Homework Letter to Parents | Email Templates
As a teacher, communicating with parents about the homework expectations for their children is crucial for fostering a successful learning environment. Crafting a homework letter that is both informative and engaging can be a challenging task. That’s why we’ve created a list of homework letter-to-parents templates that you can use to effectively communicate with parents about the assignments, expectations, and goals for their child’s homework. In this article, we’ll go over the key elements of a successful homework letter, and provide you with a customizable template that you can use for your classroom.
Homework Letter to Parents: A Guide
Why homework letters matter, key components of a homework letter, homework letter templates.
Here are five templates for homework letters that you can customize to fit your specific needs:
Template 1: General Homework Assignment
I hope this message finds you well! I am writing to inform you about the homework assignments for this week in [Class/Subject Name]. Your support is crucial in helping your child succeed.
Please encourage your child to reach out if they have any questions. Thank you for your continued support!
Template 2: Homework Letter with Tips for Parents
Thank you for your partnership in your child’s education!
Template 3: Homework Letter for a Special Project
Project Details:
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at [Your Email] or [Your Phone Number]. Thank you for your support!
Template 4: Weekly Homework Update
Homework Assignments for This Week:
If you have any concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at [Your Email] or [Your Phone Number]. Thank you for your continued support!
Template 5: Homework Reminder Letter
Homework Assignments:
If you have any questions or need assistance, please feel free to contact me at [Your Email] or [Your Phone Number].
[Your Name] [Your Position] [School Name]
Example of detailed Homework letter to parents
The homework template was created to give you succinct, clear information about the homework assignments, goals, and expectations for your child. It will also include a schedule explaining when homework is due, as well as a part devoted to addressing any worries you might have or frequently asked questions.
I am aware that parents and students alike may find the topic of homework to be difficult, which is why I am providing this homework letter. I hope that this template will make it easier for you to support your child’s learning by having a clear understanding of the homework expectations.
Homework letter to parents templates
Most viewed, how to end email to professor | 73 examples, the ultimate list of 77 out of office email templates, 7 alternatives to grammarly | sharpen your writing skills, funny email sign off list.
Letter to Parents from Teacher Regarding Homework
Writing effective communication between teachers and parents is a critical aspect of fostering a supportive learning environment for students.
The following “Sample Letter to Parents from Teacher Regarding Homework” exemplifies how educators can engage with families, creating a partnership that benefits student learning and development.
This carefully formulated letter provides a blueprint for teachers looking to articulate the purpose, structure, and philosophy of homework within their classroom. It is presented as a starting point, one that can be personalized to reflect the unique dynamics of their teaching style and the needs of their students and families.
The template is designed to facilitate understanding and encourage collaboration between school and home.
By reading through this sample letter, educators will gain insights into how to effectively convey expectations, offer support techniques, and initiate open lines of communication with parents regarding their child’s homework experience.
Use this resource to help guide your outreach to parents, ensuring they are well-informed and involved in their child’s academic journey and homework process.
Sample Letter or Email to Parents from Teacher Regarding Homework
Subject: enhancing our children’s homework experience.
Dear Parents,
I hope this letter finds you well and embracing the new school year with enthusiasm and optimism. As your child’s teacher, I remain dedicated to facilitating their educational journey and growth both within the classroom and at home.
Homework is a key component of our curriculum as it reinforces the concepts learned in school and promotes a disciplined approach to independent study. I believe that a strong partnership between home and school underpins the academic success of our students. As such, I’m reaching out to discuss our current homework policy and provide some insights to help our children obtain the maximum benefit from their homework assignments.
Homework Expectations
1. Consistency : It’s important for homework to be a regular, predictable part of your child’s routine. I typically assign homework four days a week, giving them the opportunity to decompress and pursue other interests on the weekends.
2. Duration : The amount of time students should spend on homework will vary, but a general guideline is approximately 10 minutes per grade level. This means a 3rd grader should spend about 30 minutes on homework, while a 6th grader might spend about an hour.
3. Support : While students are encouraged to complete their homework independently, your role in creating a supportive environment cannot be overstated.
Ways You Can Help
1. Establish Routines : Setting a specific time and place for homework can instill good study habits. A distraction-free zone is also critical for maintaining focus.
