9 Key Steps for Presenting Parents with Assessment Results and Next Steps

The following are universal strategies for communicating the results of phonics inventories to parents that I believe are relevant, meaningful, and attainable.

1. Explain the Purpose and Benefits:

   Start by helping parents understand the purpose of the phonics inventory - to identify their child's strengths, weaknesses, and areas for growth in foundational phonics skills. Emphasize how this information will guide targeted instruction to support their child's reading development.

   
   

2. Present the Results Clearly:

   Provide parents with a clear, easy-to-understand summary of their child's performance on the phonics inventory. Use visuals, such as graphs or charts, to illustrate their child's progress compared to grade-level expectations.

   
   

3. Highlight Strengths First:

   Begin the conversation by highlighting the areas where their child is performing well. This positive framing helps parents feel encouraged about their child's abilities and builds a foundation for discussing areas that need more support.

   
   

4. Identify Specific Skill Gaps:

   Explain the specific phonics skills or concepts their child struggles with using clear, jargon-free language. Provide examples to help parents understand the nature of the difficulties.

   
   

5. Suggest Targeted Interventions:

   Outline the instructional strategies, activities, and resources you plan to use to address the identified skill gaps. Encourage parents to reinforce these efforts at home through simple, engaging phonics-based activities.

   
   

6. Encourage Collaboration:

   Invite parents to work closely with you to support their child's phonics development. Suggest ways they can be involved, such as practicing letter-sound recognition, word building, or reading decodable texts together.

   
   

7. Provide Progress Monitoring:

   Explain how you will regularly assess their child's progress and communicate updates. This demonstrates your commitment to continuously evaluating the effectiveness of the interventions and making adjustments as needed.

   
   

8. Offer Resources and Support:

   Provide parents with resources, such as online tools, educational websites, or recommended books, that they can use at home to supplement the tutoring instruction.

   
   

9. Emphasize the Importance of Phonics:

   Help parents understand phonics' critical role in overall reading development and how mastering these foundational skills can positively impact their child's academic success.

   
   

Using these strategies, you can effectively communicate the results of the phonics inventory in a way that empowers parents to participate actively in their child's learning and supports a collaborative approach to addressing their phonics needs.