Advice to Parents from Teachers at the End of the School Year

As we come to the end of the school year, parents can be very helpful to teachers during this time. Here are a few tips that teachers want parents to know about helping their child’s classroom prepare for the last few weeks of school.

• Sharpen pencils: stop by the classroom once a week and offer to sharpen classroom pencils to fill pencil boxes.

• Help around the classroom: an extra set of “hands” are always appreciated for: filing papers, organizing homework folders, and reorganizing classroom libraries, making copies, and wiping down desks and tables.

• Restock the supply closet: supplies are getting light at this time of the year so how about offering to supply tissue boxes, paper towels, sanitizers, and basic supplies that can be used for projects (colored markers, crayons, construction paper, etc.)

• Be a reader: offer to “buddy read” with students in your child’s class. This will encourage reluctant readers to have a parent to share in their reading time.

• Lead a small group: offer to work with small groups or individual students in: sight word drills, spelling practice or practicing math facts.

• Record your child’s favorite stories: read stories to your child and record them on a CD or MP3 player and offer to share them with your child’s teacher. She can set these up in a listening center in the classroom for other students to read and follow along in the book.

• Deliver a “treat” on a hot day: as the school year winds down, the temperatures are rising. Maybe you can offer to bring fresh fruit or cold drink boxes in on a hot day for a treat for the students.

Talk to your child’s teacher about any of the above opportunities that you would like to participate in for the class. You are strengthening your child’s connection with the school when you volunteer your time to help the classroom teacher. The teacher will appreciate any offered assistance at this time of the year. It will be a lasting impression on the students, as well.