In this article, we will explore helpful digital tools aimed at fostering effective parent-teacher communication.
Building a strong bridge between educators and parents is not only important but often difficult. Every classroom has its own special atmosphere and challenges. From an overwhelming influx of parent emails to struggles in engaging parents. However, regardless of the circumstances, the ultimate goal remains the same: effective communication.
When everyone involved is well-informed and actively engaged, many positive outcomes emerge.
Parents gain clarity about their child's educational journey, allowing for more productive discussions about schoolwork at home.
Teachers find themselves with increased time and energy to focus on in-class learning. As a result of proactive outreach, the need for reactive responses to questions and concerns is reduced.
Moreover, students themselves become more accountable for their own learning, benefiting from clear expectations and a supportive team of parents and teachers.
In the era of distance learning, effective parent-teacher communication takes on even greater significance. Many classrooms have been transformed into virtual environments since the pandemic began.
The need for transparent and timely information sharing becomes crucial in ensuring students' educational success. By utilizing a range of practical strategies and digital tools, educators can bridge the physical distance between themselves and parents, fostering a strong partnership.
According to the study about the effect of teacher-family communication on student engagement, teacher-family communication increased the odds that students completed their homework by 40%.
The study identified three primary ways in which communication is affecting engagement:
- stronger teacher-student relationships,
- expanded parental involvement,
- increased student motivation.
Recognizing the significance of communication between teachers and parents, we present you with a range of recommended tools that help educators nurture effective communication.
8 Best Teacher-Parent Communication Tools
We have already reviewed the best student collaboration tools for group projects. And now we have created a list that encourages active engagement between teachers and parents. To help you find the best teacher-parent communication app.
#1. Markup Hero
Markup Hero is an innovative screenshot and annotation tool that can dramatically boost the quality and efficiency of communication between teachers and parents. Created with compatibility across various platforms, this multifaceted tool is designed for both individual and collaborative use, making it a valuable addition to any educational setting.
Educators can leverage Markup Hero to capture screenshots of desktop applications, selected areas, or even entire webpages. Coupled with the ability to upload and share a range of formats, including images, PDFs, and Google documents, it offers a flexible medium for visual communication about students' progress and assignments.
The tool's robust annotation and editing feature allows teachers to add or modify annotations using text, arrows, highlighters, icons, and more. They can efficiently highlight important areas, add notes, or obscure sensitive information when sharing students' work or grading rubrics. One notable feature of Markup Hero is its very easy-to-navigate website design, making it user-friendly for educators and parents alike.
The collaborative functionality of Markup Hero enables teachers to share their markups with parents, who can then provide their feedback or queries via their own annotations. Sharing is made effortless with built-in share links, compatible with various communication channels, from emails to social platforms.
Teachers can manage their markups effectively with features like adding multiple pages to markups, duplicating shared markups for separate discussions, and organizing markups with titles and collections. The ability to add team members to their plans further extends Markup Hero's utility in group collaborations, such as planning parent-teacher meetings or school events.
In sum, Markup Hero offers a comprehensive solution for enhancing teacher-parent communication. Its diverse capabilities and user-friendly interface make it a reliable platform for visually enriched, interactive discussions about student learning and progress.
Price: Free with premium plans available
Devices: Mac, Windows, Linux, and Web browser
#2. Skool Loop
The Skool Loop App was developed in response to the growing need for seamless communication between school staff and families. This app is trusted by numerous schools across New Zealand and Australia. This completely free app offers a user-friendly interface and the latest advancements in school communication technology.
From parent-teacher interviews and calendars to e-permission slips and absentee reporting, the Skool Loop App provides a comprehensive suite of features. Parents can receive instant push notifications for reminders, announcements, and emergency planning.
Furthermore, the app allows regular interviews between parents and teachers, making space in the schedule to talk about the children's growth, express worries, and arrange plans. The app also supports multilingual communication, enabling newsletters and notices to be read in parents' native languages.
As a dedicated teacher-parent communication tool, Skool Loop ensures friction-free information flow. It offers additional features, such as a school calendar, instant notifications, and newsletters, to keep parents well-informed. With the option to create a secure and password-protected communication portal, schools can maintain privacy and exclusivity in their teacher-parent communications.
Price: Free to download, with a minimal subscription for schools for enhanced features
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
#3. Remind
Remind is a great parent-teacher communication app that offers teachers a safe and straightforward platform to instantly communicate with students and parents. With its user-friendly interface, Remind allows teachers to schedule reminders for future dates, ensuring parents stay informed about their children's tasks, requirements, and important information.
Moreover, teachers can effortlessly send frequent messages, share daily assignments, and send upcoming test reminders. They can even send textbook page images to individual students, entire classes, or multiple classes simultaneously, making it an invaluable tool for remote learning scenarios.
