Parents, teachers, and learning: Fostering communication skills in children

Conclusion

It cannot be stressed enough that parental involvement in their child's learning process is necessary. However, this involvement must be more than attending periodic parent-teacher conferences and asking how the child is doing in school. Parents need to understand, and teachers need to reiterate, that the parent is one of the most important teachers a child will have.

While curriculum improvement in the schools continues to dominate educational agendas, the home environment unfortunately is easily overlooked as being influential in a child's learning. Educators need to recognize that influence, and while curricula continue to improve, the integration of communication skills at home must be considered to ensure the child the best possible education. Communication between home and school should be ongoing. This combined effort develops a speech and language arts curriculum to its fullest and includes all appropriate individuals involved in the development: educators, parents, and children.