Here are a few tips to encourage parents to communicate with their children about school.
Journal
Make daily journals for students by putting white paper in a pocket folder. At the end of each day students draw what they learned and dictate or write a sentence to go with their drawing. The journal goes home each evening so children can discuss what they did at school with their parents. The parents sign the journal, write comments or compliments, and return it the following day.
Conversation Starters
Make copies of the attached conversations starters. (Adapt them to your age level and curriculum.) Cut them apart and put them in a bag. Children draw one as they leave at the end of the day and give it to their parents to prompt a discussion about what they did.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jlja2w2OWtzRjlIdkk/view?usp=sharing
Hint! One school suggested that parents "turn it off" in the car when they picked up their child. The quiet time might encourage children to talk about school because they'd know they had their parent's undivided attention.
Screen Time Survey
Ask parents to keep a log of how much time their child spends in front of a screen for a week. The following week ask them to “turn it off” and spend an equal amount of time reading, playing games, doing chores around the house, etc. with their child.
Brain Tickets
Run off brain tickets similar to the ones below. To earn a brain ticket children need to tell the teacher one new thing they learned at the end of each day. Explain to the parents that their job is to ask their child what she learned to earn the ticket.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljUmNfQTJld3VsV00/view?usp=sharing
HERE'S A GREAT ARTICLE BY LAURA PEARSON TO SHARE WITH PARENTS!
Building Friendship Skills at Home to Boost Kids’ Confidence at School
For busy parents of elementary and middle school kids, few things sting like hearing that making friends at school feels confusing or lonely. Many children face social development challenges that show up as missed cues, awkward starts, or conflicts that seem to come out of nowhere, even when they’re bright and kind. Children’s friendship skills shape daily comfort in the classroom, on the playground, and in group work, where peer relationships in childhood can either support learning or drain a child’s energy. A steady parental role in social skills helps kids build the confidence and habits that make school days easier.
Understanding Friendship Skills Kids Can Practice Anywhere
Friendship skills are small, learnable behaviors that help kids connect: starting a chat, taking turns talking, sharing space or materials, and noticing who is being left out. These are part of the social and conversational rules that make interactions feel smooth instead of confusing.
When kids practice these moves at home and in clubs or sports, they build social understanding they can reuse at school. Even a few extra back-and-forth exchanges matter, because conversational turns support the kind of listening and responding that friendships need.
Think of it like a rehearsal. If your child practices greeting a neighbor, sharing the remote with a sibling, and inviting a cousin into a game, school interactions feel less like guesswork. That’s why simple animated stories can make greetings, turn-taking, and including peers feel easy to repeat.
Create 5-Minute Animated Social Stories to Practice Friend Moves
Once your child can name “friend moves” like greetings, turn-taking, and inviting someone in, seeing them play out in a story makes the skills easier to remember and try. Parents and kids can use an AI animation generator to turn friendship lessons into fun visual stories you watch together and talk about. Tools like an AI animation generator can quickly transform simple text prompts, quick sketches, or images into lively 2D or 3D animations, no advanced design skills required, so it’s easier to bring your child’s ideas to life in an animated video. One day your story might show a friendly “Hi” at the classroom door; another might model a back-and-forth conversation where each person takes a turn; another could show how to invite a peer to join a game.
The process of creating shared comics, storyboards, or animation-style images is practice, too: kids get to share ideas, listen to yours, take conversational turns, and cooperate as you build the story together. That low-pressure teamwork can help them feel more confident using the same skills with classmates. If you’d like a simple place to start, Adobe Firefly AI animator can help you generate animated scenes from prompts or visuals.
Habits That Grow Friendship Skills All Week
Small, repeatable habits turn “friend moves” into automatic choices at school. When you practice briefly and consistently, your child builds confidence without feeling coached all day.
Two-Minute Connection Warm-Up
● What it is: Practice one greeting, one question, and one compliment before school.
● How often: Daily
● Why it helps: It makes friendly openings feel natural in the hallway.
Model-It-First Moments
● What it is: Let your child see you introduce yourself and include someone.
● How often: Weekly
● Why it helps: Kids copy what they notice, especially under pressure.
Coach-and-Release Script
● What it is: Rehearse one sentence for joining play, then let them try.
● How often: Per milestone
● Why it helps: It supports independence while lowering anxiety.
Inclusion Check-In
● What it is: Ask who sat alone, then plan one kind invite tomorrow.
● How often: Three times weekly
● Why it helps: It builds empathy and social-emotional development.
Screen-to-Scene Swap
● What it is: Trade 10 minutes of scrolling for face-to-face talk or play.
● How often: Weekly
● Why it helps: It counters losing the opportunity to develop everyday connection skills.
Friendship Skills Questions Parents Ask Most
Q: How can I help a shy child without pushing too hard?
A: Keep it small and predictable: practice one greeting at home, then stop. Turning it into a game can lower pressure, and practice at home gives your child a “safe rehearsal” before school. Praise effort, not outcomes.
Q: What should I say when my child tells me they were left out?
A: Start with empathy: “That sounds really painful.” Then help them pick one next step they can control, like asking one classmate to partner up tomorrow. Avoid rushing to solve it immediately, which can make them feel powerless.
Q: Why does my child copy friends or act differently to fit in?
A: Wanting to belong is normal, especially in elementary and middle grades. Research with more than 350 fourth and fifth grade students shows fear of rejection can shape peer behavior. Try talking about “kind choices” versus “popular choices” and role-play a calm boundary.
Q: When should I step in with the teacher or school?
A: Step in if there is repeated exclusion, name-calling, threats, or your child seems anxious about attending school. Share concrete examples and ask what supports are available, like lunch buddies or structured group work. You can advocate while still building your child’s skills.
Q: Should I arrange playdates if my child struggles socially?
A: Yes, but keep them short and low-stakes, ideally with one child and a clear activity. Choose settings where taking turns is natural, like a simple game or craft. Afterward, ask one question about what felt easiest, then celebrate that.
Grow School Friendships by Practicing One Skill at a Time
Kids can feel stuck when friendships get confusing, especially after rejection or when shyness makes reaching out feel risky, and parents often worry about doing too much or too little. The steadier path is gentle parental involvement in friendship: notice patterns, reinforce social skills with calm coaching, and treat practice as ongoing rather than a one-time fix. Over time, that approach supports social success at school by helping children read situations, recover from bumps, and stay connected with peers. Small, repeated practice builds the confidence kids need to keep trying with peers.
