How a school kept parents happy using SMS

Parents are funny creatures. When it comes to their offspring, their expectations of care and service generally escalate beyond that which they would be happy with for just themselves.

So a Queensland school recently scored 110% for customer service from parents of children returning from a school camp simply from the sending on a simple text message.

The school camp was on an island and as the weather had deteriorated and the seas become rough on the night before they were due to return home, the school took the initiative of organizing a bigger boat to ensure enhanced comfort and safety of the students and staff.

Of course parents may not have known this and remained worried.

The school took another step and sent a text message advising parents that a bigger boat had been organized, the firm arrival time of the boat and requested to know if the parents wanted to collect their children from the dock, or have them taken to school and be picked up at end of the normal school day.

By personalising the message not only with the parent’s name and the child’s name and asking for a response by SMS, there was a quick, simple and effective communication channel set up that only cost a few dollars and saved staff time and parent concern.

How Can Parents Model Good Listening Skills?

Listen Better, Learn More

In one of the Family Circus cartoon strips, the little girl looks up at her father, who is reading the newspaper, and says: "Daddy, you have to listen to me with your eyes as well as your ears." That statement says almost all there is to say about listening, whether in our personal conversations or in learning in school.

Do Listening Skills Affect Learning?

Listening is not a school subject like reading and writing. Many of us seem to feel it comes naturally and that as long as we can listen to directions on how to find the restroom, nothing more needs to be said. The latest studies reveal that listening is a very large part of school learning and is one of our primary means of interacting with other people on a personal basis. It is estimated that between 50 and 75 percent of students' classroom time is spent listening to the teacher, to other students, or to audio media.

Can Parents Guide Their Children To Better Listening?

According to research on listening skills, being a good listener means focusing attention on the message and reviewing the important information. Parents can model good listening behavior for their children and advise them on ways to listen as an active learner, pick out highlights of a conversation, and ask relevant questions. Sometimes it helps to "show" children that an active listener is one who looks the speaker in the eye and is willing to turn the television off to make sure that the listener is not distracted by outside interference.

Guidelines For Modeling Good Listening Skills

* Be interested and attentive. Children can tell whether they have a parent's interest and attention by the way the parent replies or does not reply. Forget about the telephone and other distractions. Maintain eye contact to show that you really are with the child.

* Encourage talking. Some children need an invitation to start talking. You might begin with, "Tell me about your day at school." Children are more likely to share their ideas and feelings when others think them important.

* Listen patiently. People think faster than they speak. With limited vocabulary and experience in talking, children often take longer than adults to find the right word. Listen as though you have plenty of time.

* Hear children out. Avoid cutting children off before they have finished speaking. It is easy to form an opinion or reject children's views before they finish what they have to say. It may be difficult to listen respectfully and not correct misconceptions, but respect their right to have and express their opinions.

* Listen to nonverbal messages. Many messages children send are communicated nonverbally by their tone of voice, their facial expressions, their energy level, their posture, or changes in their behavior patterns. You can often tell more from the way a child says something than from what is said. When a child comes in obviously upset, be sure to find a quiet time then or sometime that day to help explore those feelings.

Suggestions For Improving Communication With Children

* Be interested. Ask about children's ideas and opinions regularly. If you show your children that you are really interested in what they think, what they feel, and what their opinions are, they will become comfortable about expressing their thoughts to you.

* Avoid dead-end questions. Ask children the kinds of questions that will extend interaction rather than cut it off. Questions that require a yes or no or right answer lead a conversation to a dead end. Questions that ask children to describe, explain, or share ideas extend the conversation.

* Extend conversation. Try to pick up a piece of your child's conversation. Respond to his or her statements by asking a question that restates or uses some of the same words your child used. When you use children's own phrasing or terms, you strengthen their confidence in their conversational and verbal skills and reassure them that their ideas are being listened to and valued.

* Share your thoughts. Share what you are thinking with your child. For instance, if you are puzzling over how to rearrange your furniture, get your child involved with questions such as, "I'm not sure where to put this shelf. Where do you think would be a good place?"

* Observe signs. Watch the child for signs that it is time to end a conversation. When a child begins to stare into space, give silly responses, or ask you to repeat several of your comments, it is probably time to stop the exchange.

