Accentuate the Positive: School-Home Communication

  • Situation

    There’s a student in my class who tends to focus only on the “bad” things that happened during the day. She then goes home and becomes upset as she relives the negatives with her mother. Is there anything I can do to help her see that there are many positives in the school day?

  • Summary

    A positive focus school-to-home communication form might do the trick. Try creating a simple template that emphasizes positive aspects of the student’s school day to help her remember the many good things that happened, which she can then share with her mother at home.

  • Definition

    A positive focus school-to-home communication form provides a structured way for the student to recall and report positive aspects of the school day to her family.

  • Quick Facts

    • Child's Age: 6-10, 11-13
    • Planning Effort: Low
    • Difficulty Level: Easy

  • Pre-requisites

    template to use ability to write/type or dictate time in schedule to complete prior to dismissal

  • Process

    1. Create a simple one-page form that highlights positive elements of the school day, such as a favorite activity, an accomplishment, a friend she talked with, etc.

    2. Meet with the student near the end of the school day to help her complete the form before dismissal. Help her recall the different answers she could write and encourage her to choose the best ones.

    3. Get the student’s feedback after she’s used the form a few times to determine if changes with the form need to be made.

    4. Check with the family to evaluate the effectiveness of the form. Adjust as necessary.

  • Documents and Related Resources

    setbc.org (website resource for images/icons)

     

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