Most teachers and their students’ parents/guardians understand the importance of family support for student learning.
This series will offer specific suggestions for how families can do just that.
‘Essential Partners’
Karen L. Mapp, a senior lecturer on education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, is a leading family- and community-engagement expert whose research and practice focus on cultivating partnerships among schools, families, and communities for enhancing student achievement and school performance. She is also the co-author of Everyone Wins! (Scholastic, 2022):
I believe that families are essential partners in ensuring every child’s academic and developmental success. My Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships is designed to help both educators and families develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to work together effectively.
If I were offering advice to parents and guardians on how to best support their child’s learning, here’s what I would say:
1. Recognize Your Power and Role You are not just a supporter of your child’s education—you are a co-educator. You know your child better than anyone, and you bring invaluable insight to the table. Your voice, culture, and perspectives matter. Know that you play an important role in your child’s learning journey and that your engagement makes a real difference.
2. Build Your Capacity as a Partner One of the key elements of my framework is building the capacity of families to be true partners. That means seeking out opportunities to strengthen your understanding of how schools work, how children learn, and what supports are available to help your child succeed. Try to participate in workshops at school, attend family-learning nights, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Learning is a lifelong process for all of us.
3. Focus on Learning-Focused Engagement When you engage with your child about what they’re learning in school—whether through casual conversation, reading together, or helping with homework—you’re reinforcing classroom experiences at home. Let your child know you value education and have high expectations for their growth, effort, and achievement. These home-school connections are essential.
4. Build Strong Relationships with Educators Relational trust, mutual respect, and open communication are the bedrock of successful partnerships. Get to know your child’s teachers. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher to ask about their progress and to understand more about what they are learning. Let teachers know that you’d like them to communicate with you not just when there’s a problem but to share successes and help you stay informed about what’s going on in the classroom. When families and educators trust one another, students thrive.
5. Be an Advocate for Family Engagement Family engagement isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s a must-have. I encourage you to get engaged in your school community. Join committees, participate in decisionmaking structures, and advocate inclusive and welcoming family practices. Ask about opportunities to participate virtually if going to the school is not possible. Schools grow stronger when families have true seats at the table.
6. Celebrate and Share Your Culture It’s important that your identity and experiences are recognized and valued. When schools affirm the diverse backgrounds of families, students feel seen and supported. Share your cultural traditions, language, and stories—and not just at holiday time. Doing so enriches the learning environment for everyone.
In short, my message to families is this: You matter. Your engagement is powerful. And when you invest in your own growth and reach out to build meaningful relationships with your child’s school, you are creating the conditions for your child to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. We are in this together—and together, we can ensure every child reaches their full potential.
‘Learn to Take Risks’
Christina Torres Cawdery is a mother, teacher, writer, scholar, and runner based in Honolulu.
In the middle of my 13th year as a teacher, the question parents and families most often ask me is, “How can I help my child succeed?” or “How can I help my student get an A?” It is arguably one of the most common questions I get from my students as well: “What do I need to do to get an A in this class?”
I get the question; as a student growing up, I was taught to “fight for every point” so I could get good grades, have a high GPA, get into a good college, and have a “successful” life. That narrative was the entire focus on my educational career: Educational worth would eventually transfer to economic worth.
After 13 years in the classroom, however, I have realized the question of “success” is understandable but not actually the most fruitful. Rather than ask about how to attain success, we can help students learn to take risks, manage hard processes, and deal with failure in productive ways. These supports are not meant for students to repress the understandable fears or disappointments they fee, but rather teach them how to validate and manage those feelings and find out how to move forward.
I’m not saying success isn’t important, but the art of failing gracefully is equally valuable but, sadly, far less valued. Persevering through intellectual challenges is, many argue, essential to the learning process. As Manu Kapur, a learning scientist and researcher, notes, “productive” failure—lessons designed to purposely challenge students in meaningful ways—can actually lead to deep learning not just about content but about process as well. “The goal is to design experiences that incorporate failure in a safe, curated way,” he says in one interview. “Then, we turn that initial failure into something that is productive by stepping in, giving students feedback and guidance, and helping them to make sense of the material by assembling it into a more coherent whole.”
As a newer parent—I am managing a 3-year-old and an 18-month-old as I write this—I understand how hard it is to see our kids falter. I love my kids so deeply that seeing them struggle hits me in a visceral way, one that makes me want to immediately fix whatever they are upset about. I also recognize that it is often easier or faster to just fix the mistakes for them; I can put a pair of shoes on my toddler much quicker than they can.
As an educator, though, I also know how valuable the process is. Yes, I can put on the shoes more quickly, but my kid can learn a lot from the struggle to put on shoes (including, perhaps, how to ask for help). I have seen my students struggle and persevere in ways that they later tell me changed the way they saw themselves or what they were capable of. Many of them tell me they learned the content more profoundly or became stronger when they had to struggle with it first. I have also reflected on how my own challenges—things I didn’t understand or were terrible at when I first started—have pushed me to grow.
While it can feel tempting and, sometimes, more convenient to fix the problem or teach the lesson, I hope parents and families understand that worthwhile struggle can produce meaningful, positive change not only in our students’ learning but also in how they view themselves and their capabilities.
