Based on information from the School Transition Study, sponsored by the MacArthur Network on Successful Pathways through Middle Childhood, this Early Childhood Digest focuses on enhancing communication between parents and the school. The digest discusses the importance of parents’ level of comfort at school and in talking to teachers, and provides examples for ways parents have become more comfortable and confident. Also described are ways parents can communicate with the school without visiting the school. The digest discusses difficulties in communication when parents speak languages different from that of the teachers, have different backgrounds, or have lived in the United States for only a short time, and provides suggestions for improving communication in these situations. The digest notes the importance of parents from backgrounds different from that of the teacher sharing their views with school in order to help the teacher understand their child. The digest concludes by noting that teachers need to know about the child’s life outside of school in order to do their job better and that parents need to find a way to communicate with their child’s teacher what is right for them. (KB)
