Effective communication

Can you

hear me

now?

Effective Home - School Communication

Effective Home-School Communication

DEFINIITON

• A two-way process

• Meaningful and ongoing

• Lays a foundation for home-school partnerships


• Establish trust

• Shared expectations

• Foster futurefamily involvement

PURPOSE


When the first contact is a positive one, parents are more open to hearing from the school later…

even when there is a problem.

BENEFITS


• Welcome packets

• Positive postcards

• Student agendas

• Flyers

• Newsletters

• Surveys

Written Communication

THE FOUR TYPES


Flyers:

Bullets (like these) help to:

• Make content look likea quick and easy read

• Organize important information

• Create an informal andfriendly tone.

BEST PRACTICES



Flyers:

A single large image

creates a stronger

impression than many

small pictures.

It allows the eye and the

mind to focus .

BEST PRACTICES


BEST PRACTICES


Flyers:

Do NOT usemore

than 2 or 3 fonts or

COLORS!

If you want your flyer to

be read, remember:

Less is more.

BEST PRACTICES


BEST PRACTICES


4 Types of Communication

• Share good news

• Share links and resources

• Remind familiesof upcoming events

Electronic Communication

THE FOUR TYPES


E-Mail:

Be sure to use proper

spelling and

punctuation. Avoid

using abbreviations.

BEST PRACTICES

ElectronicCommunication

BEST PRACTICES


E-Mail:

Parents cannot see your

face or hear your tone

of voice in an E-Mail.

Do not use humor or

sarcasm or share bad

news. When in doubt,

pick up the phone.

BEST PRACTICES


BEST PRACTICES


School Website:

65% of American homes

have internet access

and that number grows

daily.

Does your school have a

website worthy of their

E-ttention?

BEST PRACTICES


BEST PRACTICES



• Phone calls

• Face-to-face

• Speeches

• Presentations

Verbal andIn-person

THE FOUR TYPES


Face-to-Face:

Maintain an “open” posture.

• Smile

• Maintain eye contact

• Lean forward

• Avoid folding your arms or crossing yourlegs.

BEST PRACTICES

VerbalCommunication

BEST PRACTICES


Listen up.

Parents have vital

information and insights

about their child. Ask

yourself, “What do I

wish I knew about this

child?”

BEST PRACTICES

VerbalCommunication

BEST PRACTICES



• School Marquee

• Parking lot signs

• Building signage

• Bulletin boards

Visual Communication

THE FOUR TYPES


School Marquee

Don’t miss an

opportunity to “sell”

your school.

“YAY! Our six graders

have read 2532 books!”

BEST PRACTICES

VisualCommunication

BEST PRACTICES


Signs, signs,

everywhere signs.

Do a walk-through to

evaluate the

effectiveness of your

signs.

BEST PRACTICES

VisualCommunication

BEST PRACTICES


NOW HEAR THIS…

Communication:

• 55% body language

• 38% tone of voice

• 7% content of words


Keep It Short and Simple…

• Avoid using educationaljargon (differentiated instruction)

• Stick to the point

• Remember… Two-way means listening.

K.I.S.S.


By taking the time to draft a plan for home-school communication, your efforts will pave the way for all future contacts with families.

BLUEPRINT 4 SUCCESS


Education

Effective communication