2. Encourage Proper Planning : Teaching children to prioritize their assignments and manage their time can alleviate the stress of last-minute rushes.
3. Communicate : If you notice that your child is consistently taking too long to complete assignments or struggling with certain concepts, please reach out. We can then collaborate to find strategies that work best for your child.
I would love to hear your thoughts and any concerns you might have. Your insights are crucial to ensuring our homework policy meets the needs of our students. Please do not hesitate to contact me directly via email or by phone to discuss further, or we can schedule a meeting to dive deeper into this conversation.
Our shared goal is to see your child thrive, and with your support, I am confident we can make this school year wonderfully productive.
Thank you for your continued partnership in your child’s education.
Warm regards,
[Teacher’s Name] [Grade Level] Teacher [School Name] [Contact Information]
- Sample Letter to Parents about Missing Homework
- Teacher Assistant Introduction Letter to Parents
- Special Education Teacher Introduction Letter to Parents
- Teacher Resignation Letter to Parents | Sample and Guide
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Notify me of new posts by email.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser .
Keeping parents informed on missing homework
Discussion in ' Elementary Education ' started by shoreline02 , May 25, 2016 .
shoreline02 Cohort
May 25, 2016
How do you keep parents informed about their child's missing homework? I teach science and have about 70, 4th grade students. I thought about sending home a weekly slip if students were missing anything and parents would have to sign and return the slip. Also, keeping parents informed about their child's behavior. On the same notice perhaps?
Advertisement
otterpop Phenom
I do this: Before handing in homework, every student holds theirs up in the air. I can immediately see and make note of who does not have theirs. Then, I send a quick email to all parents (bcc) of those children saying that their student did not turn in their homework. Simple, easy, quick.
geoteacher Devotee
shoreline02 said: ↑ How do you keep parents informed about their child's missing homework? I teach science and have about 70, 4th grade students. I thought about sending home a weekly slip if students were missing anything and parents would have to sign and return the slip. Also, keeping parents informed about their child's behavior. On the same notice perhaps? Click to expand...
May 26, 2016
Most of our parents don't have an email or computer. Some have phones that connect to the internet, some don't.
TXforever Companion
May 29, 2016
I bought duplicate missing assignments notes/ forms from Really a Good Stuff. They're kind of expensive, but it's nice to have instant documentation. When the notes are returned signed, I just put them in a file,
Sarge Enthusiast
="otterpop, post: 1992615, member: 84048"]I do this: Before handing in homework, every student holds theirs up in the air. I can immediately see and make note of who does not have theirs. Then, I send a quick email to all parents (bcc) of those children saying that their student did not turn in their homework. Simple, easy, quick. Click to expand...
Unfortunately, many of my kid's parents do not have email addresses, computers, or access to internet with their phone. I guess a note home will be my only way to go.
minnie Habitué
May 30, 2016
I would suggest Remind 101. Every parent in America has a cell now
shoreline02 said: ↑ Unfortunately, many of my kid's parents do not have email addresses, computers, or access to internet with their phone. I guess a note home will be my only way to go. Click to expand...
I might be able to connect electronically with 25/30 of my parents.
catnfiddle Moderator
Since I know for a fact all of our parents have access to a portal where they can view their kiddos accounts, I simply call the parents of those who are disengaged and ask they log in. Sometimes, when it's been a terrible year for a few students, I will send a letter home with a copy of the grade book, making sure the envelope doesn't have school insignia (you'd be amazed how many students will intercept mail).
mathmagic Enthusiast
I do weekly reflection sheets for students that goes home with their papers from the week. This contains a quick 3/2/1 on how they're doing interdisciplinary-wise as well as an "on-time"/late/missing for each homework assignment. It's supposed to come back on Monday, so they will see it over the weekend. Those with numerous missing assignments I have set up a plan to contact daily - briefly listing the night's HW - so that the parents can help build the stronger habits with their child. For me, these methods give a good balance of driving student responsibility and holding them accountable.
Thank you everyone!
Rabbitt Connoisseur
Jun 1, 2016
Do you have an assignment notebook or agenda that could be signed by parents? I would only use this with frequent flyers.
