A parent questionnaire at the beginning of the school year is a valuable tool for gaining insight into your new charges. Who knows their child better than anyone else? The child’s parent, of course! Every year, I write a letter to my new students, and in with that letter, I give the parent a little ‘homework’. I ask them to fill out this questionnaire and have their child return it to me on the first day of school. This parent questionnaire ‘homework’ accomplishes a couple of things.
- I get beneficial information about my new student.
- The parent feels like their input is valuable.
- The student has a reason to come to school-to turn in the parent homework. Some children are nervous about the first day of school. Having a specific purpose may help with those butterflies.
Some information included on the survey is of a basic nature, like:
- child’s preferred name
- child’s favorite part of school
But, the questionnaire also provides more in-depth, priceless information, like:
- hopes and goals parents have for their child
- strengths and weaknesses of the child
- other important information that could explain certain behaviors or actions (I’ve had parents tell me about birth issues, delayed speech, etc. These topics may never come up in normal conversation, but could really explain a lot!)
This free pack includes kindergarten – sixth grade.
Best of luck with your new school year!
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