Introductory Letters Lead to Effective Parent-Teacher Communication

Research has shown that parents and family are critical factors in children's education, particularly for those who are at risk of dropping out of school.
-Paul Haley and Karen Berry in Home and School as Partners (1988)

Recent studies have proven that open lines of communication between parents and teachers is vital to student achievement in the classroom. Students are much more likely to succeed in the educational setting when parents and teachers are willing to work together, especially in instances regarding student behavior and academics.

Opening a positive line of communication with parents can be difficult, because as teachers, we are often intimidated by the possibility of a negative interaction with our students' caregivers. In order to avoid future negative interactions, introductory letters can be sent to parents at the beginning of the school year, which offer an initial form of positive contact that in turn fosters positive future communications.

The purpose of your introductory letter should be to inform parents of your expectations for their child, both behaviorally and academically, so that there are no surprises later in the school year. Creating an effective introductory letter is quite simple if you keep in mind the following:

• Introduce yourself in order to build a relationship with parents.
• State your interest in developing a positive line of teacher-parent communications so that caregivers understand the purpose of your letter.
• Inform caregivers of your classroom rules so that they will know what is expected of their child (BE SPECIFIC!).
• Invite parents to attend a back-to-school event or parent conference to create a more personal interaction.
• Provide alternative language letters (I.E.-Spanish or Creole) for families that are not fluent in English to avoid language barriers.
• Send the letter to caregivers one to two days before school begins so that they receive it very early in the school year.