BioAngel Science Teacher - Grades 3-6
Jun 5, 2016
Create a checklist of that week's assignments - check off what assignments came in (with a grade if it's graded) and which assignments did not (you can do this as you go through the week or have it ready to go home for the weekend). (You can probably have students help you do their own checklists as the school year goes on.) The checklist can go into their folder and has to be signed over the weekend and returned with any missing work. You can then put that checklist paper into the student folder and have documentation that the parents saw their grades and missing assignments.
Jun 6, 2016
I'm so embarrassed to admit this 30+ years later, but I was an expert at screwing with those checklists when I was in middle school. I'd write the assignments in for the teacher to sign, but I'd do it so lightly that I could erase / edit as I felt like doing. If I could do it in the 80s, these kids could do so now. These days, parents have the ability to check grades and assignments online. Even a weekly check using a library computer should work for parents who don't have home internet or smart phones.
MrsC Multitudinous
All of our students in grades 1-8 have agendas to keep track of homework and assignments. During the first half of the year, I check agendas every day as they leave (it only takes about 2 minutes to do a check of all 28); during the second half of the year, I only need to check about 1/3. I'm strongly leaning towards having a Twitter account for the class next year and posting a photo of the Homework board every day. Between these two methods, everyone will have access to the information.
catnfiddle said: ↑ These days, parents have the ability to check grades and assignments online. Even a weekly check using a library computer should work for parents who don't have home internet or smart phones. Click to expand...
Jun 9, 2016
catnfiddle said: ↑ I was an expert at screwing with those checklists when I was in middle school. I'd write the assignments in for the teacher to sign, but I'd do it so lightly that I could erase / edit as I felt like doing. Click to expand...
Share This Page
Members online now.
- The Inventory
Data confirm the reason teachers should nag parents about missed assignments: it works
Research from around the world shows that parents are often overoptimistic about how their children perform at school. They think they miss less class, complete more assignments, and score better on exams than they do in reality.
Tangentially, multiple experiments have found that one of the best ways to improve a kid’s performance is to badger parents with information about the truth—however annoyed or defensive it might make them. When parents are consistently informed about what’s actually happening at school, research shows their kids’ grades improve dramatically.
A recently published study by Columbia University economist Peter Bergman is the latest to demonstrate the power of a nagging message. For the study, the parents of hundreds of Los Angeles public school students were sent biweekly updates on missed assignments for a six-month period (including missed homework, essays, exams, etc.). Parents could choose to receive the information by text, email, or phone call—79% chose text. Most of the students were from low income families.
The students of parents who received the updates performed significantly better than those in a control group who were not updated. They were 25% more likely complete assignments, 28% less likely to miss class, and 24% less likely to show “unsatisfactory work habits” according to their teacher (the research does not specify what these habits looked like). This all translated to a significant jump in grade point average (GPA) and math test scores. Reading scores, which are more difficult to boost because of the reading’s relative complexity compared to math, were not impacted. These kinds of effects for such a small and inexpensive intervention are rare.
World Bank economist David Evans points out that this study is part of a mounting literature on the benefits of a constant flow of feedback to parents. Another recent study (pdf) conducted in Chile on 4th through 8th graders found that texting parents weekly with information on attendance, grades, and behavior led to improvements in math scores, and decreased the likelihood of failing any class. A 2014 experiment (pdf) in Philadelphia showed that when parents were given more frequent information about their child’s school attendance, it led to reductions in future absences.
Why does this work so well? Evans believes it’s because it gives parents a specific way to engage with their kids. It’s long been understood that parental involvement is key to student achievement . All types of kids, rich or poor, are much more likely to thrive academically if their parents support them and stay on their case. But quarterly report cards don’t give parents what they need to properly engage.
“With a report card, it is very difficult to know what it is that I should encourage my child to do to perform better—the information is too aggregated.” Evans told Quartz. “But if I get an email that says my child missed an assignment, the action that I need to take is very clear.”
Parents want to help their kids do better at school. But to be effective at providing that help, up-to-date, accurate information about what’s actually going on can go a long way.
📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief
Our free, fast, and fun briefing on the global economy, delivered every weekday morning.
