Coaching Parents to Communicate Lifelong Learning

Arina Bokas and Howard Andress

In a demanding global economy, kids need to know how to adapt, persevere, and think about a problem in multiple ways. To do so, they need to develop dispositions for self-motivated learning. Schools rely on parents to help support these habits at home, but the truth is, parents are often unsure what role to take in their child's education.

The evidence is solid: teachers' efforts to reach out to parents on academic matters improve student learning and nurture habits of minds that become a cornerstone of lifelong learning (Henderson and Mapp, 2002). Teachers can connect with students' families in many ways—weekly newsletters, e-mails, blogs, websites, class Facebook pages, and Twitter chats are just a few. Regardless of medium, however, a true school-to-home partnership requires two things: consistent and clear communication of the learning dispositions that parents should nurture at home and coaching on how to accomplish this.

Setting Learning Expectations

First, teachers must clearly define and communicate expectations for student learning and for parental support.

For parents, the school can provide preliminary coaching on how to respond to students' most frequent academic complaint—"I don't get it"—in a way that is consistent with the learning philosophy and expectations set for students. For example,

• The problem may be that your child misunderstood the assignment. Try this: "What do you think the question is asking?" You may want to read the item together.
• Help your child to "think the problem through." Ask "What do you think you are supposed to do?"
• Ask your child, "Using your notes, can you explain the problems that you did in class today?"
• Suggest, "Why don't you ask your friend _____ to explain how she solved the problem?" Group work, one of our common approaches in class, involves sharing strategies and answers.
• Many times, children understand MOST of the concept, but a small portion of it confuses them. Say to them, "Do the homework the best you can. Effort is important, and you need to show your teacher how you are trying to figure this out. When you don't try, your teacher will not be able to help you."
• Follow up the next day by asking, "How did you do on that assignment? What did you learn? What strategies can you use next time? Do you need to see your teacher for extra help?"

Redefining "Help"

Parents often want to provide background on subjects that their child is learning, especially if they are trying to be active partners. In reality, this kind of "information download" is not the most effective way to help at home. Regardless of background content knowledge, the goal is to help parents become experts in the learning process, not on a particular subject. Parents' recollection of the Pythagorean Theorem, for example, may be vague, but they can still trigger discovery in their child by using a certain line of questioning and prompts.

It is the teacher's job, then, to help parents understand specifically how they can best assist their child, including what language can initiate independent discovery and guidelines for effective coaching. Teachers can provide this information to parents via a broad weekly communication or as a targeted note sent home with a child, especially when a teacher anticipates issues with an assignment. Try the following suggestions:

• If your child struggles with the material, immediately providing the explanation is not the best first option. Engage your child in the learning process by using questioning and prompting tactics, such as "What do you know about this already?", or "Can you make a sketch of a problem that would involve this idea?"
• Please resist the temptation to do the work for your child; rather help her discover the concept. Getting the child to acknowledge and recognize that she already possesses aspects of the topic will open the door to better understanding.

Focusing on the Process

Consistent communication of expectations and learning dispositions, along with strategies that clearly direct parents to supportive language and behaviors, can help parents and children form partnerships that nurture lifelong learning. Understanding that their children are expected to struggle, that learning can be difficult at times, and that it's their responsibility to help their children persevere can empower parents to assume a supportive role in the learning process.

Reference

Henderson, A. T., & Mapp, K. L. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community connections on student achievement. Austin, TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.

Arina Bokas is the Clarkston PTA Council president in Clarkston, Mich., and the host of the Future of Learning television series on Independence TV. Howard Andress is a 20-year veteran math teacher in the Clarkston School District.

ASCD Express, Vol. 11, No. 14. Copyright 2016 by ASCD. All rights reserved. Visit www.ascd.org/ascdexpress.