Parent Communication Check-off Sheet

Minnesota New Visions: Languages for Life

COMMUNICATING WITH PARENTS
Create a School-to-Home Check-off Sheet

The purpose of this type of communication is to keep parents involved with their students' progress with minimal disruption of their time and the teachers' time.

Include the following in the check-off sheet:

Student name
Date
Assignment (book, handout, page number etc.)
Block for parent signature and comments
Block for teacher signature and comments

Below are some ideas for activities that students can do with their parents as part of their school assignments:

Students read an assigned passage to their parents. Parents check off and students return to school for teacher check off. (This becomes speaking and listening practice rather than written homework.)
Students read and practice vocabulary lists with parents.
Students explain a cultural holiday or custom.
Students teach a new vocabulary word to parents.
Students label vocabulary words in home.
Students prepare foods from the target culture.

The check-off sheet will travel, via the student, between the home and the school and could be used weekly or several times per quarter. It is an effective way to involve the family and provides a respite of the written homework assignment.

Notes: Include a short explanation of the purpose of the check-off sheet on the sheet itself or in a separate communication to parents at the beginning of the quarter. Make sure that students know when the sheets are due. Consider having the sheets be part of your conference time with parents.

~ Submitted by Barbara Judd ~