Teachers have many different kinds of evidence showing what individual students have learned in the classroom. Much of this evidence can be shared with parents as a demonstration of "the having of wonderful ideas" (Duckworth 1987). In using certain communication strategies, teachers may play off the very same intelligent behaviors they are attempting to enhance in the classroom, and they can help parents understand what these behaviors are so they can be reinforced at home.

Communicating Change

Today's world of parenting is often characterized by mini-moments with sound-bite kids who play video games and watch television. Of necessity, parents attempt to find shortcuts for tuning in to their children's school lives. Unlike Shanker (1993), who has contended that many parents do not take an interest in their children's education, it is my experience that parents are deeply interested in what is happening at school. They want to know how their kids are doing in relation to others as well as to themselves. Thus, teachers are challenged to help students learn how to convey the world of school to those who are not participating in it and may not even be familiar with it.

School life has changed. Many classrooms are profoundly different from those in which parents sat 30 years ago. The adult is no longer the single authority figure imparting wisdom to the uninitiated. Students often command authority with their knowledge. There is a focus on talk as students share and learn from each other.

Communications within the classroom and between school and home may be visualized through a Venn diagram of the three sets of participants: students, parents, and teachers (Figure 5.1). Each intersection represents mutual interactions. All of these intersections are needed to create a whole when thinking about quality communications both in and out of school.

Figure 5.1. Venn Diagram of Communications

In the theater of school, all actors enhance their performance through feedback spirals by communicating needs, desires, thoughts, achievements, aspirations, and expectations. Thoughtful listening to both students and parents can inform the teacher's actions and decisions. The teacher will know when to intervene, focus, or stimulate the conversations. The quality of the dramatics are further refined when students learn to listen to and learn from each other. And by encouraging parents to participate in the drama, both students and teachers will have additional insights and thoughts upon which to act. The lasting effects of learning will be increased for the student who enjoys being the teacher at home—summarizing, synthesizing, and sharing with parents.

Parent Conferences And Portfolios

Conferencing with parents has long been a part of regular communication between school and home. Twenty-five years ago, teachers simply sent home letters containing times for conferences that were scheduled for their own convenience. Now it's necessary to schedule these conferences at the convenience of the parent, often at night. While teachers have discovered new and more insightful ways to share student work, such as the student portfolio, this sharing must of necessity occur at a time that fits into a busy parental life.

When I was a beginning teacher, I knew that it was important to share student work with parents. I now realize that the collection of work was haphazard and sometimes without a theme or clearly understood purpose. I looked for work that pleased me and I thought would please the parent.

Today, sharing student efforts is purposeful. I select some works; students select others. The students' selections are accompanied by a written explanation of why they chose a particular item. This explanation may reveal how the work reflects the student's view of himself as a learner. It may tell why the particular piece of work is important to him or why he believes it is his best. Such evaluation helps students develop feedback spirals by becoming self-critical and reflective while it also leads toward further learning. Sharing the student's thoughts with parents brings them into the feedback spiral of reflection and learning.

Now, the portfolio pieces I select demonstrate how a student met certain outcomes. Whether I am teaching 2nd or 5th grade, I can select pieces of writing that demonstrate a knowledge of metacognition and flexibility of thinking. A piece with revisions may demonstrate persistence in solving a problem. When sharing such works at a conference, I can bring parents up to speed by the way I discuss the reasons for my selections. I can help them join discussions both with me and with students at a level far different from, "What did you do in school today?"

Rehearsal For Sharing

While some students are natural communicators, others are not. It's not unusual for parents to ask, "Did you have a good day at school?" Yet many say their children do not wish to share. Others say their children simply talk about a problem on the playground. While it may be psychologically healthy for a parent to listen to talk about a recess argument, this kind of conversation doesn't meet a parent's need to understand how a child is doing academically. Because of this, I developed the following rehearsal strategy to process the day at school prior to dismissal.

For five minutes at the end of the schoolday, it is helpful to sit in a circle and specifically discuss the day's events. This gives the teacher insight into what is important to each student and what has been learned. It gives students the opportunity to hear each other's voices and learn from their peers (Harste, Short, and Burke 1988; Newkirk 1992). The question changes each day, although repeated practice with a relevant question is beneficial. The question is focused on what I consider central to thinking about the day. Posing the question early in the schoolday highlights and encourages actions and thoughts that lead to desired behaviors. Questions I might pose are:

• What was the most important thing that happened to you in reading today? Why?
• Why did we have a 10-minute silent writing period today, and what did you do during that time?
• Explain in three or four sentences what you read during silent reading today.
• What did your reading response group discuss today? Did the discussion help you understand your reading, and why?
• What did you write about in your reading journal today, and why?
• When you teach the poem "Lazy Witch" by Myra Cohn Livingston, what will you say is your favorite part, and why?

