To help bridge the gap between home and school, I decided to try a new approach with my 7th grade heterogeneously grouped English classes. Instead of the regular mid-term progress reports—a cursory checklist of test grades, behavior, and homework completion—I wanted to encourage my students to assume more responsibility for their learning.
For this English class, the progress reports serve little purpose. Top students learn nothing about themselves. For youngsters who are doing poor work, they are often an embarrassment. And, for teachers, the reports can be a nuisance and add nothing to the teaching or learning process.
I asked my 7th graders to write letters to their parents about their progress in English class. Many of my students had never written to their parents. The prospect was exciting to them—but somewhat formidable. I assured them that I would help.
Writing the Letters
To begin, I asked them to think about the work they were doing. Together, we reviewed the daily/weekly progress reports that I asked them to keep: grades, books read, homework completion, my comments on papers handed back, peer feedback, and so on. We discussed possible ideas to include in their letters: journal entry responses, writing read aloud in class by the teacher, projects displayed on the “Writing of the Week” and “Writing in Progress” board, short stories, poems, their thoughts on process writing, whether their grades accurately reflected their work, and specific ways to improve with help from home.
We also created sample letters to illustrate how to write about negatives in a positive way and how to accentuate their strengths. Students drafted, edited, and revised letters before showing me the second—sometimes third or fourth—draft for my review. (Usually, I encourage them to edit and revise with peers or older family members to help with their process writing, but for the purpose of this project, I did the final editing.) I was very impressed with the letters; their thoughts were honest, moving, and sensitive.
Next, I wrote a cover letter to parents explaining the project, and we addressed the envelopes. My students had suggested that mailing the letters from school would ensure the authenticity of the effort.
Here are a few excerpts from my students' letters: Dear Mom,I am not doing so well because I have missed a lot of assignments. I am trying hard to catch up on all my work for term 3. I have read The Stepsister and now I am reading Problem with Love. Mrs. Brick wrote on my journal that I am thinking more about my writing....Love, GrethelDear Mom and Dad,Now that we have reached the mid-term, I thought you might like to know how I am doing in my English class. I have missed 3 out of 21 assignments, so I guess that means I am getting an A- in homework, which I feel really good about. I'm getting a good grade in my journal (B+, thank God! At least it's better than the last time.) and my personalized unit brought forth two A's. (Thanks for the idea of a Game Boy game for a project....Love, KarenDear Mom,I haven't been very honest with you. Whenever you asked if I had homework, I would say no, even though I did. I would end up never doing it. That is why I am missing 9 out of 21 assignments. I haven't really given it all of my effort and my attitude has been very poor in English class. I am very sorry for that, and I will try a lot harder. Of course you already know all of this, but I wanted to tell you myself! ...Love, Justin
Responses from Parents
Students were excited when the letters started arriving. And parents did write back: 94 percent! Mothers and fathers wrote lovely, caring, proud, moving, and sometimes apologetic letters. Some wrote of their childhoods. Others wrote of their dreams. One wrote of her secret ambition to be a mystery writer. A few parents wrote in their native language. One mother spoke her response in Spanish into a tape recorder that I had provided.
Although my primary concern was that students communicate their progress with parents, almost all of them wanted to share the letters from home with me. Here are some excerpts: Dear Joanna,Dad and I continue to be very pleased with your work habits. Sometimes we know you would rather watch television, but you seldom give in to temptation. We know that working to the best of your ability is important; and we are proud of you for your efforts...Love, Mom and DadDear Kelly,In the future, I would be happy to spend more time helping you with assignments. All you need to do is ask. I have plenty of confidence in you...Love, MomDear Justin,Your mother and I are proud to see how well you can write. Your letter was really well done. We're also pleased to see that you're determined to work more diligently on the requirements of your studies, especially in English ... Please count on us to support your worthy efforts...Love, DadDear Jonathan,Thank you for your letter about English class. You have learned to organize your thoughts much better in the last two years; your paragraphs are now real paragraphs, with a main idea. And, mirabile dictu, you even use punctuation and capital letters now! I'm thrilled!...Love, Mom
What did students think of their parents' responses. Here are some of their comments: I finally could be honest with my mom in a letter. I wasn't telling her the truth before.It's weird writing to my parents and having them write back.I never knew this about my mom.I never expected my dad to write.My mom said she wrote four drafts back to me. She needed to make it sound right.
Partners in Learning
Much more than the routine progress reports, the letters prompted my students to think about themselves as learners and to involve their parents in that thinking. Parents reciprocated by offering to help with their children's studies.
For many of my students, an important bridge was crossed, as they learned to assume responsibility for their learning. As one student wrote in a letter to her mother and father: I am sorry that I am not doing as well this term as I hoped to ... I will try to bring up all my grades to A's. I might need some help from you, but I will do it.