How to Respond to A Teacher’s Email About Child Behavior (With Examples)
Published On: March 14, 2024
Do you get emails from your child’s teacher about poor classroom behavior? Do you find yourself frustrated, overwhelmed, and anxious as you read about how your child is acting at school? Do you feel attacked, threatened, or targeted by your child’s teacher? You’re not alone.
Many parents receive messages from their children’s teachers, which often stirs up negative emotions and thoughts. Your response to their email can significantly impact the future of your relationship with the teacher, your child’s school experience, and your perception of the school itself. Here’s how to respond and some tips to navigate the situation!
Why Do Teachers Email Parents?
Teachers contact parents for a variety of reasons, and they aren’t always negative. For example, a teacher may email a parent to share academic progress, to praise a child’s behavior, or provide an update to previous discussions. Although receiving positive emails is not unheard of, it seems to be much more common that parents are receiving emails for negative reasons. Some of these reasons include:
- Talking too much in class
- Distracted or distracting other students
- Missing homework or assignments
- Excessive absences or tardies
- Peer conflict or peer drama
- Bullying behaviors
- Problems from switching schools
How To Respond to An Email About Childs Behavior
It’s important to read your child’s teacher’s emails in their entirety so you can confirm that you understand why they are contacting you. The teacher may even provide ideas or suggestions on ways to address the problem in their email, which you may consider. After you have fully read the email and understand the teacher’s reasons, it’s important to take a moment to settle any negative emotions that have come up. It’s crucial that you are in a neutral headspace before firing off a response. If you are really struggling with this, some parents find it helpful to have someone else read over their response before sending it. This helps to ensure that your email is well written and does not portray defensiveness.
Your intentions when responding to the teacher’s email are to acknowledge that you’ve received the email, express understanding of the email, and work to identify the next steps. It’s not to justify your child’s behavior , make excuses for the presenting problem, or to tell the teacher why they’re wrong or how they should handle this conflict. Remember – you and your child’s teacher are on the same team. You both have a goal of your child learning in the classroom, and you must work together to achieve that goal.
3 Examples of Appropriate Email Responses to a Teacher’s Email
Example #1:.
“Thank you for this email. I understand how my son’s excessive talking and goofing off in the classroom is making it hard for him to grasp the material, as well as distracting for other students. My husband and I will have a discussion with him this evening about this. Please keep me updated regarding his classroom behavior.”
Example #2:
“I appreciate your email. I am concerned about my daughter’s bullying behavior in the classroom. I will have a chat with her this evening to discuss this further. Is it possible to schedule a meeting with the school counselor? I understand the significance of this behavior, and want to ensure it is adequately addressed to avoid additional conflicts.”
Example #3:
“Thank you for reaching out. I have noticed that my son’s grades are slipping in a few classes, and it makes sense now that I know he is missing assignments. What is your policy about missing assignments? Is it possible to complete missing assignments for partial credit? His education is very important to me, and I want to work together to ensure he gets back on track. Please let me know the best way to proceed.”
What To Do After Responding
After responding to the teacher’s email, it’s useful to check-in with your child. I encourage parents to be open and honest with their child by saying that their teacher messaged them with their concerns, and share what those concerns are. Do not ask your child if they are doing what the teacher says they’re doing – children will often fib to get out of trouble or to avoid tough conversations. Although you are attempting to understand your child’s behavior, simply asking them if it is true or not is not effective. This also creates more frustration for parents when their children lie about their behaviors or challenges. Remember, you want to address the problem, while also looking to build your child’s confidence and deescalate the situation .
After openly sharing the teacher’s concerns with your child, utilize open ended questions to gather information. You may consider asking them to tell you more about what is going on, ask how they think they should solve this problem (children often have really great ideas, and this creates buy-in on their end), and ask how you can support them as they work to overcome this challenge.
Once you have responded to the teacher’s email and checked-in with your child, it’s important to monitor your child’s behavior to see if you have addressed it adequately. If the problem improves, it’s likely that you do not have to do anything else at this point. If the problem continues, you may consider addressing it further, such as meeting with the school, pulling in professionals (tutors, mental health counselors, coaches, etc.), conducting additional research, or routinely checking-in with your child and/or their teacher.