Some useful rules for these conversations are:

• It is important to listen to each other.
• Try to say something that no one else has said.
• Focus on the question.
• Plan ahead what you wish to say.
• Two or three sentences is the maximum.
• You may pass when it is your turn.

My regular questioning techniques use wait time and follow-up questions designed to focus a student's comment to make it more specific. This includes the frequent use of cues such as "because," "why," "in addition to, give evidence," and "be specific."

This processing encourages students' synthesis, metacognition, and evaluation at the conclusion of the day. It puts closure on the day, helps students remember what has occurred, and enables them to hear the thinking of others. It refocuses thoughts and sets the stage for school-home-school communication as well as for the next step in learning.

Feedback from parents about this strategy has been encouraging. For example, one said that she felt it was helpful for her son to listen to classmates. Another noted that her daughter had begun to talk with more insight about her day in school and was now willing to add details about specific things she had done in class. Keeping parents linked to the classroom gives them a definite feeling of participation.

Focused Written Sharing

The strategy of focused written sharing is a variation on the verbal rehearsal. I put up a large piece of newsprint at the beginning of an academic period. The question I plan to pose before dismissal is written at the top of the paper. This question is discussed earlier in the schoolday, giving an opportunity for students to rehearse for the activity. At an appropriate time, everyone writes a memo on the paper that is focused on the question. Examples of questions are:

• Today I observed and drew my tree in science. I noticed the following changes: . . .
• Here are three things I learned about Martin Luther King ...
• The best language I used in my writing today was . . . because . . .
• I predict that the next thing Wilbur will do in Charlotte's Web is . . .because . . .
• What I learned when I used pattern blocks today was . . .

The completed chart is given to a student to take home for sharing. This strategy enables parents to focus their discussion about school. I make sure that everyone has a turn to take a chart home by using a class list as a check-off sheet.

Newsletter Of Student Comments

At the conclusion of a favorite read-aloud, I record students' comments in my journal as they discuss their reactions and evaluations of the book. I use these comments to compose a circular for parents. One purpose is to share student thoughts with them so they gain a sense of what we do when we finish reading a book. It also helps parents join in discussion at home.

After reading aloud The Little House in the Big Woods (Wilder 1953), students in my 2nd grade classroom shared the following thoughts that were then typed and sent home:

• I liked how Pa told stories to Laura and Mary. He had a good imagination.
• I heard this book before. I didn't remember it. I was really little.
• You learn stuff from this book. And I learned that reading a book twice is better than reading it once.
• I learned how they made bullets.
• I really like this book because of the long chapters. The author made them really interesting because you felt you were there.
• My favorite part was the characters. I liked Laura best. She had some of the same problems I do because I am also a middle child.
• I learned how to make cheese and how to take corn off the cob.
• It leaves you in suspense. You don't know what will happen next. I made a lot of predictions.
• It is fun to hear what the next chapter title is. It gives you clues about what is going to happen.
• I liked baby Carrie. She is cute and everyone likes her.
• I like to read about colonial [sic] times. They couldn't have as much fun as we do on Sunday. They had a job to do everyday.
• My favorite characters were Pa and Laura. I think they were the main characters, partly because Laura wrote the story. I liked Pa's stories. They were funny.

"Room 13 News"

Another type of newsletter is written by students. "Room 13 News" is an experience chart written by the class. The writing has two purposes. The first is to serve reading instruction; the second is to inform parents. We write the newsletter often in September and October. Later in the school year, it is written after a special experience that warrants pulling together the thoughts of the group to create a totality.

We may write "Room 13 News" following a field trip, an assembly program, a new lesson such as learning a solitaire game to teach math facts, a science experience, the completion of a class project, a special visitor, or a rewarding writing period. "Room 13 News" pulls parents into the classroom life and summarizes the purpose of an activity for students. It encourages synthesis, metacognition, and evaluation while helping the teacher understand what students value in a particular activity, what they have learned, and how they are responding in terms of intelligent behaviors.

Letters To Parents

A new student is a tabula rasa for a teacher in September. That's when I write letters to the parents of my students. The purpose is to bring me closer both to parents and my new students. I ask parents to answer three questions:

• What would you like me to know about your child?
• How does your child spend time on his/her own at home?
• What are your goals/expectations for your child this year?

