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You’ll often hear, “Math isn’t taught the same way anymore” or “I’m not a math person.” And yet, we know that math skills, particularly in middle school, are incredibly important for a students’ long-term success. As we have expanded our support for engaging middle school families in math, we knew we’d have to be thoughtful about our approach. As a learning organization, it was natural for us to reach out to teachers and families to better understand their needs and obstacles for supporting their students’ math success at home. Elisabeth O’Bryon, FEL’s co-founder and chief impact officer, recently shared insights with NAFSCE about our research and co-design process. A focus on the essential learning skills that facilitate math successAfter working alongside families and teachers, we’ve learned that families are uniquely positioned to help students develop the essential learning skills, such as a growth mindset, that will help them succeed with math. FASTalk, our parent communication software, is well-positioned to share insights with families and equip them with prompts to model essential learning skills or connect classroom learning to daily experiences. We shared mindset-focused FASTalk messages and asked for input from families and teachers.
The feedback we heard was tremendous! Instead of feeling stuck, families felt capable and confident. Centering families’ needs and experiences through co-design helps ensure solutions are both accessible and effective in helping families play their critically impactful role in promoting positive learning outcomes for their children. Dive deeper into Family Engagement Lab's research and development process in Elisabeth’s blog with NAFSCE. Social and emotional learning (SEL) is crucial for students' holistic development, and the role of families in this process cannot be overstated. This blog post explores the fundamentals of SEL, offering practical strategies for engaging families to bolster their child's development of social and emotional skills. By fostering strong home-school connections, educators can create a supportive environment that extends beyond the classroom. Additionally, we are excited to introduce our latest FASTalk content offering designed to provide families with right-size information about SEL. Join us as we explore effective practices and innovative tools to empower students through collaborative SEL efforts between educators and families. What is social and emotional learning?CASEL defines social and emotional learning (SEL) as “an integral part of education and human development. It is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.” In short, it is an essential skill set that students need to thrive inside and outside of the classroom. Families and teachers play an integral role in helping children develop these critical skills. CASEL offers a framework for SEL that enables families, schools, and districts to align around a common language, and foster knowledge, skills and attitudes across five areas of competence. The five competencies are;
The framework also highlights the role of teachers, school leaders, and families in supporting the development of these essential skills. Inviting families to support SEL: practical tips and strategiesFamilies are experts in their child and are a key resource for teachers to better understand the needs of each student and support their social and emotional development inside and outside of the classroom. Indeed, the CASEL Framework highlights that when families and schools partner in authentic ways, they can ensure that SEL is taught in a culturally responsive way that affirms the assets, identities, and diversity that students bring to school. Our experience working with teachers and families across the country has revealed that students are set up for success when social and emotional needs are supported - both at home and at school. We’ve gathered some practical tips and high-impact strategies along the way:
We're now offering SEL content for families for PK-8th gradeIn addition to our literacy and math learning tips and activities, we are excited to offer FASTalk messages aligned with key social and emotional competencies. This new SEL content equips families with the critical information they need to support skills related to relationship-building, self-regulation, and decision-making. The messages include conversation starters, routines to try, and reflection opportunities. These tips make it easy for families to practice important skills together to strengthen their children's social and emotional growth.
Here are some sample FASTalk messages aligned to Self-Management and Self-Awareness competencies:
Learn more about our SEL content and how to bring FASTalk messages to your school. School leaders at Morris Jeff Community School recognized an opportunity to leverage innovative technology to engage families to support early literacy development. Recognizing an opportunity to meet families where they areSchool closures in 2020 prompted a lot of creative thinking around classroom instruction and extending learning outside of the classroom. Many families found themselves playing a more active role in their child’s learning. Leaders at Morris Jeff Community School were determined to meet families where they were (at home!) to equip them with learning-focused tips and activities that families could use to engage with their child around learning. Fast forward to 2024, teachers and families at Morris Jeff Community School continue to partner to support early literacy. So, what family engagement solution did they find?Lisa Sirgo, Elementary Principal at Morris Jeff Community School, attended a webinar where she learned about Family Engagement Lab’s signature tool FASTalk. A few things stood out;
After four years of partnership, Lisa has shared that FASTalk is a “Great way to get families involved in literacy and share what is developmentally appropriate. It takes something off of teachers' plates to engage with families, especially the ones that are hungry for activities to support students at home.” FASTalk at a GlanceFamily Engagement Lab believes that essential learning happens at the intersection of high-quality instruction and opportunities for creating real world connections. Families are a key, but often under leveraged, stakeholder in helping children make meaning of the concepts they are learning in the classroom. When schools effectively equip families to support, the results are astonishing. FASTalk is an evidence-based tool that was designed to bridge the gap between classroom instruction and opportunities for reinforcement that extend beyond the school walls. FASTalk facilitates seamless and consistent learning-focused communication between schools and families. Our messages translate high-quality instructional materials into insights and activities that families can use to support their child’s learning outside of the classroom. Wondering how you can make the most of your family engagement strategy?Author: Kelsey Hodge School districts across the country are grappling with a range of challenges, from budget deficits to persistent absenteeism, all of which are affecting student achievement. Decades of research has shown that parental involvement in student learning can make a meaningful difference on student achievement, attendance, and graduation rates (Melhuish et al., 2008). Transformative parental involvement begins with the relationships that are fostered through parent-teacher communication. By employing high-impact strategies for parent-teacher communication, teachers can create the conditions through which families and schools can partner to support student learning outcomes. Advantages of Effective Parent-Teacher CommunicationTeachers and schools invest significant effort in keeping parents informed about events, conferences, and report cards. However, these