Joy Humbarger, CPC, ELI-MP

Certified Professional Coach

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Tips for Successful Parent Conferences

Discuss your ideas about the following questions:

  1. What outcomes do you want from conferences?
  1. What outcomes do you think parents want from conferences?
  1. What is your role in conferences?
  1. What is the role of the parents in conferences?

Tip #1: Gather documentation of the child’s growth and development

List ideas of the documentation that should be gathered in preparation for a conference:

Tip #2: Set the schedule to meet the needs of the parents

Tip #3: Invite the parents to the conference

List information that should be included in the letter to the parents:

Tip #4: Intentionally prepare

  • What do you notice about the form?
  • What information is missing?
  • What do you notice about how the preparation is structured and the cycle of the conversation?
  • What questions do you have based on the information you see?
  • Be sure to make copies of all documentation to send home with the parents

Tip #5: Prepare the conference environment – make it comfortable and inviting

Tip #6: Focus on the parents’ perspective of the child first, and the child’s strengths and growth when it’s your turn to talk.

Example questions to ask:

  • What are your child’s strengths?
  • What do you like best about your child right now?
  • What drives you crazy about your child right now?
  • What dreams do you have for your child this year?
  • How would you say your child has changed since our last meeting?
  • What is your favorite part of your child’s development?
  • If you could change anything about your child right now, what would it be?
  • What, if anything, would you like to see us do differently in your child’s classroom?
  • When does your child have the opportunity to play with other children outside of our program?
  • What does your child most enjoy doing with other children?
  • What is your child’s day like at home? When does your child go to bed? What time does your child get up in the morning?
  • What are your child’s favorite foods?
  • If your child could choose anything to do, what would it be?

Tip #7: Address minor issues/concerns, such as not wanting to go outside, or difficulty with napping. Save serious issues or concerns for a separate meeting with a longer time frame.

Tip #8: End the conference with goals you can agree on for the child’s development before the next parent conference.

Tip #9: Write it down – make notes about

  • What you discussed
  • Goals you decided on together
  • Parents’ reactions to the conference information
  • Promises you made to the parents

Tip #10: Stay calm if the parent is angry or aggressive

  1. Take parents’ concerns seriously
  2. Work with them to make a plan to address their concerns
  3. Be honest with them – reading is not going to happen in the two-year-old class, BUT here are the pre-reading activities we do to get your child ready for reading
  4. Keep parents informed of your progress

Conference Preparation Form
Child’s Name_Emilio______Date of Conference_____January 12, 20______
Persons attending:___Miss Jane, Mom Sarah, Dad Jules______
Opening chitchat topic to help parents get comfortable: Emilio has been so excited about the fun he had over the holiday. It sounds like it was really a fun family gathering. (Let them share info if they want to.)
Parents share with you:
Leading question to begin learning about the child at home (see ideas below): What do you really love about Emilio right now?
Other questions to ask parents (what they really love about their child right now, child’s current interests, growth they have seen in the last few months, current interests at home, what drives them crazy or is challenging about their child right now, their next goals for their child at home, their next goals for their child at school):
What does Emilio enjoy doing at home these days?
What growth have you seen in the last few months?
Who/what does Emilio talk about from our program? Tell me more…
What do you wish Emilio would do or not do?
What you want to share with the parents
Child’s strengths/areas of growth (use the documentation you have gathered to illustrate your points):
  • Emilio loves his classmates, hugs. Greets each at door in the morning “Welcome to our class!” (hug picture)
  • Plays side by side – listens to others intently to see what they are doing (table picture)
  • Beginning to interact a bit more with others - with Alani at the cash register, checking her groceries out and taking her money last week. (cash register picture)
  • Beginning to sort toys by color, and by shape. He has also recently begun counting to 10 - proud (car picture)
  • Enjoys writing – still scribbling, “notes” to mom (Sept, Dec pictures)
  • Cutting skills improving (glued pictures) – beginning to make actual pictures instead of just piling on
  • Painting also beginning to take form – (paint pictures) – December picture of “North Pole”
What next steps are for the child in development/goals you have for the child (can include challenges):
  • Continue to work on counting, support interactive play, provide opportunities for balance – such as walking the curbs. Wanders around classroom sometimes – helping him choose activities and focus
Goals for the child set together by teacher and parent
Goals and how both teacher and parents will support the child to reach them:
Emilio September/December

September Painting December Painting September Writing

September Cutting & Gluing December Writing


Preparing for the Conference:

Conference Preparation Form
Child’s Name______Date of Conference______
Persons attending:______
Opening chitchat topic to help parents get comfortable:
Parents share with you:
Leading question to begin learning about the child at home (see ideas below):
Other questions to ask parents (what they really love about their child right now, child’s current interests, growth they have seen in the last few months, current interests at home, what drives them crazy or is challenging about their child right now, their next goals for their child at home, their next goals for their child at school):
What you want to share with the parents
Child’s strengths/areas of growth (use the documentation you have gathered to illustrate your points):
What next steps are for the child in development/goals you have for the child (can include challenges):
Goals for the child set together by teacher and parent
Goals and how both teacher and parents will support the child to reach them:

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Joy Humbarger, CPC, ELI-MP, Certified Professional Coach

Maximize Your Leadership,a subsidiary of Maximize Your Life Coaching, LLC

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