Final Thoughts
It’s important that parents acknowledge and work through challenging emotions that may arise when receiving an email from a teacher to ensure they’re able to respond effectively. Once a parent is well-regulated, they are able to respond to the email to acknowledge they have received it, validate the teacher’s concerns, and identify ways to appropriately address the problem. If you are struggling to respond, you may reference the examples above and edit to suit your needs.
Remember – everyone involved has the same goal: Ensuring your child receives a proper education.
If you need additional help, a child or teen therapist can help address these problems and more.
Copyright © 2024 Counseling Unconditionally. All rights reserved.
How to write an effective email to parents and caregivers
By Amanda Morin
Expert reviewed by Mark J. Griffin, PhD
Anatomy of an effective email to parents and caregivers PDF - 71.5 KB
Emailing with your students’ families can be an efficient way to keep in touch, especially when you have good news to share. Positive news can help to build trusting relationships and family engagement.
But what if an update isn’t so positive? It can be uncomfortable to raise a concern. But you might choose to send an email if it’s minor or if the family has told you they prefer email updates. (Keep in mind your school’s policy about where and when to use a child’s name in an email.)
Still, emails can leave plenty of room for misinterpretation. See this example email to learn how to frame your message to get the best response. You can use it as a guide as you write your own.
Which of these is your main concern?
- Can my child get accommodations in class without having an IEP or 504 plan?
- What's the difference between services and supports in special education?
- What is the difference between an IEP and a 504 plan?
- Ask your own question...
Get answers to all your questions with the Understood Assistant .
Key takeaways
Explore a teacher’s guide to having difficult conversations with families .
Learn how to break down barriers to better engage with families .
Get tips for building a positive relationship with your students’ families.
Explore related topics
- Tech Skills
12 Tips For Teachers Communicating With Parents Via Email (With Poster)
There are billions of emails going back and forth around the world each and every day. Email is a favourite form of communication for many people regardless of their location, age, or confidence with technology.
Email is accessible, quick, easy, and familiar. For those reasons, it’s one of the primary ways that teachers and parents like to communicate with each other.
Want to learn about 8 different ways teachers and schools can communicate with parents? Check out this comprehensive post!
Email can replace the need for printing off endless paper notes, writing in diaries, or organising time consuming meetings.
Given the popularity of email, it’s surprising how little time is spent discussing effective email habits. This post shares my top tips with teachers who are communicating with parents via email.
Should I Communicate With Parents Via Email?
Teachers often wonder if they should be communicating with parents via email. Is it allowed? Is it safe? Is it effective?
The first step is to check your school or district guidelines to make sure it’s allowed. Your school might even have its own email policy.
If there are no objections, go ahead! There are lots of benefits to be enjoyed. I recommend you put some thought into your approach to emailing. Hopefully the tips in this post will help!
The Benefits Of Email Communication
Compared to the old paper methods, email allows our correspondence to be:
- more personalised (you can share news that relates to the class, a group of students, or an individual student)
- more instantaneous (why wait until a paper note is written to hear about a sports report, learning goal, or event information?)
- more reliable (no need to worry about lost notes as long as parents are checking their email)
- more private (there may be some information you don’t want students reading)
- two way (parents can reply much more easily using digital communication)
What Email Account Should I Use To Communicate With Parents?
I definitely recommend you use a professional email address rather than a personal email address.
Not only would an address of [email protected] raise eyebrows, but you need to protect your privacy.
You probably already have a work email address, or you can set up a new Google account if you need to (e.g. [email protected] )
💡 Tip : Toggling between two Google accounts in Chrome is easy . You just need to click on your profile image or initials in the top right hand corner of your screen (when you’re in Gmail or other Google applications). A menu will appear and you click on the account you want to use.
Consider an email service provider
When it comes to class newsletters, consider whether a professional email marketing service (like Mailchimp ) is right for you and your school community.
The benefits of using a tool like Mailchimp for class newsletters include:
- It’s a streamlined way to create attractive, personalised, and easy-to-read newsletters.
- Managing your subscriber lists is easy. You can send emails to your whole list or a select audience. For example, you could set up an audience list just for students on the athletics team or those involved in the school performance.
