Parent-Teacher Partnership: An Avenue to Decrease Students with Reading Disabilities

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

One of the problems encountered by the teacher is how to decrease not to eradicate the number of struggling readers. Seminars, reading programs, interventions, and remediation were conducted but the motivation to read decreases with age. Parents and teachers can help children separately or they can work together for the greater benefit of the child. Athey (2016). According to Eleonor Webster, "Home is a massive influence". Strong relationships give students the best chance of success to read.

METHODS

The descriptive method was used. As defined by Best ( 2015), the descriptive method describes and interprets what it is concerned with conditions and relationships that exist, practices that prevail, beliefs, processes that are going on, effects that are being felt or trends that are developing. Through questionnaires and interviews, the information needed to seek answers to the problem was gathered.

RESULTS

250 of the parents attended parent-teacher conferences, classroom and home visits, monitored weekly and monthly folders of the student work sent home for parent review and comment, followed by 84 parents who responded to phone calls, E-mail, and letters. It was recorded that there were 3 categories of reading difficulties. Students with difficulty in phonic knowledge belong to Tier 1, those who are with difficulty in word reading belong to Tier 2, and students with difficulty in fluency belong to Tier 3. It was observed and recorded that after the implementation of parent-teacher partnership 319 out of 334 students were able to read. There was a marked improvement in the reading level of the students. A collaborative approach between parents and teachers is crucial to motivating and supporting students to read for pleasure.

DISCUSSIONS

The results demonstrate that reading difficulties are suppressed when parental involvement in school is sustained and focused on reading activities. Parent-teacher partnership plays a vital role in discussing a child's reading ability and identifies where the difficulty lies. A big part of teachers' job is maintaining good relationships with parents. Parent-communication strategies may be intensified to improve the reading skills of the students. Vaughn (2007) stated that interventions that are short duration, but intensive, may offer the most efficient approach. Parental support can range from involvement at home by reading with their children, at school by engaging in reading and oral language activities in the classroom and library.