Do you feel like you don’t know the right questions to ask your child’s teacher at open house? That is a common feeling for parents. You want to be a concerned parent but don’t know quite where to begin. These are some good questions to ask your child’s teacher at open house.
1. “is Their Year off to a Good Start?”
This is a good question to ask when you are getting the conversation started with your child’s teacher. It is an opening question. It gives them the freedom to share whatever information is most imperative concerning your child. From there you can decide which of the following questions you still need to ask. For this reason, this is one of the best questions to ask your child’s teacher at open house.
2. “do You See Any Areas of Concern?”
It is always good to ask your child’s teacher if they see any areas for concern with your child. Sometimes a teacher may be hesitant to bring up any areas of concern. This is especially true if open house happens very early on in the year because they may not be totally sure about their concerns yet. But most parents would rather have a heads up early on. If this is true of you, this is a good question to ask.
3. “How Can We Best Support Them at Home?”
This is a good question to ask. It lets your child’s teacher know that you want to be supportive parents and do everything that you can to help your child. It conveys the message that you want to work as a team for the good of your child. It also offers you valuable tips and insight on what you can do to help your child. This is always good information to know.
4. “What Are Their Strong Points?”
It is good to ask what your child’s strong points are. Sometimes so much focus gets placed on what a child may be struggling with that their strong points are forgotten. This calls attention back to them. It is also nice for your child to hear their teacher giving them a bit of praise. This can encourage them to do their best.
5. “Are They Making Friends?”
You want to know if your child is making friends or off sitting by themselves at lunch time. Your child may or may not share this information with you. If you have concerns, ask the teacher to weigh in. This also lets the teacher know that you are concerned about your child in all areas, not just academically. If they aren’t making friends easily, the teacher may be able to share why that is. Having friends at school makes their day much better.
6. “do They Interact Well with Other Students?”
It is possible that your child does have friends but has some trouble interacting well with other students. It is wise to ask this question. Are they doing well in group settings? If not, you can find out why. Perhaps they are just nervous or feel intimidated.
7. “do You Have Any Questions for Us?”
This is a very kind question to ask the teacher. It lets them know you are willing to do all you can to make this partnership work. You will do all you can to support them. They may or may not have questions but will be grateful for the opportunity to ask them. This sets a very good tone for the rest of the year.
Open house is very important to give you insight on how your child's school year is going. I hope this guide is helpful to you. What are some questions that you always make sure to ask?
Frequently Asked Questions
- What key areas of development should I be focusing on at home for my child?
- Every child is different, right? But getting to know what the teacher thinks your child should work on can give you a big advantage. They'll have insights on what skills or areas of development the class is concentrating on.
- How do you manage classroom behavior?
- Classroom management is like magic sometimes! Asking this helps you understand how the teacher creates a positive learning environment and how they handle any issues that come up.
- What is your approach to homework?
- This question is all about balance. You want to know how much time your kid should spend on homework and how it ties into what they're learning.
- How can I support my child’s learning at home?
- Teachers love when parents want to help out. They'll likely have great suggestions of activities or resources you can use at home to reinforce what’s happening in the classroom.
- What are some of the biggest milestones my child should reach this year?
- Milestones give you a road map of what to expect and look forward to. Whether it’s counting to 100 or reading their first book, knowing these can help you keep them on track.