- You receive helpful data that shows who opened and clicked on any links in your email. If parents aren’t opening your emails you can ask if they’re receiving them or if there’s a better email address you can use.
- Emails can still appear personal. You can use “merge tags” to insert names automatically in an email (don’t worry, it’s very easy to do!).
- Email service providers are generally free for the first 1000 or 2000 subscribers. Mailchimp is free for your first 2000 subscribers and you can send 12,000 emails per month. Hopefully you don’t have that many students! 🙂
Of course, check with your school or district if you’re allowed to use an email service provider before giving it a go.
Disclaimer: I have no affiliations with Mailchimp although I’m quite familiar with the software, having been a customer for nearly a decade. I’ve also recently started using Mailerlite and am finding it to be an excellent product too.
12 Tips For Communicating With Parents Via Email: Summary Poster
These 12 tips will help keep your email exchanges professional, productive, and positive. Scroll down for a summary poster. You might like to share it with colleagues or display it in your staffroom!
1) Establish guidelines
At the start of the year, tell parents how you’ll be using email and how they can use it.
Explain how long parents may need to wait to receive a response to their email (e.g. “I check my emails on school days and will reply within 24/48 hours”).
If you need time to gather information or come up with a response, send a quick email to let the parent know when you’ll get back to them with a more detailed response.
Let parents know how to contact you for urgent issues (e.g. phone).
Some schools have schoolwide guidelines in place. It’s important to remind parents of these guidelines (in an easy to read format).
2) Don’t get into the habit of replying instantly
Avoid “training” parents to expect an instant response from you via email.
Some professionals find it helpful to “batch” the times they check and reply to emails rather than dealing with them all day.
3) Use a professional email address
Avoid handing out your personal email. Make sure the signature of your work email is short and professional.
4) Make your email easy to read
Don’t waffle or make the email longer than it needs to be. Break up text into short paragraphs. Use bold for important words or action items. Use bullet points or lists if appropriate.
5) Customise your subject line
Use a specific subject line that will attract the attention of parents. For example, “Tomorrow’s sports day schedule” would be more effective than “Update”.
6) Keep a record of communication you might need to come back to
Any conversations about “issues” (learning, behaviour, disagreements etc.) should be saved just in case.
7) Use CC and BCC professionally
- CC (carbon copy) means you include others in the email correspondence and all recipients can see their email addresses.
- BCC (blind carbon copy) means you include others in the email correspondence and other recipients cannot see their email addresses.
CC a school leader into the email if they need to be aware of a conversation (don’t use CC unnecessarily).
Always use BCC if you email more than one parent so you keep their email addresses private.
BCC shouldn’t be used to let people “eavesdrop” on conversations. This is poor email etiquette.
8) Avoid unnecessary links and attachments
Try to summarise all the information in the body of your email.
Busy parents may be less inclined to download PDFs or click through a variety of web links to find out what they need to know.
9) Send unexpected positive notes
Sending a positive message home about a child every now and then can be extremely powerful!
10) Be a little more friendly and polite than you need to be
Digital communication can be harder to read and you don’t want to come across as blunt.
It’s also best to avoid things like humour or sarcasm. See more tips for email word choice below.
11) Use a phone call or face-to-face conversation when necessary
It can be best to deal with difficult, sensitive, or complicated issues via a call or meeting.
Likewise, if the email exchange is going back and forth for too long, consider a phone call or meeting.
12) Think before sending
If you’re feeling emotional or unsure, wait before sending.
Always think whether your words could be misconstrued. Ensure the tone of all emails is calm.
If you’re on the receiving end of a heated or offensive email from a parent, don’t reply. Consult with a school leader.
>> Download a free PDF version of the poster
Canned Email Responses?
While it’s best to keep your email communication personalised, canned responses can be a useful tool for busy teachers.
Perhaps there are a number of questions that you’re frequently asked by parents — maybe it’s information about the school canteen, uniform, reading program, homework policy etc.
You can write out a response addressing these questions and save it. That’s called a canned response.
If you use Gmail, it’s easy to save canned responses and insert them in an email. Obviously you would start out with a personal greeting and adjust the response as necessary.