* Reflect feelings. One of the most important skills good listeners have is the ability to put themselves in the shoes of others or empathize with the speaker by attempting to understand his or her thoughts and feelings. As a parent, try to mirror your children's feelings by repeating them. You might reflect a child's feelings by commenting, "It sounds as if you're angry at your math teacher." Restating or rephrasing what children have said is useful when they are experiencing powerful emotions that they may not be fully aware of.

* Help clarify and relate experiences. As you listen, try to make your child's feelings clear by stating them in your own words. Your wider vocabulary can help children express themselves as accurately and clearly as possible and give them a deeper understanding of words and inner thoughts.

Why Are Parents Important In Building Children's Communication Skills?

Parents play an essential role in building children's communication skills because children spend more time with their parents than with any other adult. Children also have a deeper involvement with their parents than with any other adult, and the family as a unit has lifelong contact with its members. Parents control many of the contacts a child has with society as well as society's contacts with the child.

Adults, parents, and teachers set a powerful example of good or poor communication. Communication skills are influenced by the examples children see and hear. Parents and teachers who listen to their children with interest, attention, and patience set a good example. The greatest audience children can have is an adult who is important to them and interested in them.

Sources

Most of the following references-those identified with an ED or EJ number--have been abstracted and are in the ERIC database. The journal articles should be available at most research libraries. For a list of ERIC collections in your area, contact ACCESS ERIC at 1-800-LET- ERIC.

* Bodner-Johnson, Barbara (November/December 1988). "Conversation Begins at Home--Around the Table." Perspectives for Teachers of the Hearing Impaired, 13-15. EJ 385 425.
* Carlisle, Lynn (1988). Communication Skills. Sacramento: California State Department of Education, Division of Special Education. ED 315 933.
* Edleston, Charlotte (1987). A Program of Games and Activities to Increase Listening and Attentional Skills in Kindergarten. Nova University: Ed.D. Practicum, Dissertation/Theses. ED 292 586.
* Harmon, Geraldine (1988). Facilitating Communicative Competence in Young Children: Techniques for Parents and Teachers. Nova University: Ed.D. Practicum, Dissertation/Theses. ED 292 565.
* Johnson, Ruth and others (1981). Improving Your Child's Listening and Language Skills: A Parent's Guide to Language Development. Washington, DC: Handicapped Children's Early Education Program Division of Special Education Programs. ED 234 576.
* Maxwell, Margaret John (1981). Listening Games for Elementary Grades. Washington, DC: Acropolis Books, Ltd.

For more information on this subject, contact:

* ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading and Communication Skills
* Indiana University
* Smith Research Center, Suite 150
* 2805 East 10th Street
* Bloomington, IN 47408-2698
* (800) 759-4723
* http://www.indiana.edu/~eric_rec/

Credits

Written by Carl Smith, Director, ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading and Communication Skills.

This publication was prepared by ACCESS ERIC in association with the ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading and Communication Skills, with funding from the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under Contract No. RI890120. The opinions expressed in this brochure do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the Department of Education.


TITLE: How Can Parents Model Good Listening Skills?
AUTHOR: Carl Smith
PUBLICATION DATE: Fall 1992

PARENT INVOLVEMENT

The primary goal of this plan is to encourage and facilitate parental involvement in the elementary classroom. Since there is no one reason for nonparticipation I am advancing several approaches that seek to address a variety of obstacles that parents face in becoming involved in their child's education. I'm also interested in ideas that others may have on this topic, so please e-mail me with your feedback and ideas.

Start Up Calls

Spend the week before school starts calling each parent to introduce your self, emphasize their importance from the start and open lines of communication. Invite them to a parent meeting and take this time to discuss scheduling a meeting for when the most parents can attend.

Calling Web

Establish a calling web in which each parent is responsible for calling two or three other parents to notify of special events or news. Attempt to set up so bilingual parents will call those that don't speak English well. This will help to address communication issues for those who don't read. Designate a neighbor to inform those with out phones.

