Conferences- Ready or Not Here We Come!!!

Ready or Not Here We Come!!!!  CONFERENCES

Conferences are an important time to connect with families.  We are fortunate at Hudson Prairie with the supportive and involved families we have.  I remember my first year when I asked for percentages of families that showed up and we have nearly 100%  That is not common in all schools. As I spend time conferencing you I am impressed how we are our student's  biggest advocate, cheerleader, and coach.

Here are some tips:

1. Send a questionnaire home to get a focus for parent concerns.
2. Getting students involved is important so they are owning their learning.  See information on student led conferences.  ASCD Article  Step by step blog
3. Take the "sandwich" approach. I start with something positive, continue with the things that the child needs to work on, and I finish with something positive.
4. Plan the essential things you want to share.  Strength and an area to work on.  Essential data and work samples.  Don't feel like you have to discuss MAP and PALS assessments.  We will have those printed out for you along with explanation letters.
5. Listen to parents concerns and have a 2 way conversation.
6. Don't talk down to parents. Be honest and truthful. Try to speak in the positive, not always negative. Offer positive ways to help a struggling child
7. Don't diagnose students.  Describe areas of difficulties and accommodations you are doing to support them.
8. Speak about your student the way you want someone to talk about your child
9. Get support from Susie or Aria as needed!

The SMART/ Leadership Team requested information for families to see the importance of reading. 

Here is a powerpoint that could be rolling through for families to watch while waiting for your conference in the pod.   Please set up a device for this purpose.  I will email the ppt that is set to continually move through the slides.
Powerpoint for Families to Encourage Reading

Here are some handouts you may choose to share:
Why Read 20 Minutes at Home
Jim Trelease Brochure- Why Read to Kids
Read Aloud 15 Minutes

Here are some ideas to discuss assessments with families from Ann Mitchell

PALS Parent Letter sample

NWEA MAP Talking Points for conferences

NWEA MAP Parent Letter (results)

How do I share assessment information with parents/guardians?

Hudson student-parent-teacher conferences should be meaningful conversations focused on student strengths, struggles, and next steps in learning. We want students to know themselves as learners, to understand steps they can take to practice areas of struggle, and to share goals with parents to help them focus their efforts.

Be thoughtful about using fall assessment data to communicate student learning with parents. Whether referencing NWEA MAP, F&P, PALS, or other assessments, please consider sharing the following:

• Specific areas of strength and struggle (rather than a score or level). Highlight with students and for parents steps each can take to support the student making progress in their learning.
•  Explain the value of the assessment as an instructional tool designed to help you (the teacher) plan the best (literacy) instruction for their child.
•  If helpful to parents, provide an overview of the tasks that are assessed, the benchmark scores associated with each task, and the scores obtained by their child.
• Identify the literacy instruction you have in place, and how you are planning to address their child's strengths and needs as indicated by the assessment.
• With a focus on literacy and reading, encourage parents or siblings of emergent readers to read with each other, sing songs and rhymes, look through pictures in a book, and so on. Encourage parents of all students to explore books with their children, expand into a variety of genres, and talk about what they read.

If you are looking for additional guidance on how to conduct productive, literacy-rich meetings with parents, view the following webinar that is available on DPI’s Read Wisconsin (www.readwisconsin.net) website here.

Please give Linda $6 for dinner on the 16th from Brines.
Remember to thank the PTO for serving dinner on the 23rd.