5-4-3-2-1 Early Childhood Tips for Today: Parent Teacher Conferences

• Be Prepared: Have anecdotal notes and work samples ready to share.
• Follow the strength based approach: Start with strengths of the child and have positive stories to share. Share progress and discuss growth areas with specific examples and whenever possible include the child’s work.
• Presenting concerns: Be ready to explain strategies you’ve already used to address the issue and what new strategies you are considering.
• Partner with the families: Make families feel welcome. Staff and families must feel comfortable approaching each other to discuss progress and growth areas. Be aware and respectful of cultural differences. Provide an ample meeting space. Allow time for families to voice concerns and educational expectations. Work together with families to set appropriate goals for their children.
• Manage time: Have time available for bilingual support (when necessary) and parent questions. Keep all discussions centered around child’s strengths, progress and growth. Provide the parents with preferred mode of communication.

• 703-324-3100&upc=&oclc=&isbn=9780152007874/LC.JPG" width="118">Whoever You Are by Mem Fox. (FCPS | Public Library) A celebration of the world’s diverse cultures, both our similarities and differences. “Whoever you are, wherever you are, there are little ones just like you all over the world.”
• 703-329-7552&type=xw12&upc=&oclc=&issn=&" width="125"> The Family Book by Todd Parr. (FCPS | Public Library) All kinds of families are celebrated in a funny, silly and reassuring way. Includes adoptive families, stepfamilies, single-parent families, two-mom and two-dad families and families with a mom and dad.
• 703-324-3100&upc=&oclc=&isbn=9780823430536/LC.JPG" width="104"> Families by Shelley Rotner. (FCPS | Public Library) Big or small, similar or different, there are all kinds of families featured in the many photos. This inclusive look can help children see beyond their experiences and begin to understand others.
• 703-324-3100&upc=&oclc=&isbn=9781555928636/LC.JPG" width="98"> Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman. (FCPS | Public Library) Although classmates say that she cannot play Peter Pan in the school play because she’s black and a girl, Grace discovers that she can do anything she sets her mind to.

• Reading Rockets: Successful Parent-Teacher Conferences with Bilingual Families
• Scholastic: Five Keys to Successful Parent-Teacher Communication
• National Association for the Education of Young Children: Welcome Children and Families to Your Classroom

Points to Action Research

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start: Family Engagement and Ongoing Child Assessment (PDF)
• Harvard Graduate School of Education: A New Look at the Parent Teacher Conference

Ongoing Child Assessment: Partnering with Families from the National Center for Quality Teaching and Learning