Aspects of family communication that can shift the home-school partnership dynamic

Struggles over digital learning, chaotic school board meetings, and breakdowns in student support have all grabbed headlines for the last several years. In an increasingly polarized K-12 education environment, there is a real need for building positive, trusting, and collaborative relationships between educators and families. 

Schools that improve their school-home communication practices find that family satisfaction and engagement increases, and student outcomes improve. Yet, very few schools are making the most of their communication platforms. A few adjustments can result in meaningful, positive shifts. In this post, we’ll break down the anatomy of high-impact family communication that is tightly aligned with student learning.

What is high-impact family communication?

We know that teacher time is limited, with teachers reporting they spend on average 1-2 hours per week communicating with families. How can this time be maximized?

Communication with families can positively impact student attendance and learning outcomes, but it must be tightly aligned with classroom instruction.  Our research with families and teachers suggests that there are a few key characteristics of high-impact communication:

• Messages are sent home consistently (e.g., same day, time)
• Updates are aligned with learning that is happening in the classroom
• Information builds family capacity to support learning (e.g., defines key terms, breaks down key actions) 
• Messages invite or prompt family participation with a question or activity

In the sections below, we’ll break this down even further into key practices that will increase the impact of time spent communicating with families.

Create content that is focused on student learning

Families want to know 3 things - what their child is learning, how they are progressing, and how they can help outside of the classroom. Teachers and school staff can meet these needs by implementing a regular practice of writing and sending weekly updates to families that address these key areas. 

Regardless of the communication app or tool being used, messages going home to families should include: 

• Brief description of learning that is happening in the classroom
• Definitions of key skills and concepts in a way that avoids jargon
• Reinforcing prompt or activity that helps families extends learning from the classroom to the home setting 

Build strong relationships and invite participation

Teachers and families are the two most important stakeholders in a student’s learning journey. Regular communication between school and home builds the foundation for collaborative partnership that is centered on student learning. To maximize the impact of this practice, teachers should:

• Send updates on a consistent schedule
• Reinforce the important role that families play in learning
• Share words of encouragement and appreciation

Strong communication practices lay the foundation for strong school-home partnerships that are mutually reinforcing and supportive of student growth and development.

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