Families
Conversations About School
When you think of parent involvement, do you picture parents volunteering in classrooms? That's one way to help, and an expectation at Alice Carlson. Research shows that supporting your child's education at home is even more important. Use these conversation starters that will help you stay involved.
"What question did you ask today?" Encourage your child to ask questions at school about things he or she wonders about or questions about ideas that raise his or her curiosity. Questions are an important way to monitor thinking and guide understanding. It will also give you insight into what he or she is interested in.
"Let's see what you brought home today." Look at reading logs, notebooks, classwork to see how well he or she is doing. Find where he/she is doing well and comment on that. Respond to notes or sign daily planner as required.
"Show me what you have for homework." It is your child's job to do her homework, but you play a role, too. Make sure she knows what she is supposed to do by asking her to explain the assignment. After she finishes, glance over the work to see that it is complete.
"Describe a book you enjoyed today." Talking about a book he enjoyed will give you an idea of what he prefers to read. Then, build a daily reading habit by asking what he is going to read tonight. Encourage his reading and listening skills by reading aloud to him and letting him read aloud to you. (This is important, even for older children.)
"Tell me what you learned about you'd like to know more about." Use her interests as jumping-off points for activities to share. If she likes geometry, you might hunt for shapes together or do origami. If she is fascinated by how animals adapt to winter, take her to the zoo or to the library to research.
What to say instead of "How was school today?"
- "What's the coolest thing that happened today?"
- "How would your teacher describe the day?"
- "What made you laught?"
- "What was the most creative thing you did?"
"How were you kind or helpful today?"