Teacher Parent Interviews - What now?

So parent teacher interviews are over, you've received your child's semester 1 reports. What now? What does it really mean when your child's teacher says or writes in the report that "child A needs to work on his/her comprehension skills" or that "child B is developing her knowledge of numbers".

This is a post for parents/carers and ideas on how you can support your child at home.

As a teacher, I take a lot of time preparing for parent interviews. I like to create "packs" to send home with parents to assist them in helping their little ones at home. I'm conscious of not sending home anything too technical, just simple activities.

1. Reading resources

A few years ago, I came across these great questions parents can ask children before, during and after reading their home reading books.

There is one for fiction books and one for non-fiction books from ___________.

It's important to ask questions before reading as it develops prediction and inferential skills. If you ask questions as your child is reading, it helps check that they are understanding what is happening in the book. And asking questions after reading helps children retell/recall facts, events and discuss their opinions about the book/characters.

2. Maths resources

For children who are not yet confident counting forward and backwards to/from 100, I send home a number chart and some counters.

The number chart is to practise counting in the car, on the bus/train or whenever there is "transiting" time. The counters are used to play number games.

Parent covers some numbers on the number chart. The child then has to work out what the number is and explain how they know.

"I have covered a number, if the number before it is ___. What number is it?"

"I have covered a number, if the number after it is ___. What number is it?

3. Fine motor activities

Some children come to year 1 with very poor fine motor skills which can affect their handwriting and ability to work with small objects. Instead of sending home handwriting sheets, I send home laminated fluency lines and an activity I call Sponge Towers.

Fluency Lines Pack

In this pack, I put a laminated fluency line sheet, whiteboard marker and a Chux wipe. I laminate these sheets so children can trace the lines with whiteboard markers and then wipe it off. I have a link to fluency lines that you can print and make a  fluency line pack.

Sponge Towers Pack

I made these by cutting up sponges into small cubes. Pop them into a zip lock bag put in 2 pegs. The idea is to strengthen the muscles in the hand by pinching the peg (using thumb and index finger only) to pick up the sponges to build a tower. To make it fun, children compete with their sibling/parent to build the highest tower.

I also suggest to parents to use this resource as a listening activity. The adult will give instructions to the child. Eg: Can you build me a tower with 2 pink blocks, blue block and green block. The child needs to wait for the adult to finish and then complete the instructions.

Hope these gives parents out there some ideas on what they can do if their child's teacher says.. your child needs help with...