Presented By: Maggie Lage and Harriet Weiss

With the school year winding down, parents should take advantage of upcoming parent-teacher conferences. According to Harriet Weiss of the Wilmington Huntington Learning Center, for parents, such an opportunity to meet face-to-face, one-on-one with your child’s teacher has many significant benefits – and should not be missed. “Parent-teacher conferences are one of the most valuable tools available to parents,” says Weiss. “These meetings are the best way for parents to learn very specifically how their child is doing in school, including any learning or other problems they might not be aware of.” Not only that, says Weiss, such conferences are “the key to developing a collaborative relationship with your child’s teacher.”
To make the most of parent-teacher conferences, what kinds of questions should parents ask? Maggie Lage, owner of the Huntington Learning Center in Newark, Delaware suggests using the following framework to come up with your
own list of discussion points:

Your Child’s Progress
The most obvious topic of your parent-teacher conference will be your child’s school performance. Talk with your child’s new teacher about how your child is adjusting to the increased difficulty of lessons and class work. Questions to ask about your student’s academic development might include:
• What are the school’s/state’s grade level standards?
• Is my child performing to grade level standards?
• Is he or she keeping up with homework assignments and participating in class?
• What are my child’s strengths? In what areas could he or she improve?

Grading and Expectations
It is important to understand how your child will be evaluated by his or her teacher throughout the year. Here are a few questions you can ask to ensure you are aware of what will be expected of your child:

• What standardized exams will my child take this year, and how will you help prepare your students for such tests in the classroom?
• How do you grade assignments?
• How do you determine my child’s report card grades and marks?
• What are the various components of these grades?
• How much time should my child spend on homework each night?
• What skills should my child master this quarter/semester?
• How can I best keep track of his or her progress?

Your Involvement
All teachers welcome and encourage parental involvement, so use your conference as an opportunity discuss how you should support your child at home. Questions to ask include:
• How can I help my child improve his or her areas of weakness?
• How can I help my child stay organized and on top of his or her homework assignments and projects?
• What can I do to support you in your classroom objectives?
• What suggestions do you have on how to approach homework time?
• What is an appropriate level of parental involvement and support?

Good Communication.
At the end of your parent-teacher conference, you will likely come away with a list of action items – both for you and your child’s teacher. Here are a few questions to ask before you part ways:
• What is the best way to communicate with you moving forward?
• What should I strive to accomplish with my child before our next parent-teacher conference and how would you like me to inform you of my progress?
• What will you strive to accomplish before our next meeting (related to my child) and how can I stay apprised of your progress?

Parents who want additional information, or who wish to
discuss a specific problem, are encouraged to call Maggie Lage
(302-737-1150) at the
Newark center or Harriet Weiss (302-478-4343) at the
Wilmington center.

About Huntington Learning Center
Founded in 1977, Huntington Learning Center is the nation’s longest-running supplemental education services provider. Huntington provides instruction in reading, writing, spelling, phonics, mathematics, and study skills as well as SAT and ACT preparation to tens of thousands of students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Huntington prides itself on its unparalleled programs which specialize in helping parents, caregivers and educators identify the gaps in skills and knowledge that can limit learning potential and in providing a personalized program of instruction to enable children to excel.

Hear what parents are saying about Huntington

“Huntington really finds what works for the individual child. Conventional subject tutoring never seemed to reach the problem. Nick loved coming here because he felt supported and he loved the sense of accomplishment he gained.”

~ Maria C.

“I want to thank you all for helping Eric. Seeing Eric’s reading level and academic level continue to improve and excel is just amazing. His confidence and attitude has also improved. He came home and opened his report card and was excited to see the remarks and he said “Huntington is Paying Off”. Thanks again.”

~ Linda P.

“My son’s SAT score was way beyond our expectations! We were very happy with the experience we had at Huntington. We can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve done to prepare our son for college and beyond.”

~ Deborah A.

“I would recommend your program without hesitation. There is no way Katie would have improved and received the score she got without the direction and instruction of the wonderful Huntington Learning Center teachers. We attribute her numerous scholarship offers to her increased SAT score.”

~ Marybeth R.