The answers can be extremely thought provoking. They pull me into alignment with parental views early in the school year as well as give me information I would not have otherwise. They open a dialogue between home and school at a different level than before I wrote the letters.

For example, Richard's mother wrote, "Our major concern is for Richard to develop as a person. We know he's intelligent and is eager to learn the academics—but we're more concerned with his self-esteem. If he has good self-esteem, we feel everything else will fall into place.... Our goal is for Richard to be a well-rounded, curious, expressive, and most of all HAPPY child at the end of 2nd grade."

Kari's mom said, "She hides her feelings about most things. She is very sensitive. She is the peacemaker if someone is upset or hurt."

And Jim's mother reported, "He is very concerned about obeying regulations, and he never likes to do anything out of line. On the other hand, he is upset by regulations that make no sense to him. It is very important to him that everything be fair."

Phone Calls To Parents

Phone calls are a quick way to enrich school-home communication. I use them for positive communication, phoning home when something special has occurred, no matter how small it may seem. Perhaps Paul has never before made a positive comment to Brian about his behavior. Amy may have made a great inferential comment in her reading response group. Andrew may have contributed a personally sensitive thought to the reading share to which Michael responded positively.

Some schools have institutionalized such phone calls by asking teachers to phone two parents each day. Parents say these comments help them feel a part of that mystery time when their children are away from home.

Parental Help With Publishing

Parents can be especially helpful with classroom publishing. I have taught parents to help with this very time consuming activity. Training parents to help with student editing, for example, helps them understand what is expected of a child in the classroom. Parents also assist with typing and binding student writing. They enjoy spending time working in the classroom during Writer's Workshop to see how I help my students and how their own children work. Some teachers prefer privacy and set up a computer work station in the hall once parents understand what is expected.

Parties

I have worked to find ways to contain and focus the excitement before and during a class party. To do this, I include a student activity such as a short play, some choral reading, poetry recitation, or Readers' Theater. This becomes a short-and-sweet culminating activity that is naturally related to the days and weeks preceding the party. We do not spend much additional time preparing a performance because it is informal and is something that has already been done successfully.

Parents who come to the party enjoy seeing how their children function in the group. Also, they may not otherwise be aware of the fact that the class has learned something like the metaphorical poem "Spring Is..." by Bobbi Katz. Dialogue at home is a natural follow up to these kinds of party activities.

Reading Response Journal

The homework in my school includes reading for pleasure 20 to 30 minutes daily. A response journal for home begins halfway through the school year, after students have the opportunity to learn some strategies for responding to books. This activity is voluntary.

Many families find the response journal a constructive way of reading together. I make a notebook with perhaps a dozen pages and bind it together with an oaktag cover, which students love to illustrate. The notebook goes home on Monday and is returned to school on Friday. A letter to parents suggests that they may enjoy reading with their children. Inside the cover of the journal I staple a list of possible ways to respond to reading. This same list—which has been written over a period of time by the class—is posted in the classroom.

I ask students and parents to read a book of the child's choice together. When the chapter or the book is finished, students and parents each write a brief response to the book in the journal. When these journals are returned, I write my response. This is done weekly for a month or so. Parent feedback is excellent. The journal encourages fulfillment of the homework and helps parents understand how books are discussed in the classroom. A parent learns that we don't simply say, "I liked the book." Instead, they discover that we attempt to state concisely what we liked and why with specific references to the text and illustrations. Or, we may compare this book with another we have read.

Other Celebrations

Inviting parents to an Authors' Share is another way of reporting good news. This activity especially helps educate parents about how the classroom operates differently since they were in school. On this occasion I take the opportunity to speak to parents briefly about my educational beliefs, including the purpose of the gathering, the close connection between reading and writing, the importance of choice, and the importance of student questions and comments. This helps parents understand the writing process as well as some of my goals and expectations.

This type of sharing is appropriate several times during the year. I find it more meaningful than the traditional play performance because it is an opportunity to share the daily functioning of the group. Children choose which pieces of writing they wish to share. A dress rehearsal alleviates nervousness. The room can be made festive with decorations and refreshments, and chairs are arranged so visitors sit on the perimeter of a circle or oval. It is helpful to provide time to visit informally at the conclusion of the share.

I also invite parents to Poetry Shares. A variety of activities can take place. Children recite their own poetry or that of published authors. They recite alone, with a partner, with several people, or as a class. This is a little closer to a play performance, but I feel it is important to allow students to plan, rehearse, and critique this activity with my guidance.

