What to Find Out at a Parent-Teacher Conference

Your schedule is already packed enough — non stop meal-making, errand-running and kid-wrangling. Adding more to your schedule may make you tired just thinking about it, but preparing for your child's parent-teacher conference is a must. "The goal of parent-teacher conferences," says leading family psychotherapist and author Dr. Fran Walfish, "is to unite parents and teachers as partners and become a united team with the same goal: to help the child." Make the most of any opportunity to speak with your child's teacher by asking the right questions.

Ask your child's teacher how easily she follows directions in class and whether she struggles to pay attention, suggests Dr. Jennifer Little, educational psychologist and teacher with more than 40 years of experience. If there are issues to address, ask the teacher to be as specific as possible so you can work together to improve your child's ability to focus.

"Every teacher deals with discipline different," noted Walfish. Even if — maybe especially if — the teacher's particular method of discipline doesn't match your own, it's a good question to ask. Knowing how this is handled in the classroom provides you with deeper understanding of what's going on in your child's day when you aren't around.

RELATED: School Girls

If this is your second or third conference with your child's teacher, now's the opportunity to ask how your child has improved since the last meeting. This allows you both to discuss some positives instead of strictly focusing on areas where your child has issues or may not excel.

Ask about how much — and what kind of — homework is assigned on a daily and weekly basis, suggested Walfish. Knowing this information can help you hold your child accountable. If your child has learning issues and the amount of homework seems overwhelming, this discussion provides an opportunity to nail down the best plan for your child.

Ask the teacher if there are specific ways you can help your child at home. That includes improving grades, social skills and homework. This gives you actionable takeaways and allows both parties to focus on solutions and not just problems.

RELATED: School Versus Vacation

Little suggested asking whether your child has any social issues that affect how she gets along with her classmates. If the answer is yes, get specifics and then ask if the teacher has any recommendations for addressing the problem before it turns into a major issue.

Get a handle on which educational topics are currently being discussed. You can also ask for a syllabus for the semester. If you are familiar with the topics being covered, you can try to incorporate educational opportunities into your child's daily life. For example, if the teacher plans to cover marine life, a visit to an aquarium is a fun weekend activity that makes what's going on in the classroom seem more real to your child.

Some teachers provide opportunities for parents to become involved. For example, some request that you bring treats on your child's birthday and others may send out a call for field trip chaperons. "Find out the teacher's expectations in advance so you can arrange your work schedule to be there for your child, if possible," said Walfish.

RELATED: Boarding School: Is It Right for Your Kid?