As a parent, you are your child’s best education advocate – until they’re old enough and informed enough to advocate for themselves. You know your child’s strengths and challenges, and you can help identify and push for the resources your child needs to succeed.
Know your child’s strengths and challenges – Observe and learn what upsets your child and what brings them calm. Explore their strengths so you can work with the school to find ways that best support how they learn.
Keep and organize paperwork – Try to keep copies of report cards, progress reports, IPPs (Individualized Program Plans), medical records, helpful homework samples, etc. They can provide insights into your child’s learning differences and how much progress they’re making. Consider keeping all documents together in an organized binder.
Build relationships – Get to know your child’s teachers as well as school counsellors, speech language pathologists, or other therapists who are working with your child. Building relationships with the whole team can help keep the lines of communication open. There’s less chance of misunderstanding if everyone knows and talks to each other.
Recognize that your child behaves differently at home and school – It’s important to talk to your child’s teacher to find out how well they are functioning at school. Teacher-child relationships vary widely but given that teachers spend many hours a day with our kids, we can count on them to have a keen sense of how children learn and behave. When you meet with a teacher, ask about your child’s strengths and challenges. You can feel comfortable asking questions like: Does my child have difficulties with organization, following instructions, or staying on task? Have you noticed any delays in their academic or social development? Do they get along well with other kids?
Maximize parent-teacher conference time – Many of us go to parent-teacher conferences unprepared. We arrive without questions, receive an enormous amount of information about our child’s academic performance, and then leave with a laundry list of concerns we haven’t been able to talk through. You can maximize your time by planning questions to ask at the beginning, not the end, of the conference. By asking your questions up front, you’ll help ensure that the conference time is used to address your child’s challenges, set appropriate goals, and determine whether any specialized supports might be needed.
Remember that you’re a part of the team – Parents shouldn’t feel pressured to make a decision. Keep in mind that you’re an equal member of the decision-making team. So, while it’s important to be receptive to the school staff’s thoughts, you don’t have to agree to something you think goes against what’s best for your child.
Communicate regularly – IPP meetings and parent-teacher conferences are good opportunities to get an update on your child’s progress. But there are also other times and ways to get updates. You can email or call the teacher with questions. Parent Association meetings may provide insight into curriculum and other resources that could affect your child. Communication is key to a successful team supporting your child!
