Tips on Parent-Teacher Conferences for the Second Grade
Parent-teacher conferences are held in every grade in almost every school district. In the second grade, many teachers and parents use conferences to discuss student progress toward achieving standards for reading and math. For teachers, the grade two conferences are an opportunity to inform parents about their children's strengths as well as the areas that need more attention. For parents, the conferences serve as a window into the educational lives of their children. Parents can also use the conferences as an opportunity to ask questions about curriculum, activities or the developmental progress of their child.
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Before the Conference
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Most school districts set predetermined dates and times for individual parent conferences, but a parent or teacher can request a conference at any point throughout the school year. Prior to the conference, the teacher should prepare a portfolio of the student's work that showcases the student's abilities as well as their areas for growth. Materials should be relevant and organized and showcase the wide range of second-grade subjects. Of particular importance in grade two is advancements in reading speed and comprehension. Teachers should evaluate the student's reading abilities, using several different assessments (like timed reading, reading aloud and written summarizing). The assessments should be available to parents during the conference. Teachers should prepare an agenda prior to the meeting to ensure that all important topics are covered. Teachers should prepare the classroom in a way that is both representative of the everyday atmosphere but comfortable for parents. Arrange chairs around a neutral table instead of facing the teacher's desk, which can feel intimidating for parents.
For parents, prepare for the meeting by asking the second-grader to talk about her experiences in school. What is her favorite subject? Her least favorite? Which subject is the most difficult? Would she want to have this teacher again? In grade two, most students are still discovering the subjects that interest them, but oftentimes favorites and least favorites begin to appear. If parents have concerns, they should be written down so that all important topics are covered.
During the Conference
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Teachers should greet parents and invite them to sit. Begin by informing the parents of all of their child's strengths. Show examples of work to demonstrate progress from first to second grade, or from the beginning of the year to the middle of the year. Introduce suggestions for improvement in a gentle way and refer to specific examples of the student's work to demonstrate where the concern arose. For example, if a teacher is concerned that the child have difficulty with phonological awareness, she might say, "I noticed on Thursday that when Jane read out loud in class, she repeatedly used the 'ck' sound for words with 'ch', I think she may be having trouble connecting complex letter forms to their sounds." Be prepared with specific action plans and goals for addressing the student's needs.
Second grade is also a pivotal time for alerting parents to possible learning disabilities. As students begin to read more complex texts and confront higher-level math problems, evidence of a learning disability like dyslexia may become more apparent. Present evidence of concerns to parents and provide them with their options for follow-up. Teachers should stress diagnosing a problem ensures that the student has access to invaluable educational resources.
For parents, listen to the feedback of the teacher before bringing up questions; many questions that parents have are questions that the teacher will answer through her presentation of materials. Achieving benchmarks in elementary grades is an important part of ensuring that a child will not fall further behind as she advances in grades, so parents should specifically ask which learning goals are being taught and how effectively their child is achieving those goals. If a parent has concerns that the child may be struggling due to a learning disability, they can request that the teacher arrange for screening in the classroom in preparation for a professional evaluation.
Parents should also share their second-grader's likes and dislikes with the teacher. The more a teacher knows about what a student enjoys, the more she can tailor lesson plans to engage students.
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After the Conference
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Teachers should write down an action plan after discussing learning goals with parents during a conference. If educational support is needed at home, teachers should prepare materials to be sent home with the student so the parents can provide support. If the parents and teachers agreed that the child needed accommodations (like sitting closer to the front of the room, or being moved away from a distracting friend), then the teacher should immediately begin to make changes. Teachers can also establish a system of informal progress report sheets for children to take home every other week. For second grade, the sheet should include the sections "This Week We Worked On," "[Student] Is Really Good At," "[Student] Is Working On" and "For Next Week."
Parents should share any relevant information with their child, but for most second-graders, the important information will be in changes in the classroom. Serious behavioral problems should be addressed with the child, but most concerns about progress should be kept between adults as second-graders will have a difficult time processing the criticism. Parents should maintain a policy of open contact with the teacher throughout the year.
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References
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