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    TOOLKIT

    Team Up with Families

    to Support Math Instruction

    A father, student, and grandfather sit on a couch and smile towards the camera.

    Communication and Trust

    Communicating with Families

    Trust is the foundation for building family partnerships and consistent, two-way communication is our best tool for gaining that trust. It’s helpful to use a variety of communication tools and strategies, including some that are high-level (email blasts, newsletters, social media), and some that are personalized (messages, notes, phone calls).

    Engaging Linguistically Diverse Families

    As our world becomes more culturally and linguistically diverse, so do our students and their families. Fortunately, there are a growing number of ways to communicate with linguistically diverse families and ideas for involving them in their child's education.

     

    Engaging Families of Students with Disabilities

    Families of students with disabilities may have specific needs and, as educators, we're in the perfect position to support them. Additionally, IEP and 504 Plan meetings are built-in opportunities for family engagement. Harness those opportunities to build mutual trust!

    Overcoming Barriers to Family Engagement

    Even with the best intentions, sometimes obstacles like conflicting schedules or rising emotions can make engaging families challenging. Obstacles aren't necessarily bad though. With some planning, they can even become great opportunities for strengthening relationships! 

    Gathering and Sharing Data

    Gathering Data from Families

    We often begin the year with access to students’ academic data, but asking families what their children enjoy learning about, who they learn with, and how and where they access information outside of the classroom can help us tailor instruction to better engage students and meet their needs.

    Sharing Data with Families

    Use data and student work samples to show families how their children are progressing throughout the year relative to grade-level standards and expected growth.

    Encouraging a Positive Math Mindset at Home

    Families can better understand their child's math development and support math learning at home by playing math games together and bringing math into their everyday routines.