The School-Home Connection
Purchase
Description
"A useful resource for all educators with practical suggestions to help close the gap between school and home. Through analogies and shared reflections on real-life examples, the authors provide guidance for dealing effectively with parents, understanding the importance of family dynamics, and considering the effects of personality types on relationships."
—Annette Speach, Director of Human Resources
North Syracuse Central School District, NY
"Becoming skilled in relationships is the foundation for successful home-school collaboration, and these authors provide the why's and how-to's in a very readable form."
—Bonnie Dunn, Retired School Social Worker
The Collaborative School, New Gloucester, ME
The keys to bridging the gap between school and home!
Research has consistently shown that student success is directly related to the strength of the relationships between parents and schools. This book provides teachers and administrators with tools to build a foundation for student success based on positive relationships with students and their families.
Drawing on original research and their professional experiences, the authors identify the common sources of both negative and positive school-home relationships. The book presents a comprehensive approach to building closer connections and includes:
- Tools to help educators develop a deeper understanding of the communities they serve
- Strategies for improving interpersonal skills and communication skills
- A chapter on the importance of documenting and celebrating school events
- Guidelines for creating three distinct levels of parental participation in schools
With suggestions for cultivating a community network of support services and a summary of lessons for forging constructive relationships, The School-Home Connection is an essential tool for educators looking to strengthen the learning community and increase student achievement.
Contents
Preface
Preface
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
About the Authors
1. Committing to the Relationship
- Benefits to the Student
- Benefits to the Teacher
- Benefits to the Parent
- Benefits to the Class
- Benefits to the School
- Benefits to the School District
- Summary
2. Recognizing Different Personalities
- Determining Personality
- Effects of Personalities on Your Relationships
- Implications
- Dealing With Difficult Parents
- Summary
3. Identifying Potential Red Flags
- Recognizing Red Flags
- The Likelihood Rating Scale
- Parent and Family Conditions
- Teacher Conditions
- Administrator Conditions
- Summary
4. Honing Solid Communication Skills
- Verbal Communication Obstacles
- Nonverbal Communication Obstacles
- Summary
5. Adopting Key Rules
- Rule 1: Be Respectful
- Rule 2: Be Proactive
- Rule 3: No Surprises
- Rule 4: 24 Hours
- Rule 5: No Dump Trucks Allowed
- Rule 6: Document
- Rule 7: Be Prepared
- Rule 8: "I Don't Know"
- Rule 9: Never Say Never
- Rule 10: Never Lie
- Summary
6. Using Flexibility to Enhance Relationships
- Common Family Issues Needing Accommodation
- Failing Students
- Students With Disabilities
- Families of Divorce or Separation
- Illness or Death of a Close Family Member
- Non-English-Speaking and Low-Literacy Families
- Counterproductive Family Dynamics
- Summary
7. Documenting and Celebrating School Events
- What Do We Need to Document?
- Quick, Easy, and Routine Daily Documentation Methods
- Weekly or Monthly Newsletters
- Specialized Daily Contacts
- Conferences
- DVDs/CDs
- Back-to-School Nights and Open Houses
- Summary
8. Connecting Home and School
- Levels of Parent Participation
- Level 1: General Parental Support of School Activities
- Level 2: Parental Involvement in Daily School Events
- Level 3: Parental Involvement in Decision-Making Processes
- Summary
9. Cultivating Resources
- Where Do You Start?
- Compiling a List of Family Resources
- What Should Your Resource List Look Like?
- One Step Further
- Summary
10. Summarizing Global Lessons Learned
- Lesson 1: Keep the Student Front and Center
- Lesson 2: Be the Best Communicator You Can Be
- Lesson 3: Become User-Friendly
- Lesson 4: Be Proactive
- Lesson 5: View Parents and Families as Opportunities to Bring Diversity, Interests, and Talents into the Classroom and School
- Lesson 6: Above All, Keep and Use a Sense of Humor
- Summary
Resource A: Discover Your Personality
Resource A: Discover Your Personality
Resource B: The Animal Test
Resource B: The Animal Test
Resource C: Personality Types
Resource C: Personality Types
References and Recommended Readings
References and Recommended Readings
Index
Index
Additional materials
Description
"A useful resource for all educators with practical suggestions to help close the gap between school and home. Through analogies and shared reflections on real-life examples, the authors provide guidance for dealing effectively with parents, understanding the importance of family dynamics, and considering the effects of personality types on relationships."
