Helping parents reexamine children’s emergent writing performance through parent–teacher portfolio sharing conferences

Abstract

This study documented how the teacher conducted one-on-one portfolio sharing conferences with the parents to help them understand their children’s emergent writing performances. Data included the selection and analysis of children’s writing samples, parent–teacher conferences, and teacher interviews. The results indicated that parents’ perspectives on children’s writing reflect their concerns regarding their children’s transition to elementary education and limited understanding of emergent writing development. After the parent–teacher conferences, the parents demonstrated better understanding of emergent writing, became more confident about their children’s writing performance, and affirmed the benefits of parent–teacher sharing conferences. Lastly, the study increased teachers’ understanding about parents’ perspectives and improved the teacher–parent relationship.