So, when I have my next parent-teacher conference with my kids’ teachers (yes, we have them in preschool), I’m going to ask: How do they handle mistakes? How does the class move forward from those mistakes? I plan to keep asking this question for the rest of their educational careers, and it is a question I want to ask myself for the rest of mine.
‘Regular Communication’
Laleh Ghotbi teaches all 4th grade academic subjects at Mountain View Elementary in Salt Lake City. She began her teaching career over 30 years ago, working with middle and high school students in Iran:
To answer this question, I should reflect on the many strong parent-teacher relationships I’ve built over the years and the positive impact those partnerships have had on students’ emotional well-being and academic growth. I actively encourage parents to be involved in their child’s learning by making communication easy, positive, and judgment-free. I reassure them that their voice matters and that even small efforts, like replying to a message or asking a question, can make a big difference in their child’s success.
At the beginning of each school year, I include this quote in my introduction letter to families:
“At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child’s success is the positive involvement of parents.” – Jane D. Hull
This quote captures the essence of what I truly believe: When families are involved, students thrive.
I encourage parents to stay connected with me throughout the year and I provide multiple ways to communicate in order to meet different needs and preferences. These include:
- ClassDojo, where I regularly post videos, photos, and updates about classroom activities and field trips. As a parent myself, I always appreciated knowing what my own children were doing at school.
- ParentSquare, our district’s communication platform, which I use to send messages in families’ preferred languages and help keep everyone informed about upcoming events, assessments, and classroom news.
- Texting via my personal phone, which I offer for last-minute reminders or urgent concerns parents may have, even after hours or on weekends if needed. I have not had major issues with boundaries; in rare cases, when a parent sent messages late at night, I respectfully responded in the morning and gently set a boundary unless it was truly urgent.
The families who stay in regular communication are better able to support their children, and in turn, I can respond more effectively, whether it’s addressing bullying concerns, academic challenges, emotional stress, or grief. Open communication allows us to provide broader support, bridging home and school.
When I notice something concerning in a child’s behavior or participation, I reach out to families to ask, “I’ve noticed [specific observation]. Is there anything I should be aware of?” Some parents may not respond, but others are very appreciative and share important context that helps guide our next steps. I often follow up with additional support from counselors, social workers, or administrators when needed to ensure we’re addressing the child’s needs fully.
I’ve also learned that families respond better when communication includes not only concerns but also good news. I make it a point to send home certificates of achievement or simple notes recognizing growth, no matter how small. These positive messages build trust and strengthen our partnership.
As a working mom myself, I understand that families lead busy lives, especially those with demanding schedules, so I don’t expect frequent in-person communication unless it’s necessary. However, even a simple message or text can go a long way. When parents stay connected, they’re more aware of important dates, field trip requirements, and materials needed for hands-on activities. I gently remind families that when their child sees others prepared and they are not, it can affect their confidence and overall classroom experience. This reinforces how open communication directly benefits their child’s success and sense of belonging.
To conclude, I strive to keep communication open, consistent, and supportive because when families and educators work together, children benefit the most. I believe deeply in the influence parents have on their children’s success and I make it a priority to invite them into the learning process.
I offer multiple avenues for communication to accommodate different preferences and ensure accessibility. I also share positive news regularly to build trust and connection. By staying proactive, reaching out with observations, involving support staff when necessary, and respecting families’ time and circumstances, I create a space where parents feel valued, informed, and empowered. Even when engagement is limited, I maintain nonjudgmental communication to keep the door open. It is this ongoing partnership that allows us to support each child more fully, academically, socially, and emotionally.
More Than Just Due Dates
Lela Horne, Ph.D., has 25 years of teaching experience in a variety of subjects in grades K-8. She is also a past president of Georgia TESOL:
I am a teacher and a parent, so I would like to share the following list of supports that I continue to provide to my own child.
- Never stop reading with your child because reading is a gateway subject.
- Always maintain a positive attitude about teachers and the educational process. I find that a parent’s attitude influences student motivation.
- Try to connect learning to family life to reinforce concepts and make them relevant.
- Always review homework and teach your children to maintain a calendar of assignment due dates.
Can you imagine what teachers could accomplish if just one or two of these supports were in place in every home? Would you change the order of importance based on the student’s age or subject? When developing a list for parents, remember that brevity is important so that you do not overwhelm them. If every secondary teacher provided parents with a list of 10 ways to support a student, nothing would be accomplished.
So, I recommend collaborating with teachers on your grade-level team for consistency. The importance of parental support cannot be understated. It is not enough to merely post assignment due dates for parents and call when there is a behavior problem. Parents need access to the learning objectives each week, and they need to know how they can help. That could be accomplished in a single weekly newsletter or email.
Positive parent communication is central to parental support of instruction and the classroom community. Remember that most parents want to be involved in the educational process, but they need assistance.
Thanks to Karen, Christina, Laleh, and Lela for contributing their thoughts.
Responses today answered this question:
What advice would you offer parents/guardians on how they can best support their child’s learning?
Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at lferlazzo@epe.org. When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.
You can also contact me on X at @Larryferlazzo or on Bluesky at @larryferlazzo.bsky.social
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