—Annette Speach, Director of Human Resources
North Syracuse Central School District, NY
"Becoming skilled in relationships is the foundation for successful home-school collaboration, and these authors provide the why's and how-to's in a very readable form."
—Bonnie Dunn, Retired School Social Worker
The Collaborative School, New Gloucester, ME
The keys to bridging the gap between school and home!
Research has consistently shown that student success is directly related to the strength of the relationships between parents and schools. This book provides teachers and administrators with tools to build a foundation for student success based on positive relationships with students and their families.
Drawing on original research and their professional experiences, the authors identify the common sources of both negative and positive school-home relationships. The book presents a comprehensive approach to building closer connections and includes:
- Tools to help educators develop a deeper understanding of the communities they serve
- Strategies for improving interpersonal skills and communication skills
- A chapter on the importance of documenting and celebrating school events
- Guidelines for creating three distinct levels of parental participation in schools
With suggestions for cultivating a community network of support services and a summary of lessons for forging constructive relationships, The School-Home Connection is an essential tool for educators looking to strengthen the learning community and increase student achievement.
Contents
Preface
Preface
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
About the Authors
1. Committing to the Relationship
- Benefits to the Student
- Benefits to the Teacher
- Benefits to the Parent
- Benefits to the Class
- Benefits to the School
- Benefits to the School District
- Summary
2. Recognizing Different Personalities
- Determining Personality
- Effects of Personalities on Your Relationships
- Implications
- Dealing With Difficult Parents
- Summary
3. Identifying Potential Red Flags
- Recognizing Red Flags
- The Likelihood Rating Scale
- Parent and Family Conditions
- Teacher Conditions
- Administrator Conditions
- Summary
4. Honing Solid Communication Skills
- Verbal Communication Obstacles
- Nonverbal Communication Obstacles
- Summary
5. Adopting Key Rules
- Rule 1: Be Respectful
- Rule 2: Be Proactive
- Rule 3: No Surprises
- Rule 4: 24 Hours
- Rule 5: No Dump Trucks Allowed
- Rule 6: Document
- Rule 7: Be Prepared
- Rule 8: "I Don't Know"
- Rule 9: Never Say Never
- Rule 10: Never Lie
- Summary
6. Using Flexibility to Enhance Relationships
- Common Family Issues Needing Accommodation
- Failing Students
- Students With Disabilities
- Families of Divorce or Separation
- Illness or Death of a Close Family Member
- Non-English-Speaking and Low-Literacy Families
- Counterproductive Family Dynamics
- Summary
7. Documenting and Celebrating School Events
- What Do We Need to Document?
- Quick, Easy, and Routine Daily Documentation Methods
- Weekly or Monthly Newsletters
- Specialized Daily Contacts
- Conferences
- DVDs/CDs
- Back-to-School Nights and Open Houses
- Summary
8. Connecting Home and School
- Levels of Parent Participation
- Level 1: General Parental Support of School Activities
- Level 2: Parental Involvement in Daily School Events
- Level 3: Parental Involvement in Decision-Making Processes
- Summary
9. Cultivating Resources
- Where Do You Start?
- Compiling a List of Family Resources
- What Should Your Resource List Look Like?
- One Step Further
- Summary
10. Summarizing Global Lessons Learned
- Lesson 1: Keep the Student Front and Center
- Lesson 2: Be the Best Communicator You Can Be
- Lesson 3: Become User-Friendly
- Lesson 4: Be Proactive
- Lesson 5: View Parents and Families as Opportunities to Bring Diversity, Interests, and Talents into the Classroom and School
- Lesson 6: Above All, Keep and Use a Sense of Humor
- Summary
Resource A: Discover Your Personality
Resource A: Discover Your Personality
Resource B: The Animal Test
Resource B: The Animal Test
Resource C: Personality Types
Resource C: Personality Types
References and Recommended Readings
References and Recommended Readings
Index
Index
Additional materials
Reviews
The School-Home Connection
Forging Positive Relationships With Parents
March 2010 | 152 pages | Corwin
| Format | Published Date | ISBN | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paperback | 01/02/2026 | 9781412968645 | $37.95 |
| Lifetime | 01/02/2026 | 9781452261294 | $35.00 |
"A useful resource for all educators with practical suggestions to help close the gap between school and home. Through analogies and shared reflections on real-life examples, the authors provide guidance for dealing effectively with parents, understanding the importance of family dynamics, and considering the effects of personality types on relationships."
