The research is conclusive. Children do better when their parents are engaged with learning at home. But for a large number of parents, the knowledge of how to engage is simply not there.

And the hard truth is that, in the majority of cases, school communication does little to support those parents.

This is where Parental Engagement for Learning comes in; a switch in the thinking about communicating with parents and the first parental-engagement-centred teaching and learning strategy for teachers.

The Parent Revolution

When we decided to leave the classroom and throw ourselves into solving the communication challenge for schools and parents, we felt that, as teachers, we had the school side of things covered. But we didn’t know much about parents and what they need from the school. So we started talking to them and over the last two years we talked to A LOT of parents.

Everywhere we go we hear the same bugbears: Messages are not relevant, letters don’t arrive home, parents’ evening happens but once a year.

Parents are clamouring for more information about what their children are learning and how they can help at home. Even the most educated of parents often don’t feel confident in helping their child out at home – things have changed. The way they learned the basics of maths, for example, is totally different to how it’s taught now.

What they need is Parental Engagement for Learning.

Unleash the Power of Parents

Give parents the tools they need to support their children’s learning at home and your students’ outcomes will skyrocket. At Parent Hub, this principle forms the bedrock of all of our thinking.

These “tools” aren’t complicated – quite the opposite. A quick question about a key learning point that a parent can ask their child reinforces not only the learning from your lesson, but also that you are working together to support that child.

Simple strategies like this, delivered regularly, directly and in a timely manner, do wonders for parents. They know what to ask, what the answer is (you provide that too!) and feel like they’re in the loop. Conversations about learning are stimulated. They get more frequent. Children feel better supported. They thrive.

THIS is Parental Engagement for Learning.

NEXT STEPS:

DO: Parent Hub is a FREE communications platform for teachers and other school staff to send regular updates to parents. Click here to give it a try.

READ: For more Parental Engagement for Learning strategies, why not read our Top Tips post.