Beginning of the Year Questionnaire

Send a questionnaire home to parents on the first day of school. Ask them these kind of questions:

• Tell me about your child, what are his or her interests?
• What do you think is important for your child learn this year?
• Is there anything you especially want me to know about your child?
• How would you like to be involved in your child's education this year?

Suggestion Box

Have box mounted outside of class door for student or parent suggestions. Let it be known it is perfectly fine to make anonymous suggestions or to send them in envelopes with students.

Thursday Folder Notes

Send home a folder on Thursdays with student work in one side, school communication on the other side. Have a sheet that is permanently included for hand written comments and communication between parent and teacher.

Monthly Calendar

Each month send home a calendar that highlights times when parental participation would be encouraged on a school and class level. Include times in your daily schedule when parents are free to drop in, perhaps a study hall at the end of the day or a reading time when they can come listen to readers or read themselves. Invite parents to lunch, recess, library times, lab time and special activities. Try to schedule at least one thing a month that will occur in the evening (for working parents). Have an authors tea where students share works they've published. Set up an art museum for parents to come see. Have parents let you know if they have an idea to add. A calendar will give parents on a tight schedule an opportunity to plan in advance and give them a variety of options to choose from.

Office Hours

Have one evening a week marked on calendar when you will either be available in the class room or available over the phone to speak with parents. Periodically change the time so you will be available to all parents at sometime.

Rotating Homeroom Parent

Have the homeroom parent position change each new nine week period. This will give more parents an opportunity to participate so that the work load will be less likely to fall on one or two persons.

Weekly News Letters

Send home a news letter in Thursday folders. Try to incorporate the help of a bilingual parent or coworker if necessary. Use news letter to thank parents and acknowledge their contributions and inform them of any new developments.

Teacher Calls

In the case of parents who don't respond to written communication, periodically call them so they will know you are aware of them and care about their input. If they do not speak English enlist the help of their "web" caller or a member of the school staff who speaks their language.

Bulletin Board Feature

Use a specific bulletin board to highlight individual students, their families, and cultural heritage on a one or two week rotating basis. Encourage the parents to help the student plan the board. Send each family a note about it with suggestions (that they aren't limited to) and a sign up schedule. Be prepared with plans to assist students that have parents who don't get involved.

Homework Packets

Consider all family situations in homework assignments. Give weekly or monthly packets so a family can be flexible in designating time to work on it. Include activities that can be accomplished with parental input such as family histories, surveys, and projects.

Parent Book Shelf

Have books, even if only a few, available to parents on a specifically designated shelf in your room Include books on parenting, homework and study skills, and what ever the need is in the class.

Getting Parents Involved

by Tom Hobart
Used with permission from NYSUT's The Bottom Line, January 27, 1999

Teachers have long known - and research confirms - that when parents are involved in their children's education, the children do better in school.

It's as important today as ever, but the changing family structure (both parents working, one-parent families, step families, etc.) often make it more difficult than in past generations for parents to become involved. the challenge for us is to encourage the parents (or guardians or grandparents) of the children we teach to show a real interest in their kid's school work and activities. Here are some ideas you might want to suggest at your next round of parent-teacher conferences or at a school open house.

Establish a routine at home that gives your child an opportunity to share with you what they are doing in school. It might be tough at first to get the kids to open up, and it shouldn't be an inquisition. By making it a part of every day, you will make the point that school is important and that you are interested in what goes on there.

Attend as many school events - sports, concerts, plays, open houses, even an occasional school board meeting - as you possibly can. If this means sometimes rearranging you business or social calendar, it's part of your responsibility as parents.

Call your child's teachers once in awhile, just to ask how things are going. The teacher will appreciate your interest and you will have opened an important line of communication. Together, you may be able to head off future problems.

To the best of your ability, assure that your child goes to school each day ready to learn. That includes having homework completed, the necessary materials, sufficient sleep and nourishment, and the knowledge that you consider school a top priority in your child's life.

Read with your child as early in her or his life and as often as possible. he availability of books, magazines, and newspapers in your home not only provides material for your child to read, but also says, "Reading is an important activity in this family." Nothing is more important to a person's lifetime ability to learn and grow than reading. Don't allow television to take the place of reading, in general, or homework, in particular.

