikes than they would ordinarily know. The question may encourage the teacher to talk to the parent about the child’s academic and social preferences.

3. What is a goal you would like to see my child achieve?
This question can serve as a springboard for parents and teachers to develop a plan to work together to help a child set and reach a specific outcome. Even well- behaved and high-achieving children may benefit from setting goals in areas that need improvement or in which they might excel.

4. What can I do at home to support what is being done at school?
This question is always appreciated. Teachers may have suggestions for pare

nts but may be afraid to offer unsolicited advice. The question

helps create a team feeling.”

This information was taken from “Parent-Teacher Conferences: Suggestions for Parents” by Ann-Marie Clark. The article can also be viewed in Spanish, “Conferencias de padres-educadores: Sugerencias para los padres.”

Information about monitoring your child’s progress in school can be found in “How can parents tell if their child is making progress?” also available in Spanish “¿Está aprendiendo mi hijo/a?“