How can I build a strong partnership with my child’s teacher?
I am used to a traditional parent/teacher conference. It seems they do things differently now and we are invited to a “goal setting” conference.
Dear Mrs. Brooke,
How can I help my child with their writing at home?
I’m really excited about the approach our school is taking to create writers by using writing conferences and writing workshop school-wide to meet each student at their level and help them to achieve their personal best.
I am looking to purchase my child some gifts for his birthday that are not only fun, but also educational. Are there any ideas as a teacher and a parent that you recommend?
I am always trying to come up with a great idea to give my child’s teacher and I always just end up giving a gift card because I feel like maybe that would be helpful. What are teachers’ favorite things to receive?
My daughter is a second grader and I am wondering about how to help her with basic math facts. In her homework,
As a parent with a child entering kindergarten this year I asked myself the same question. There are many things we can do as our child’s first and most important teacher to ease this back-to-school transition and set them up for school success. Below are some tips that I have recommended to parents of my students in the past and that I am already implementing in my own home with my son.
My neighbor said her child was going to a “choice school” this coming year. What does that mean and is it still a public school? If so, how is it different?
I’ve had a lot of parents ask me about how important a school’s test scores are and should they choose to move their child to another school with better scores.
I’ve never had the chance to volunteer in my child’s classroom until now. What should I expect as a classroom volunteer and how can I be most valuable to the teacher?
I struggle with teaching my 5 year old to read. He is able to sound out the letters but he struggles with putting the sounds together to form the words.
How fast should a parent expect to hear back from their child’s elementary school teacher?
We have read to our first grade daughter from the beginning and even though she is beginning to read more on her own now, we will continue to do so. However, do you have any ideas for parents to use when their child is reading and makes a mistake?
Dear Mrs. Brooke,
When should you start reading to your child? When should you stop reading to your child? What is the importance of reading to your child each day?
One question that I’m going to have is whether to hold my son back a year or enter him into Kindergarten next year. He has an August birthday. I’m not sure if others have the same question, but I’d love to hear from a teacher’s eyes what some of the benefits and negatives might be.
This is a great question, but also requires a huge answer.
Dear Mrs. Brooke,
I’m trying to decide if I should put my daughter in a full-day or half-day kindergarten program.
Each fall I stand in front of a brand new group of parents and read this poem to open up my Curriculum Night presentation.