Remind was conceptualized by CEO Brett Kopf. He draws inspiration from his own educational experiences. He pays tribute to his teacher, Mrs. Whitefield, for the immense effect she has had on his life. Kopf envisions a world where countless "Mrs. Whitefields" can connect with millions of students and parents to empower and uplift them. The app serves as a testament to the transformative potential of teacher-student communication.
Price: Free, with additional features that require fees
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad, and Web browser
#4. Bloomz
A highly popular parent-teacher communication app, Bloomz, revolutionizes the way teachers interact with parents while promoting a supportive classroom community. Bloomz saves teachers significant time by providing a consistent and reliable platform for higher engagement and seamless communication between school and home.
Through Bloomz, teachers effortlessly share classroom-related updates and reminders. They keep parents well-informed about their child's progress, performance, and ways to enhance their involvement.
This innovative app serves as a comprehensive communication hub, eliminating the need for traditional newsletters and agendas. Moreover, Bloomz extends beyond communication and serves as a cloud-based school administration software that streamlines parent, teacher, and student interactions.
Teachers leverage Bloomz to establish two-way contact through messaging and organize parent-teacher conferences using the integrated calendar feature. They can also create student portfolios, manage assignment submissions, and monitor student behavior to generate reports. The mobile app adds further convenience, allowing teachers to design digital activities, assign homework, and review student submissions.
Price: Free, with in-app purchases
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad, and Web browser
#5 Klassroom (Klassly)
Klassroom, developed by Klassly, is an intuitive school communication app that bridges the gap between parents and teachers for effective communication. It serves as a versatile platform where teachers and parents can share documents, homework, surveys, event lists, and photos of activities. It also enables features such as appointment requests and Q&A interactions.
Beyond communication, Klassly offers a comprehensive suite of features that extends beyond messaging and video meetings. Teachers can leverage Klassly to publish assignments, provide comments, share multimedia resources, create homework assignments, and monitor students' academic performance.
Simultaneously, parents can help their children by sharing photos, engaging in discussions, submitting project materials, informing teachers of absences, and approving school trips and events.
Price: Free, with in-app purchases
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad, and Web browser
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Signup For Free#6 ParentSquare
ParentSquare is a versatile, secure teacher-parent communication app that fosters engagement by streamlining communication among administrators, support staff, teachers, and parents. Designed to enhance family engagement in schools, this multi-purpose platform serves as a virtual space where crucial communications take place.
Teachers benefit from an extensive message template library within their dashboards. Enabling them to send conference requests, seek volunteers for events, and provide prompt notifications in emergencies such as accidents or extreme weather conditions.
On the other hand, the parents' portal allows them to add and update their contact information, access student reports, view school calendars, make fee payments, and customize their alert settings.
ParentSquare creates a cohesive and efficient communication ecosystem, ensuring that vital information reaches all relevant participants promptly and reliably. If you need a comprehensive app to connect parents with their school community, ParentSquare is a must-explore solution.
Price: Free
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad, and Web browser
#7 ClassDojo
ClassDojo is a comprehensive classroom management tool that not only keeps families well-informed about their children, but also serves as one of the best school apps for parents and teachers.
With ClassDojo, teachers have the power to share positive feedback, give students digital high-fives, and promote classroom and school values. They can easily share photos, videos, and announcements through Class Story or privately message any parent.
Within the teacher dashboard, the "stories" feature empowers teachers to share images, videos, links, and files. They can also make school or class-level announcements and engage in communication with parents.
Families also have interactive capabilities, such as liking, leaving comments, translating, and receiving notifications for new submissions or messages.
Price: Free
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad, and Web browser
#8 TalkingPoints
TalkingPoints is a remarkable non-profit platform that fosters effective communication between parents and teachers. It transcends language barriers with its multilingual, two-way positive parenting capabilities. Supporting over 125 languages, TalkingPoints ensures that users can communicate seamlessly without language limitations.
The platform combines linguists' expertise with computer technology to eliminate any potential misunderstanding. Using TalkingPoints, teachers can talk to multiple family members at once, saving time. Importantly, the platform allows teachers to keep their personal phone numbers private. Which is particularly valuable when communicating with a large number of people.
Teachers can send targeted messages to specific students, entire classes, or even the entire school. Additional features include the ability to include videos and photos. TalkingPoints revolutionizes parent-teacher communication, ensuring that language differences do not limit collaboration.
Price: Free
Devices: Android, iPhone, and iPad
In Conclusion
Effective communication between parents and teachers is vital in shaping a student's academic journey. The impact of effective communication extends beyond improved student engagement and academic performance. It strengthens teacher-student relationships, expands parental involvement, and increases student motivation.
Using new communication apps, schools can improve engagement, connect school and home, and create a collaborative environment.
