A Parent-Teacher Plan for the Enhancement of Communication Between Families and School - Assignment Example

A Parent-Teacher Plan for the Enhancement of Communication Between Families and School Towards Better Reading Ability Rationale The modern technological society in which people are normally immersed with their daily activities concerning their careers, studies, and other related activities makes families lose time for an active and healthy communication with family members. This lack of communication is usually the problem encountered by schools and educators in regard to the learning and coping ability of children in school. A plan for the enhancement of communication between families and school is thus, a good step towards enhancing communication at home and a better classroom performance as a relative result. Objectives The Parent-Teacher Plan for the Enhancement of Communication between Families and School Towards Between Reading Ability is specifically designed for children 7 years of age in the First Grade level. It aims to achieve the following: For Parents: 1. Identify the weaknesses of their children in terms of their reading ability and help them in their reading difficulties; 2. Establish an open communication with their children and other family members towards the development of rapport, openness, and an easy communication flow, which will allow children to share their difficulties encountered in school; 3. Develop a helpful home environment that allows for enjoyable reading and learning; and 4. Identify any problems or difficulties with their children in regard to reading. For Students: 1. Develop enthusiasm in reading with the help of their parents and other family members; 2. Receive better marks in reading as a sign of development in this skill. For the Teacher: 1. Assist children with their reading difficulties based on the level of communication they have with their parents and other family members; 2. Identify to parents the key areas for improvement of the child and what they can do to help; 3. Establish a linkage with parents in terms of their children’s reading progress; and 4. Keep track with the child’s reading progress through rubrics and other forms of performance assessment. [Name of School] [Address of School] 12 August 2008 MR. & MRS. BILL SMITH [Address of Recipients] Dear Parents: We have recently deliberated on the reading ability and potential of our students and found that most of them have difficulty in reading comprehension. Since our goal is to help them learn how to read and comprehend what they have read, it is our concern to design programs that will meet these objectives. We acknowledge that reading is a basic step towards understanding and appreciating other subject matters, without which, learning will become monotonous and mechanical to students. Thus, we consider resolving this difficulty in reading a truly good endeavor. In this regard, we are designing a program plan with parents called A Parent-Teacher Plan for the Enhancement of Communication between Families and School Towards Better Reading Ability. A conference with parents on this concern is set on August 30, 1: 00 A.M. at St. Vincent Hall. Since we shall be discussing matters regarding the reading ability and potential of your child, we appreciate your presence in this event. Thank you and we look forward to a collaborative effort on the reading progress of your child. Truly yours, Signed Dr. Ophelia Davies-Morgan Principal Transcript of a Mock Parent-Teacher Dialogue A parent-teacher conference was held on August 30, 2008, 1: 00 at St. Vincent hall aiming to discuss a reading enhancement plan for children in the first grade level through communication at home. The committee prepared the following objectives for the conference: 1. Describe to parents the present state of reading difficulties of children; 2. Explain the general factors leading to lack of interest in reading and the potential contribution of home environment; 3. Present the Parent-Teacher Plan for the Enhancement of Communication between Families and School Towards Better Reading Ability and how the plan may be undertaken. The Planning Committee prepared the program for the conference with the flow below: Program Flow of PTP I. Registration 1: 00 -1:15 II. Invocation 1: 15 – 1: 20 III. Opening Remarks 1: 20 – 1: 50 IV. Presentation of Objectives 1: 50 – 2: 20 V. Presentation of the PTP 2: 20 – 3: 30 VI. Open Forum 3: 30 – 4: 00 VII. Closing Remarks 4: 00 – 4: 20 VII. Snacks 4: 20- 4: 40 End of Activity 4: 40 In ascertaining that its objectives are met, the Parent-Teacher Plan for the Enhancement of Communication between Families and School Towards Better Reading Ability include the following: 1. A daily checklist for reading tasks which must be filled in by a parent; 2. A daily parent-child reading activity to aid children on their reading progress; 3. A series of seminars for parents regarding topics on self-esteem, the effects of home environment to academic performance, the importance of communication to children, and the importance of parents’ collaboration to the education of their children; 4. A regular parent-teacher meeting to update parents on the reading progress of their children; 5. Family and Activities Day to promote family involvement. Dr. Ophelia Davis-Morgan, the Principal, gave the inspiring opening remarks that lasted for thirty minutes. She called on the participation, dedication, and commitment of the parents towards a speedy progress of children on reading skills and comprehension. She likewise thanked the huge number of parents who attended the meeting, which she said must be a sign of their willingness to help and guide their children not only in their studies, but also in their journey through life. Ms. Angela Milby, a Grade I teacher and Coordinator of the English Department, hosted the conference. The registration showed a booming attendance of 230 parents, for all sections of the first grade level. The objectives were carefully laid down, specifically the ones embodied in the Parent-Teacher Plan for the Enhancement of Communication between Families and School Towards Better Reading Ability, which is shortly addressed here as PTP. Ms. Milby also gave parents the scenario about the common activities of children and parents at home. In the daily course, both parents are often busy with their careers, which is however not a bad thing, but are often tired to engage in a fruitful activity with children once they are home. Normally, they are set for a favorite television show or glued on the PC as a form of relaxation. Although parents teach their children on their assignments and quizzes in schools, only a significant amount of time is allotted to this task. Much of the parent’s time is allotted to their work, chores, recreation, and other related activities when they are home. On the other hand, today’s children have long left the culture of reading due to their developed interest in computer games, which eats up much of their time and even snatches their interest from their reading tasks. These are factors considered contributory to the decline in children’s reading ability. Ms. Milby showed some evidence supporting these data. She even cited a study conducted by that a child’s interest can be had for only 10 