—Annette Speach, Director of Human Resources
North Syracuse Central School District, NY
"Becoming skilled in relationships is the foundation for successful home-school collaboration, and these authors provide the why's and how-to's in a very readable form."
—Bonnie Dunn, Retired School Social Worker
The Collaborative School, New Gloucester, ME
The keys to bridging the gap between school and home!
Research has consistently shown that student success is directly related to the strength of the relationships between parents and schools. This book provides teachers and administrators with tools to build a foundation for student success based on positive relationships with students and their families.
Drawing on original research and their professional experiences, the authors identify the common sources of both negative and positive school-home relationships. The book presents a comprehensive approach to building closer connections and includes:
- Tools to help educators develop a deeper understanding of the communities they serve
- Strategies for improving interpersonal skills and communication skills
- A chapter on the importance of documenting and celebrating school events
- Guidelines for creating three distinct levels of parental participation in schools
With suggestions for cultivating a community network of support services and a summary of lessons for forging constructive relationships, The School-Home Connection is an essential tool for educators looking to strengthen the learning community and increase student achievement.
Table Of Contents:
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- About the Authors
- 1. Committing to the Relationship
- Benefits to the Student
- Benefits to the Teacher
- Benefits to the Parent
- Benefits to the Class
- Benefits to the School
- Benefits to the School District
- Summary
- 2. Recognizing Different Personalities
- Determining Personality
- Effects of Personalities on Your Relationships
- Implications
- Dealing With Difficult Parents
- Summary
- 3. Identifying Potential Red Flags
- Recognizing Red Flags
- The Likelihood Rating Scale
- Parent and Family Conditions
- Teacher Conditions
- Administrator Conditions
- Summary
- 4. Honing Solid Communication Skills
- Verbal Communication Obstacles
- Nonverbal Communication Obstacles
- Summary
- 5. Adopting Key Rules
- Rule 1: Be Respectful
- Rule 2: Be Proactive
- Rule 3: No Surprises
- Rule 4: 24 Hours
- Rule 5: No Dump Trucks Allowed
- Rule 6: Document
- Rule 7: Be Prepared
- Rule 8: "I Don't Know"
- Rule 9: Never Say Never
- Rule 10: Never Lie
- Summary
- 6. Using Flexibility to Enhance Relationships
- Common Family Issues Needing Accommodation
- Failing Students
- Students With Disabilities
- Families of Divorce or Separation
- Illness or Death of a Close Family Member
- Non-English-Speaking and Low-Literacy Families
- Counterproductive Family Dynamics
- Summary
- 7. Documenting and Celebrating School Events
- What Do We Need to Document?
- Quick, Easy, and Routine Daily Documentation Methods
- Weekly or Monthly Newsletters
- Specialized Daily Contacts
- Conferences
- DVDs/CDs
- Back-to-School Nights and Open Houses
- Summary
- 8. Connecting Home and School
- Levels of Parent Participation
- Level 1: General Parental Support of School Activities
- Level 2: Parental Involvement in Daily School Events
- Level 3: Parental Involvement in Decision-Making Processes
- Summary
- 9. Cultivating Resources
- Where Do You Start?
- Compiling a List of Family Resources
- What Should Your Resource List Look Like?
- One Step Further
- Summary
- 10. Summarizing Global Lessons Learned
- Lesson 1: Keep the Student Front and Center
- Lesson 2: Be the Best Communicator You Can Be
- Lesson 3: Become User-Friendly
- Lesson 4: Be Proactive
- Lesson 5: View Parents and Families as Opportunities to Bring Diversity, Interests, and Talents into the Classroom and School
- Lesson 6: Above All, Keep and Use a Sense of Humor
- Summary
- Resource A: Discover Your Personality
- Resource B: The Animal Test
- Resource C: Personality Types
- References and Recommended Readings
- Index