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How to Talk So Teachers Listen
from Sesame Street Parents Magazine
www.sesamestreet.com
 
Forget report cards. Many preschool and primary school teachers today rely more on formal parent-teacher conferences to convey information about a child's progress. But as important as these face-to-face meetings are, they're often limited to 15-minute or 20-minute intervals. So it pays to plan ahead and do your homework, say Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish, the coauthors of How to Talk So Kids Can Learn: At Home and in School (Fireside). You can make the most of the time you'll have with the teacher by following these five strategies: 
1 Before you go, jot down questions you would like to ask about how your child is doing and what you can do to help.
2 Start the session by describing a positive classroom experience your child has had ("Sam really enjoyed the lesson you gave on rockets"). This tells the teacher what she or he is doing right and sets a positive tone for the meeting.
3 Share any Information from home that may be affecting your child's performance in school ("Nicole has been very quiet and sad since her grandmother became ill').
4 Instead of telling the teacher what she or he is doing wrong, try describing specific ways you've found to meet your child's needs ("My son gets discouraged easily, especially with reading. I've discovered that he does better when someone notices any little progress he makes').
5 Follow up With a note to teacher. This finishing touch will help confirm what you've discussed and establish that you're both working toward the common goal of helping your youngster succeed in school.

NOVEMBER 1999 SESAME STREET PARENTS