minutes in maximum, and this is attributed to their exposure in television viewing and computer games. One parent raises her hand and asks, “Since both parents work, in which case, lucky for those stay-at-home moms, what is the most effective remedy in order to encourage our children to read and study?” Ms. Milby points out the importance of communication at home in order to encourage the children to read. She cites the deliberate movements of family members once thy arrive home: The father opens the television set, the mother prepares for dinner, the child opens the computer and plays until told by her mother to eat. Very little is allotted to talking to one another, listening to what one has to say, especially the child’s experience in school. These areas are lacking because family members do not have a genuine interest in engaging with them. They should thus be reminded that knowing the concerns of each member, or any stories they have to share is important in keeping good communication open. Ms. Milby is able to lead the discussion towards good communication at home in order to help a child improve his marks in reading. Mrs. Hitchhiker, a parent, raises a comment about the role of teachers in the learning process of children, particularly on learning how to read. She comments that since they send their children to school, the teachers must be solely responsible in educating their children. This remark was answered by another parent, Mrs. Todd, who says that there must be a collaboration between teachers and parents on the learning process of children since the events that occur at home – both positive and negative -would have an effect on the child. Ms. Milby reiterated what Mrs. Todd just said about the importance of collaboration between teachers and parents. She stressed the importance of building self-worth on the child, which is a task of the school, but which must also be ensured at home by enabling the child feel a certain degree of appreciation or recognition, the assuring love of their parents, and their constant presence. It is also good that they experience a pat on the back even for small accomplishments, such as fixing their toys after playing or tuning off the faucet after using water. Some parents told their examples about how they treat their children in order to raise their self-esteem and how much time they allot in helping them do their assignments. These were hopefully able to enlighten some parents who have an otherwise prior opinion. After the sharing, Mrs. Milby went on to explain the PTP framework and how it is envisioned to work for the progress of reading of children. Everyone expressed their willingness to participate in the program plan. ASSESSMENT OF THE CONFERENCE The conference took place successfully, but there are some rooms for commentary. The topic on children’s reading skills undoubtedly soared up to concepts of communication, self-worth, and self-esteem, which are significant issues that coincide indirectly with reading ability and a child’s willingness to undertake this activity. Thus, Ms. Milby was able to put across the importance of a parent-teacher plan that will address this necessity, specifically the Parent-Teacher Plan for the Enhancement of Communication between Families and School Towards Better Reading Ability. The booming attendance of the parents is a sign of their interest to participate in activities concerning the welfare of their children. Since the PTP was no longer new to them as it was cited in the letter distributed to them, their attendance also mirrors their willingness to participate in the plan. It was also observed that the large number of attendees might not have sufficed the atmosphere for discussion. Two-hundred thirty is quite a big number for a conference, which can have a general risk for the following: 1. Some parents might have had concerns but opted not to raise them because of the large number of population that distracts them from asking; 2. There might be some questions that were no longer accommodated because the host needed to proceed to another concern; 3. A big number of participants can deter the airing of some views or some questions; 4. There might be instances that noise cannot be regulated because of the controversial nature of some issues, such as Mrs. Hitchhiker’s view that teaching a child is the sole responsibility of teachers; 5. Noise being potentially present in a huge attendance, others might not be able to focus and understand the discussion as a result. Thus, my recommendation for improvement is holding 3 or 4 conferences all at the same time in order to have a smaller population for each venue and so that significant issues may be discussed more substantively in each venue. Sample Materials that will be Used for Linguistically Diverse Families The school should consider the diversity of each child and family in school, and its relationship with the development of a child’s reading skills. The culturally and linguistically diverse students must have different reading materials than the native English-speaking students, since the value of their culture and tradition must be embodied in the reading materials in order for them to find meaning from them. Sample materials that may be used are books depicting the roles of the mother and father at home, and if thy came from a matrilineal society, the reading materials must not be one where the father appears as the superior figure. The school should provide a learning-supervising plan for parents and children at home, in which the parents are involved in the reading tasks of the child, through supervision. There will also be a checklist for parents whom they will fill up in a daily basis after the child finishes one story. For culturally and linguistically diverse families, the materials and checklist used must have their own language translation in order to understand them easily. [Name of School] [Address of School] 12 August 2008 MR. & MRS. SOO KWON YEN [Address of Recipients] Dear Parents: We have recently deliberated on the reading ability and potential of our students with diverse culture and language like your son Soo Te Kwen. Unlike students with English as a primary language, children with diverse culture and language need a different approach in teaching the foundations of reading. Since our goal is to help them learn how to read and comprehend what they have read, it is our concern to design programs that will meet these objectives. We acknowledge that reading is a basic step towards understanding and appreciating other subject matters, without which, learning will become monotonous and mechanical to students. Thus, we consider resolving this difficulty in reading a truly good endeavor. In this regard, we are designing a program plan with parents called A Parent-Teacher Plan for the Enhancement of Communication between Families and School Towards Better Reading Ability. A conference with parents on this concern is set on August 30, 1: 00 A.M. at St. Vincent Hall. Since we shall be discussing matters regarding the reading ability and potential of your child, we appreciate your presence in this event. Thank you and we look forward to a collaborative effort on the reading progress of your child. Truly yours, Signed Dr. Ophelia Davies-Morgan Principal Read More