Pre K Conferences

[stone2603]

I'm holding my first parent teacher conferences. I teach prek, half day. I am in desperate need of an outline or suggestions of what to speak on and stick to, since I have 10 minutes with each family. Any websites or advice would be much appreciated!!

[Boxcar]

Wow, that is going to be a challenge!

Here is what I might do.

Before the conference, I'd sit down and pick out my three big goals for the year. These might be having the children learn to write thier names and most of the ABCs, help the children understand how to add simple problems, and teach the children how to read twenty basic words. Then, I'd review the strong and weak areas for each child in each of these subject areas. After that, I'd make a rough sheet for each child of what I want to hit on.

Here, I'll give you an illustration:

Parent: Hello.
Teacher: Hello. Won't you sit down. Now, I'd like to tell you my goals for the year before we discuss Lisa specifically.
Parent: Okay.
Teacher: By the end of the year I want the children to be able to write their names and most of the ABCs. I'd also like to help them grasp the concept of simple additon. We are also going to work on reading simple words like "cat" and "house". Each week, we will do activities that will help us reach these skills.
Parent: Okay, but how is Lisa doing?
Teacher: Lisa is making progress. (Always start with the postive.) She has learned how to make the letter L. (Show paper with illustration that you have from your files.) Lisa has strong social skills. We are working now to help her learn when is the time to listen. (In other words, Lisa needs to stop talking in class.) Lisa is on track with her math and reading skills. I enjoy having her in class. (End on the postive.) Please let me know if you have any questions.


That is how a conversation might go. I try to focus on the positive for these types of conferences. I mention that Lisa sometimes talks when she shouldn't, such as during Circle. I don't, however, make this a conference abotu what Lisa is doing wrong. If Lisa's talking does become an issue, I can call the parent in again. The trick here is to see flaws as assests that just need to be balanced by new skills, such as listening. Also, you don't need to address every goal in term of the student's progress. Find one illustration of the students progress and highlight that. If the student is on track in the other area, then tell the parent that without extra words. Parents mostly just want to know their kid is okay. What if the child isn't doing well in an area? Tell the parent simply, "I've noticed that Noah isn't speaking in more than two words sentances. I think it would be helpful if you spent some extra time talking to and playing with him one-on-one every night." Don't go into anything too deeply with these conferences. The first conferece is just really an overview. It is like a pre-run in case you need another conference. You and the parent will already have meet once in a positive way, so there will be less stress on the next conference where you can get into the more problematic areas.

What if a parent comes in with a list of questions? The majority won't, but it always is wise to have a few multipurpose answers. Know your school's basic philosophy such as "We teach children in developmentally appropriate ways in accordance with NAEYC guidelines." Try to answer the quesitons in concise ways. If you hear one that you want to talk to all the parents about, send home a short flyer one day that week with a more thorough response. Don't worry about covering everyting in thse conferences. If you have open lines of communication through short newsletters, a parent bullitin board, informal chats at pickup, ect., it should be fine.

Oh, one last thing. When you plan out your rough outline, leave around two or three minutes free for parent questions.

I hope some of this was helpful. Good luck and try not to be too nervous!

[stone2603]

Thank you so much. I can't tell you how much that helped! It will be so much smoother and easier to do these now! Wonderful advice!!

[mopar]

Also, have a plan for when parents bring their children. Have books set up, a few games or toys, some coloring supplies. Set these items at a table away from where you will be conferencing. You want time to talk with the parents, not time to watch them interact with their child.