Preparing for Parent Teacher Conferences

It's that time of year!  Depending on the age of your child, you could be sitting with your child's teacher in very small chairs and wondering what it is you are supposed to ask in the very short amount of time you have.  Here are some general, guiding questions to ask if your child's teacher does not provide this information during your parent teacher conference.

1. What level do you consider my child to be reading?
2. What is my child's fluency (rate/how fast and accuracy) like when reading?
3. What is my child's reading rate (words correct per minute) and at what level text? 
4. How is my child's comprehension?  If the school is using the Fountas and Pinnell benchmarking system, how much prompting was required for the comprehension score?
5. How does my child's writing compare to grade level standards?  Ask for copies of writing samples that include first and final drafts.
6. If the school is using the Words Their Way spelling inventories, ask to see the spelling list your child generated and ask for a copy.
7. How is my child performing in math compared to the curriculum/grade level expectations?
8. Does my child know their math facts or are they still using strategies such as counting on their fingers or using tally marks? 
9. What do you see as my child's greatest strength in school?
10. What is their greatest challenge?
11. Is there anything that is not on my child's IEP that you think they need?

Getting organized is another way to help you prepare. The graphic below provides a system as well as tips for what to keep. 

I hope that your children have a very, successful school year!  If you have questions, please contact me at ashley@lawforparents.com or 410-206-5997.

Disclaimer:  This blog is made available by the Law For Parents, LLC for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of the law, not to provide specific legal advice. By using this blog site, you understand that there is no attorney client relationship between you and the publisher. The blog should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state.