Focus your efforts on student growth and development
Our surveys and focus groups suggest that families and caregivers view teachers as trusted academic resources in their child’s learning. Families also consistently report being eager to support a child’s development, but sometimes feel under-equipped to provide support. You can activate the power of families to support student growth through regular school-home communication. Help fill this important information gap by:
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Center communication on learning.
Families want to know 3 things - what children are learning, how a child is progressing, and how they can help support their child’s learning. Consider: Including a prompting question or activity a caregiver can use with a child. |
Ensure accessibility for all families.
Prioritize using communication methods or tools that allow you to reach all families and offer language translation. Consider: Options that allow for two-way communication and a feedback loop. |
Take an asset-based approach.
Build collaborative, trusting relationships by focusing on strengths and assets of the student and their family. |
Explore an example of high-impact communication (focused on learning!)It’s easy to share these tips in the hypothetical! It can be more challenging to regularly implement them in practice.
We have a team of professional writers that develop curriculum-aligned messages for families. Explore a sample message where they model best practices and break down the anatomy of what makes it a high-impact message. |
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Reflect on your current communication practicesPreparing for the academic year can provide an opportunity to reflect on the previous year and identify opportunities to try new ideas with family engagement and communication.
We’d suggest starting with a reflection activity that can help you identify your strengths and areas that you’d like to explore for this year. |
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Plan your communication routine (and make the most of limited time!)Teachers report spending on average 1-2 hours per week communicating with families. With limited time and multiple priorities, communication might be a task that drops off your list. Set yourself up for success by establishing a weekly routine that is aligned with your classroom goals.
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Leverage existing high-quality content and message templatesCreating content takes time and practice. We’ve compiled a series of brief messages that you can use at the beginning of the school year to build strong relationships with families in your classroom at the start of the school year that can persist over time.
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Explore insights and resources from the field
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Frequently asked questions
What is family engagement?
Our approach to family engagement builds off of the Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnership, which highlights how relationships between educators and parents are central to supporting student learning.
Authentic and high-impact family engagement includes a warm invitation for families to collaborate, recognition of the assets and unique insights that families have, and consistent communication that regularly shares learning-focused information.
Authentic and high-impact family engagement includes a warm invitation for families to collaborate, recognition of the assets and unique insights that families have, and consistent communication that regularly shares learning-focused information.
What is FASTalk?
FASTalk (Families and Schools Talk) is an evidence-based program designed to connect teachers and families around the shared goal of supporting student growth and development. FASTalk includes access to both a proprietary communication platform and a robust library of professionally written messages that support grade-level skills and reinforce learning outside of the classroom.
How can I bring FASTAlk to my School?
The FASTalk program is currently available for purchase at the school- and district-levels. The FASTalk technology platform relies on SIS and rostering data to schedule and send messages. If you’re interested in bringing FASTalk to your school, we’d suggest sharing this page with your building administrator and encouraging them to book a meeting with our expert team.