Family communication is crucial for the student's learning. Family involvement matters to me because  I strongly believe that student's success is interrelated with the teacher, the student, and the caregiver. If either support is missing it will take longer for the student to achieve his or her full potential. Communication between the home and the school is essential in any balanced and comprehensive literacy program (Cecil, Gipe, Merrill). Meeting with the caregiver and communicating effectively about their child improves classroom instruction because it allows collaboration between the teacher and the caregiver. 
In my classroom I will encourage family involvement by:
  • Offering conference times
  • Adjusting confrence times if need it
  • Inviting caregiver to school events
  • Inviting caregiver to see their child's work
  • Offering other alternatives to communicate such as by a phone call, e-mail, or printed newsletter
  • Online Newsletter
     During  the conferences, I will make sure the caregiver feel they also have a saying by sympathizing with their concerns. I believe that when the teacher sympathizes with the caregiver's concerns about their child it strengthen the lines of communication and builds the stronger partnership with the caregiver. By having open lines of communication the teacher can talk about the student's progress and suggest ways the caregiver can help their child at home improve academic or social skills.  All in all, I believe that student's success depends on a team that is compose of the student, the caregiver, and the teacher.

Example of Meet the Teacher Letter

Example of Newsletter 

Take-Home Learning Kit

Grade Level:  Second Grade
Subject: Science 
TEKS:
​​§112.13. Science, Grade 2, Beginning with School Year 2010-2011.
(6)  Force, motion, and energy. The student knows that forces cause change and energy exists in many forms. The student is expected to:
(C)  trace the changes in the position of an object over time such as a cup rolling on the floor and a car rolling down a ramp; and
(D)  compare patterns of movement of objects such as sliding, rolling, and spinning.
 The goal of the learning kit activity is to engage families and reinforce concepts taught in class. The student will take the “learning kit” home and reinforce on their knowledge of force and motion. The caregiver will help the student complete the activity. In the learning kit, the students will test a variety of objects and determine if the object rolls, slides, or spins. Once the students have determined the pattern movement of the object, the student will observe and record the object’s movement overtime. The student will return the learning kit to the teacher. Then the teacher will give the learning kit to another student to take it home.

Reference

Cecil, L. N., Gipe, P. J., Merrill, M. (2014). Literacy in grades 4-8. Scottsdale, Arizona: Holcomb Hathaway, Publishers, Inc.