This post is also available in:
Deutsch
Communication between school and home plays a decisive role in children’s success at school. Recent scientific studies have shown that active parental involvement has a positive effect on pupils’ academic performance and motivation. It is therefore very important to design communication with parents in such a way that it arouses interest and encourages active participation.
Goals and impact
Elementary school lays the foundation for children’s education. Transparent and inviting communication can raise parents’ awareness of the importance of this educational phase. Studies show that academic socialization in particular – i.e. the communication of educational expectations and content – has a strong correlation with academic performance.
Reasons for active communication with parents
An open exchange between school and home promotes trust and enables parents to better understand their children’s everyday school life. This can help parents to support and motivate their children in a more targeted way. Meta-analyses have shown that various forms of parental involvement, such as support with homework or participation in school events, can have positive effects on school results(source).
Innovative and complementary approaches
In addition to tried-and-tested methods such as an appealing, multilingual school website and digital parent communities, there are numerous other approaches that can improve communication with parents and strengthen the bond:
School blog and newsletter
A multilingual school website with blog entries on special events, dates or school highlights keeps parents continuously informed and provides a quick overview of what is happening at the school. An e-mail newsletter can support the communication of news from the school.
Regular information events
An offer of informal parent meetings such as breakfast or coffee rounds at school can promote exchange in a relaxed atmosphere. Such events allow parents to exchange ideas with each other and with teachers and help to strengthen the school community.
Feedback and ideas platforms
Digital surveys or feedback boxes allow parents to contribute their opinions and ideas. This feedback can serve as a basis for future measures and show that the dialog is taking place at eye level.
Workshops and training courses
Offers on topics such as media literacy or educational issues not only offer added value, but also promote exchange with each other and with the teaching staff.
Parents’ family days and school parties
Joint activities promote personal contact and strengthen the community. Such events offer parents the opportunity to actively participate in school life and to experience the school as part of the community. The children can present the work they have created at school.
Multilingual offers
Multilingual materials and intercultural events support integration and ensure that all parents are reached. This is particularly important in multicultural school communities to ensure that all families can actively participate in school life.
Challenges and solutions
Language barriers and different cultural backgrounds can make communication difficult. The use of multilingual content can help here. In addition, modern digital tools such as AI-based chatbots that respond in multiple languages around the clock can improve the flow of information and ensure that all parents have access to important information.
Outlook
The redesign of parent communication offers the opportunity to make everyday school life more dynamic and to make a valuable contribution to the positive development of children. With fresh ideas and modern techniques, a lively connection between home and school can be created from which all parties involved can benefit. Research shows that active parental involvement has considerable potential to promote pupils’ success at school(source).
By implementing these approaches, cooperation between school and home can be strengthened in the long term and an environment can be created in which children receive the best possible support.
