Table 2: Reporting to Parents/Carers

How will I report

student learning to
parents/carers?
Using formal written
reporting system
(twice a year, usually
after term 2 and
term 4)

Benefit

Limitation

Written report provide information

on an analysis of academic
development across content areas,
information about student strengths
and learning style, an assessment
of the childs social development,
specific goals for the student to
work on, and associated
suggestions for the parent
(Graham Clay, n.d.).

Written reports have many

disadvantages such as:
- They are time consuming for
teachers to write and produce.
- They lack personal touch or
creativity.
- Structure is rigid and not flexible.
- Often written in a way that is not
clear to parents.
- Feedback or response from
parents is not immediate.
- Does not cater for everyone, for
example for someone who does not
have sight or is illiterate will not be
able to interpret information.
(Written Communication:
Advantages and Disadvantages,
2013, para.3)

Parent Teacher
meetings or
interviews

Parent teacher meetings or

interviews area beneficial to both
the teacher and the parent.
For parents they are a great
opportunity to hear and discuss how
their child/ren is tracking
academically and socially at school.
It provided parents with an
opportunity to ask or discuss any
questions they may have in regards
to their child (Smith, 2015).

Requires a well-developed and

thought out plan that often takes a
lot of communication to organise.
Can be difficult to arrange a time
and place that suits both the parent
and teacher.
Parent teacher meetings are
usually allocated 15 minute time
slots which offers little time for
meaningful communication to occur
regarding students academic and
social progress
(Graham Clay, n.d.).
Parent teacher meetings or
interviews with parents with English
as a second language/dialect
background can be ineffective and
result in miscommunication
(Graham Clay, n.d.)

For teachers it helps develop an

understanding of students
background and environment and
how they can relate to them
(Lambert, 2011).

Communication
through the use of
technology such as:

Technology has allowed teachers to

keep parents up to date and
informed in more effective and time-

Not all parents have access to

technology at home or feel
comfortable using it and as teachers

- Phone calls
- Letters
- Emails

efficient ways. It facilitates

communication opportunities as
parents and teachers are not
restricted to school hours or
location (Ridgway, 2006).
It is an effective strategy for
teachers to discuss and address
any concerns that he/she may
have, as it is crucial that parents are
aware of their childs areas of
weakness prior to a formal report
(Graham Clay, n.d.).

it is important that we do not just

assume this information
(Graham Clay, n.d.). If teaching in
low socioeconomic environments
this is likely to be a real factor and
as teachers we need to adjust and
find a different source of
communication.

School-to-home
notebooks or diaries

A written communication technique

that teachers can use to share
information with parents. It is an
effective strategy that allows
teachers to gain valuable
information about the lives of their
students, for example
extracurricular activities, bullying
experiences, and a death in the
family. This strategy can be used for
all students but particularly effective
for children with additional needs
(Graham Clay, n.d.).

This form of communication has a

few limitations that are not present
in other forms such as:
- Not being as frequent or as prompt
as other forms due to the busy lives
parents and teachers live. For
example one stakeholder may
forget to write an entry or forget to
give it to the student or child and
therefore delays the communication
making it become irregular.
- Not as private