traditional forms of communication often fail to reach all families reliably or equitably, particularly in communities with limited internet access or greater linguistic diversity. When parent-teacher communication is accessible to all, collaborative, and focused on student learning, school districts are able to grapple with the challenges they face as students thrive. Advantages for studentsAs school districts work to close grade-level gaps and boost student achievement, student absenteeism and mental health challenges are on the rise. Study after study has demonstrated the marked impact that parent-teacher partnerships have on student well-being and academic achievement. Students benefit tremendously from stronger parent involvement in schools. When parents and teachers engage in regular dialogue about the importance of attendance, the child’s overall well-being, and academic progress, it also builds a strong foundation for strengthening parent- teacher relationships. Strong parent-teacher communication and partnership can enhance each child’s engagement in their own learning journey and sense of belonging in their school community. Advantages for parentsParents have a strong desire to support their children’s education but often the shortcomings of traditional communication leave them ill-equipped to do so. Families report receiving limited information from their child’s school about grade-level skills, their child’s mastery of those skills, and what they can do to support at home. By inviting parents to partner and developing a collaborative relationship through on-going communication, teachers can build parents’ confidence in supporting their child’s educational journey and create schools in which all families are welcomed as valuable community members. Advantages for teachersThe everyday demands of teaching can be isolating. The responsibilities teachers are juggling, from implementing new curriculum to grappling with chronic absenteeism, can lead to teacher burnout. Effective parent-teacher communication provides teachers with a sense of partnership that ensures that teachers feel supported knowing that the learning happening in their classroom is being reinforced by families and caregivers at home. With on-going, relational communication with parents, teachers can gain greater insight into their students and build a more diverse toolkit for responding to each child’s needs resulting in improved job satisfaction. Strategies to Improve Parent-Teacher CommunicationThe most effective parent-teacher communication is relational, directly linked to student learning, and builds the capacity of both parents, teachers, and school administrators.. Adopting high-impact strategies like those below can allow large districts and busy teachers to maximize their limited time and resources with the maximum benefit for their students and school communities. Ensure Learning-focused Communication is Accessible for All Students’ FamiliesIn order for every child to have the opportunity to succeed, communication must be accessible for all parents and caregivers. Take time to gather information about the parents and caregivers within the community and their specific needs around contact preferences, home language, and internet access. By putting families’ communication needs at the forefront of parent-teacher communication, parents and caregivers are more readily able to engage and feel included in their child’s education. Personalize Parent-Teacher Communication with Impactful & Effective MessagingDespite current teacher and school district communication efforts, parents are frequently left wondering about grade-level learning goals and if their child is on track to meet those goals. A child’s teacher has invaluable insight into student learning and sharing that insight through learning-focused communication promotes a sense of trust and deepens the partnership between teachers and families. Be intentional about sharing regular updates on classroom learning in a way that allows parents to meaningfully engage and support their child’s growth. Set up a Two-Way DialogueToo often traditional parent-teacher communication looks more like a news bulletin than a conversation. To foster partnerships between parents and teachers, it’s important for teachers to start by sharing when parents can expect to hear from them, what information will be shared, and how parents can contact them. Open the conversation by asking parents and caregivers questions about their child or their hopes and dreams for them in order to connect. Once established, a two-way dialogue between parents and teachers not only promotes connection and builds capacity but also results in more positive communication. Share Student Successes and Areas for GrowthAfter establishing relationships with parents through accessible, learning-focused, two-way dialogue, it becomes much easier for teachers to contact parents and have open, honest conversations about students’ performance on assessments and behavior. In fact, many parents express a deep desire to know more about their child’s areas for growth. When parent-teacher communication promotes partnership and equips parents with actionable information, it allows for joint problem-solving that improves student outcomes. As trust builds through sustained dialogue, teachers are more equipped to have transparent conversations around topics like the impact of frequent absences on student learning. How FASTalk Can Transform Parent-Teacher CommunicationFASTalk is an evidence-based parent-teacher communication tool that was designed to connect classroom instruction with at-home learning through a regular cadence of learning-focused information and activities delivered to families in their home language. FASTalk aims to remove the common barriers to parent engagement by ensuring learning-focused communication takes place weekly, in each family’s preferred language, and doesn’t require access to WiFi. FASTalk equips teachers with a tool they can use to communicate via text message with their students’ families in over 100 languages without having to share their personal cell phone numbers. Parent involvement can play a pivotal role in advancing student learning outcomes for district’s seeking solutions to rising challenges. Reach Parents in Their Preferred Language Through Direct TranslationsThe FASTalk team identifies the linguistic needs of each school community to ensure that the FASTalk text messages sent to families are professionally translated into the home languages of all caregivers. In addition, teachers can use FASTalk to engage in two-way translated communication with parents and caregivers in over 100 languages. As a result of the accessibility of FASTalk messages and parental involvement, students have experienced literacy gains, especially when their parents did not share a home language with the teacher. Provide Engaging and Simple Learning Activities for Parents to Try With Their ChildThe FASTalk tips and activities are designed specifically for families by curriculum experts to align with a school district’s curriculum and/or grade-level learning goals. The weekly FASTalk text messages give caregivers a window into classroom learning by sharing on-going information about key grade-level skills and ways that they can reinforce those skills. While there are numerous communication platforms available for teachers to communicate with families, 85% of FASTalk families report that FASTalk is the only place that they receive learning focused information and activities to support their child. Connect Directly With Parents Through Text MessagesThe FASTalk tips and activities are delivered straight to parents’ phones each week through SMS text message. There’s no computer or internet connection required for parents ensuring that any caregiver with access to a cell phone can engage in fun, on-the-go activities to support their child’s learning from anywhere.