One of the most serious obstacles to learning in a classroom is a lack of students' self discipline and respect for others. If your child exhibits such tendencies at home, address the situation, immediately. Insist on appropriate behavior. If the child is unresponsive seek professional advice.

I'm sure you can think of many more ways parents can help their children in school. Don't keep them to yourself. Share with colleagues ideas that have worked for you. Most important, share them with parents.

The parent -teacher partnership is critical for a child's success.

How Important is Homework

Assigning homework serves various educational needs. It serves as an intellectual discipline, establishes study habits, eases time constraints on the amount of curricular material that can be covered in class, and supplements and reinforces work done in school. In addition, it fosters student initiative, independence, and responsibility and brings home and school closer together.
What Is Homework?

Homework is defined as out-of-class tasks assigned to students as an extension or elaboration of classroom work. There are three types of homework: practice, preparation, and extension.

Practice assignments reinforce newly acquired skills. For example, students who have just learned a new method of solving a mathematical problem should be given sample problems to complete on their own. Preparation assignments help students get ready for activities that will occur in the classroom. Students may, for example, be required to do background research on a topic to be discussed later in class. Extension assignments are frequently long-term continuing projects that parallel classwork. Students must apply previous learning to complete these assignments, which include science fair projects and term papers.
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Why Is Homework Important?

Research in the last decade has begun to focus on the relationship between homework and student achievement and has greatly strengthened the case for homework. Although there are mixed findings about whether homework actually increases students' academic achievement, many teachers and parents agree that homework develops students' initiative and responsibility and fulfills the expectations of students, parents, and the public. Studies generally have found homework assignments to be most helpful if they are carefully planned by the teachers and have direct meaning to students.
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How Can Parents Get Involved?

* Share any concerns you may have regarding the amount or type homework assigned with your child's teacher or principal.

* Encourage your child to take notes concerning homework assignments in case questions arise later at home.

* Provide a suitable study area and the necessary tools (for example, paper and books) to complete the homework assignments.

* Limit after-school activities to allow time for both homework and family activities.

* Monitor television viewing and establish a specific homework time.

* Plan a homework schedule with your child. Allow for free time when assignments are completed.

* Praise your child's efforts. If questions arise about the assignments, and your child asks for help, ask him or her questions or work through an example rather than simply providing the answer.

* Younger children need more parental assistance with homework than older children. Go over homework assignments with your child. Do several problems or questions together, then observe your child doing the next one or two.

* If your child is in elementary school, check completed assignments. At all levels, ask to look at homework once it has been marked and returned.

* Ask your child's teachers about their homework policy and specific assignments.

How Much Time Should My Child Spend on Homework?

According to some researchers, two ways to increase students' opportunities to learn are to increase the amount of time that students have to learn and to expand the amount of content they receive. Homework assignments may foster both these goals. Reforms in education have called for increased homework, and as a result, reports show that students are completing considerably more homework than they did a decade ago.

According to statements by the National PTA and the National Education Association (NEA), the following amounts of homework are recommended:

* From kindergarten to third grade, no more than 20 minutes per day.

* From fourth to sixth grade, 20 to 40 minutes per day.

* From seventh to twelfth grade, the recommended amount of time varies according to the type and number of subjects a student is taking. In general, college-bound students receive lengthier and more involved homework than students preparing to enter the workforce immediately after graduation.

Why Should Parents Be Concerned About a School Homework Policy?

* Lack of an established homework policy may place either insufficient or unrealistic demands on your child. Students may not be expected to work to capacity; alternatively, they may receive too many assignments from different teachers on the same evening.

* Schools with homework policies tend to set guidelines for teachers to correct, grade, and return homework systematically to their students, thus reinforcing learning.

* Schools with homework policies generally provide specific guidelines regarding what is expected from parents.

* Schools with homework policies tend to carefully design and provide homework assignments appropriate to each grade level.

Students may not always view homework as a pleasant experience, but if the assignment serves a good purpose and parents reinforce the completion of the tasks, students will benefit by gaining higher grades, better study habits, and a more positive attitude toward school and learning.

Homework assignments give parents insight into the school curriculum and offer a greater opportunity for student learning to occur.