Howeverimportantwemayregardschoollifetobe,thereisnodenyingthatchildrenspendmoretimeathomethanintheclassroom.Therefore,thegreatinfluenceofparentscannotbeignoredordiscountedbytheteacher.Theycanbecomestrongalliesoftheschoolpersonnelortheycanconsciouslyorunconsciouslyhindercurricularobjectives.Administratorshavebeenawareoftheneedtokeepparentsinformedofthenewermethodsusedinschools.Manyprincipalhaveconductedworkshopsexplainingsuchmatterasthereadingreadinessprogramanddevelopmentalmathematics.Moreover,theteacher,withthepermissionofthesupervisors,canalsoplayanimportantroleinenlighteningparents.
Theinformalteaandthemanyinterviewscarriedonduringtheyear,aswellasnewwaysofreportingpupils’progress,cansignificantlyaidinachievingaharmoniousinterplaybetweenschoolandhome.Toillustrate,supposethatafatherhasbeendrillingJohninarithmeticprocessesnightafternight.Inafriendlyinterview,theteachercanhelptheparentsublimatehisnaturalpaternalinterestintoproductivechannels.HemightbepersuadedtoletJohnparticipateindiscussingthefamilybudget,buyingthefood,usingayardstickathome,settingtheclock,calculatingmileageonatripandengaginginscoresofotheractivitiesthathaveamathematicalbasis.Ifthefatherfollowstheadvice,itisreasonabletoassumethathewillsoonrealizehissonismakingsatisfactoryprogressinmathematics,andatthesametime,enjoyingthework.
Toooften,however,teachers’conferenceswithparentsaredevotedtopettyaccountsofchildren’swrongdoings，complaintsaboutlazinessandpoorworkhabits,andsuggestionsforpunishmentandrewardsathome.Whatisneededismorecreativeapproachesinwhichtheteacher,asaprofessionaladviser,plantsideasinparents’mindsforthebestutilizationofthemanyhoursthatthechildspendsoutoftheclassroom.Inthisway,theschoolandthehomejoinforcesinfosteringthefullestdevelopmentofyoungsters’capacities.
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