Classroom Presentations By Parents

If a family has had a unique experience or taken a special trip, this may provide an occasion for a visit. For example, the father of one of my students named Michael was born in Egypt. The whole family spent a month in Egypt the summer after Michael completed 1st grade. At the beginning of 2nd grade, Michael wrote a book, My Trip to Egypt. Many children were intrigued, and we invited Michael's parents to visit our classroom. They brought artifacts, coins, and library books for the children to use—plus that all important item of food. After their exciting visit, several students became interested enough to do some research and writing. These 2nd graders were especially intrigued with ancient Egypt, the tombs, mummies, the gods, and legends. Michael's parents had given the impetus to some excellent classroom research, and it was possible for me to teach research skills to those who were interested. "Room 13 News" let everyone know what happened.

Family Math

The Family Math program devised by the EQUALS Project at the University of California, Berkeley, is another concrete example of how teachers can educate parents about school curriculum and newer ways in which concepts are taught. My school invites children at a particular grade level to attend school with one parent one night for approximately an hour-and-a-half. Teachers organize four or five activities for their classrooms. Attendees are divided into groups and rotate among the classrooms with each parent and child visiting several classrooms together.

All activities focus on teaching mathematic concepts through games and manipulatives. Each classroom may focus on a different concept such as estimation, measurement, graphing, problem solving, or probability. At both the beginning and end of the evening, our principal speaks to the group about the purpose of teaching math using manipulatives with an emphasis on thinking skills.

Mathematics instruction now concentrates on concepts using manipulatives and on mathematical reasoning. I have often heard parents say they don't understand math, especially the way it is being taught today. Family Math Night is a way of helping them feel more familiar with what is going on in their children's schools.

"Picture People"

My school has a series of laminated art posters from museums. They are kept in the school library, where parent volunteers choose a picture and learn about the artist. Then the parent comes to the classroom to make a short presentation, which may be combined with some kind of activity.

A parent in my classroom who was extremely interested in quilts used her own pictures to talk with children about that special art form. I prepared some geometric shapes with construction paper, and students enjoyed creating their own quilt patterns. The children learned about the geometry of quilt making using manipulatives. What I find most fascinating about this program is that students use the strategies they have learned to talk about children's books, authors, and peer writing when they discuss art and the artists. Sample comments from a presentation about Joan Miro included:

• I wonder where he got that idea?
• He made them to look not realistic. He is different from other artists in that way. He draws flat like a kid would.
• It looks like he let his imagination run.
• I can't figure out how he did it.
• I don't think it is meant to be anything. He just painted what he was feeling.

The children felt free to speculate. They noticed details and were responsive to the art in the same ways in which they had learned to respond to their books and illustrations. Having a parent lead this activity permitted me to observe my students and revel in their learning.

Videotaping

Using videotape is a telling strategy to help parents understand what is going on at school and how their children are functioning. Each child brings in a videotape, and I make individual recordings that are sent home at intervals and are a record to keep at the end of the year.

I tape individual reading once a month. I also tape students having an Author's Share. Science lessons, reading response groups, math classes, and writing workshops can be recorded. A Poetry Recitation or a Reader's Theater performance make good viewing. I find the most difficult aspect of taping is to have the room quiet enough so a child's voice can be heard well on the tape. We worked on achieving a quiet room and not walking in front of the camera.

No matter how teachers choose to share with parents, I feel it is important to take into account the fact that they are extremely busy and not conversant with the practices in today's classrooms. Since we ourselves are also overloaded with the pressures of our profession, it is important for us to find ways to accomplish our goals in an integrated way.

When thinking about parent communication, I have found it beneficial to look for strategies that not only help me but, more importantly, help students become self-analytical and reflective. In doing this I have tried to become an educator on several levels. Integrating classroom strategies that encourage intelligent behavior with teaching parents how to encourage these behaviors in their children is a powerful goal for home-school communication.

References

Duckworth, E.R. (1987). The Having of Wonderful Ideas and Other Essays on Teaching and Learning. New York: Teachers College Press.

Harste, J.C., K.G. Short, and C. Burke. (1988). Creating Classrooms for Authors. Portsmouth, N.H.: Heinemann.

Newkirk, T. (1992). Listening In. Portsmouth, N.H.: Heinemann.

Shanker, A. (February 7, 1993). "Where We Stand." The New York Times News of the Week in Review.

Wilder, L.I. (1953). Little House in the Big Woods. New York: Harper and Row.