These instructions explain how to set up a canned response in Gmail.
Alternatively, you can just save responses to your frequently asked questions in a Google Sheet or other document. Then you can copy and paste them into emails as needed.
💡 Tip: Paste the copied text into an email as plain text . It will look a bit odd if the font or style of your pasted information looks different to the rest of your email:
- The shortcut for plain text is Control+Shift+V on a Windows PC
- The Mac shortcut is Option+Shift+Command+V
- You can also right click and select “Paste as plain text”
More Advice About Email And Word Choice
To many readers, this information will be obvious, however, what’s obvious to some is enlightening to others!
Tips for choosing your words and style when writing an email to a parent:
- When responding to incoming emails, start by showing you understand the question or empathise with their concern.
- Keep your emails professional but friendly; you don’t need to be too stiff or formal.
- Use correct spelling, grammar, spacing, and punctuation.
- Avoid using text speak, slang, or abbreviations.
- Don’t overuse emojis or exclamation marks.
- Be a little more friendly and polite than you think you need to be. You don’t want to come across as blunt.
- Always ensure your tone is calm.
- Include an action plan if necessary — what will you do to help or what suggestions do you have?
- Make sure you address the parent by their name in a personal email.
- End on a positive note and invite further communication.
Example email from a teacher to a parent
This simple example email is professional yet friendly, brief but addresses the issue at hand, and hopefully leaves the parent satisfied that their concerns are being addressed.
Conclusion: What Can You Add?
When there are strong lines of communication between home and school, everyone wins! Email is a great way for teachers and parents to communicate.
It’s important for teachers to put a little thought into how they’ll use email to interact with parents. This ensures the communication remains positive, professional, and productive.
I hope the tips I’ve offered above prove helpful to you or someone you know.
5 Replies to “12 Tips For Teachers Communicating With Parents Via Email (With Poster)”
[…] 12 Tips For Teachers Communicating With Parents Via Email […]
Thank you so much for sharing tips to communicate with parents using email. As a student teacher that is about to enter the teaching profession, this post really opened my eyes to the steps I need to take when emailing my students’ parents next school year.
Hi Aubrey, I’m so glad the tips helped. Good luck with the rest of your studies. I’m sure you can’t wait to have your own class. There’s nothing like finally having a class of your own! 🙂
Thank you for sharing these tips. This will help me with my assignments.
Wow! so helpful and will make my teaching so much better!
Comments are closed.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Dear Parent, your child has been marked absent for missing homework. Please see the attached document for more information. Dear Parent, I am sending this email to notify parents that the assignment [name] was not turned in.
In the event that a student has come to school without his or her homework (especially if he or she has been doing this a lot), an administrator or a teacher will be required to write to the parents and inform them.
If students have fallen behind on a formal essay, large scale assignment, or project, I require that they begin their session with me at the teacher-led real-time feedback station by writing their parents an email to explain why they have not completed the work they were assigned.
Explore a carefully crafted sample letter from a teacher to parents that outlines homework policies, offers guidance on how to support students, and encourages collaborative communication for a successful academic experience.
Before handing in homework, every student holds theirs up in the air. I can immediately see and make note of who does not have theirs. Then, I send a quick email to all parents (bcc) of those children saying that their student did not turn in their homework. Simple, easy, quick.
Parents could choose to receive the information by text, email, or phone call—79% chose text. Most of the students were from low income families. The students of parents who received the...
Although receiving positive emails is not unheard of, it seems to be much more common that parents are receiving emails for negative reasons. Some of these reasons include: Talking too much in class; Distracted or distracting other students; Missing homework or assignments; Excessive absences or tardies; Peer conflict or peer drama; Bullying ...
Your best bet might be to just email asking for the parents to contact you via phone in case you were unable to reach them otherwise. If I were a parent being contacted in this manner (it might happen; I have quite a rambunctious three-year-old), I would be inclined to respond positively.
Writing an email to parents or other caregivers? Learn how to write an email about a student’s difficulties in school.
If you need time to gather information or come up with a response, send a quick email to let the parent know when you’ll get back to them with a more detailed response. Let parents know how to contact you for urgent issues (e.g. phone). Some schools have schoolwide guidelines in place.