Author: Megan Lorio  Developing FASTalk messages in our school communication platform follows a rigorous process, which includes gathering feedback directly from families. Without feedback from parents and families, we’d be missing critical insight from one of the most important stakeholders in a student’s learning journey. As FEL’s Managing Editor, I am responsible for developing the FASTalk tips and activities that go home to parents and families each week. I served as a teacher for 7 years and as an instructional coach and school administrator for another 3 years in Washington D.C., NYC, and New Orleans. As a classroom teacher, I experienced firsthand the power of families as a critical partner in student learning. In my role as Managing Editor, I sit at the intersection of teaching and learning and family engagement, where I am able to bring my deep knowledge of instruction and translate that into messages for families that make a meaningful difference in supporting their child’s development. I recently co-facilitated focus groups with families in DeSoto Parish Public Schools, where they shared more about their experiences with FASTalk messages. In this post, I share some reflections about how this feedback will shape the FASTalk message development process. How are curriculum-aligned messages developed? And why is family feedback so important? When developing curriculum-aligned FASTalk tips and activities, our primary goal is to ensure that families gain an understanding of what their child is learning and how they can best support at home. Curriculum-aligned messages are developed by both focusing on the key standards for the grade level as well as fostering knowledge-building through parent-child interactions around specific themes and texts. We work to make sure that the messages sent home are accessible, relevant, and fun for families to complete! The messages aim to take the most critical goals of each of the curriculum’s units and give activity ideas that are actionable, so that families feel empowered to help at home and students meet curriculum and grade level goals. Family input is critical to the development of high-quality FASTalk parent-teacher messages. We frequently invite feedback about FASTalk from all families through surveys, polls, and focus groups. When we are developing new tips and activities, we check in more often with families, focusing on questions such as: “Are the messages engaging and fun for you to complete with your child?” And “Do the FASTalk messages help you better understand what your child is learning in their class? How so?” Throughout the development process, we work to elevate the voices of the families we serve to ensure that the messages are equipping families with the curricular information they need to best support their child’s instructional goals. How do you make sure that the suggested conversation prompts and activities can be easily incorporated into families’ lives? We know and understand that parents and families are busy! They need quick, actionable ideas to support their child’s learning at home. We work to develop FASTalk tips and activities that encourage opportunities for on-the-go conversation and connection between a family member and their child around learning. As we develop the messages, we think about whether families could try the activity on the way to school, at the grocery store, or before bedtime. The activities share ideas that incorporate learning into everyday routines and encourage positive, joyful interactions between a parent and their child. Was any of the feedback from the focus groups surprising? In what ways? I was most surprised to hear the differences in how families hope to engage with their child’s learning depending on grade level. The session with middle school families affirmed that the needs of families develop and change as their child ages. Specifically, middle school families were less interested in understanding or practicing specific skills with their child and were more interested in FASTalk messages that encouraged back-and-forth interactions with their teenager and were clearly linking classroom learning to real-world experiences. For example, one middle school parent expressed that a sample middle school math message around approaching math problems when stuck was more helpful than a message about how to practice a specific math skill. As we develop new messages in mathematics, it will be important to incorporate this feedback to ensure that we are meeting the unique needs of middle school families. What’s hot off the press or in the works right now when it comes to the FASTalk messages? In the past, FASTalk has primarily supported literacy learning through the messages that go home each week. As we grow and respond to the needs of families, students, and schools, we are focusing on developing a more robust library of math tips and activities. Families are eager for ways to engage with their children around multiple subject areas and we are excited to think about how we can incorporate math learning into the FASTalk experience for more families. We often hear from families that they lack confidence in supporting their child’s learning in math. We are excited to think about ways that FASTalk can be a part of equipping families with the information and resources they need to build that confidence! We hear consistently from families that they are committed and very willing to support their child’s learning, but what is missing is the critical learning-focused information about what is happening in the classroom and how they can help. FASTalk’s purpose-built messages and two-way communication capabilities ensure that families receive regular communication from school, delivered in their home language. |
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