The Study
According to the literature, children benefit when parents are involved in the learning process. Research by Dr. Carole Ames, Dean and Professor of Educational Psychology, explored the value of school-to-home communications in reaching out to parents and increasing parental involvement. She identified three types of school-to-home communications: (1) providing parents with information about classroom learning activities, goals, plans and curriculum; (2) providing parents with information about the strengths, accomplishments and progress of their own child; (3) providing parents with information, learning activities and instructions to help them assist their child learn at home. In a year long intervention program, teachers communicated weekly with parents using one of the three types of communications .

The Findings
The intervention program increased elementary teachers' uses of school-to-home communications of all three types. Parents' overall evaluations of the teacher, their sense of comfort with the school, and their reported level of involvement was higher when they received frequent and effective communications. Children's motivation, attitudes toward parental involvement and perceptions of their parents' level of involvement were more positive when their parents received frequent communications from the teacher. Teachers' school-to-home communications had their strongest effects on increasing the involvement of parents who have less formal education.

What It Means to You
If gaining parent involvement is one of your school's goals, examining the content and frequency of your school-to-home communications may help to achieve more effective interactions with parents. School-to-home communications (e.g., classroom newsletters) that provide information about classroom learning help to increase parents' knowledge of classroom learning activities and the learning process itself. These communications should help parents talk to their children about school and increase parents' interest in their children's learning. Communications that give parents information about their children's programs (e.g., program reports, phone calls, personal notes) should help parents establish expectations, and monitor their children's school work, and establish a trusting relationship between parent and teacher.

More Information
You can get more information about teachers' school-to-home communications and parent involvement by consulting: Ames, C., de Stefano, L., Watkins, T., and Sheldon, S. (1995). Teachers' School-To-Home Communications and Parent Involvement, Baltimore, Maryland: Center on Families, Communities, Schools and Children's Learning. The Johns Hopkins University.

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