26 Printable Parent Contact Logs (Word | Excel

Parents need to keep track of their children’s development while in school. A parent contact log is one of the tools that can be used to showcase a child’s development in school.

A parent contact log is a formal communication tool between the teachers and parents detailing the day-to-day activities and development of a child. Therefore, this critical document contains information about the child that needs to reach the parents to shape the development of a child.

Parent Contact Log (Templates & Examples)

Why Do You Need a Parent Contact Log?

A parent contact log is an essential document that guarantees the right development of a child when both the teachers and parents are working hand in hand. This important document has the following salient benefits:

• It offers a solid reference point from which both parents and teachers can account for a child’s behavior.
• It cushions the teachers against accusations from parents as there is evidence of parents having been aware of existing behaviors.
• It provides an opportunity for parents to intervene if there is a developing behavior that needs to be corrected.
• A parent contact log can also be used to reinforce the positive behavior of a child. For example, if a child has been improving, the teacher will record it and a parent might praise the child for improvement.

A parent contact log is important for both the parents and teachers to shape the development of a child both at home and school.

What Contact Info to Include on the Parent Contact Log?

Contact information is one of the basic elements of a parent contact log. For it to be complete, it needs to include three contact info, which all serve different roles in helping shape the development of a child.

1.Email address

An email address is a primary address contact info of a parent if the teachers have news about the school or a child in a digital copy. For example, the parents’ email addresses can be added to the school email list for constant updates of the school through newsletters.

2.Phone number

When an emergency happens in school and the parents need to be notified immediately, the teachers may use the parents’ mobile phone numbers to reach home. Teachers only call home when there is an urgent need f.or the parents to be alerted to something. It can also be used if there is a sensitive matter that cannot be recorded on the parent contact log.

3.Home address

Knowing the home address of a child is also useful in certain scenarios. A teacher may decide to take a visit to a child’s home if there has been persistent absenteeism. It is usually used as a last resort after attempting to call home.

A home visit can also be initiated if the teachers are suspecting that the child is not treated well at home. Of course, this opens up a whole discussion that may involve child service and the police. Therefore, the home address should be updated frequently to ensure that the school has the correct physical home address of the child.  

Essential Elements of a Parent Communication Form

Basic elements must be filled in every time a parent communication form is sent home.

• The name of the student
• The date that the meeting took place
• The name of the parent or guardian responsible for the student
• The person who requested the meeting with the student
• The purpose of the meeting
• The resolution of the meeting.

Including these elements show the objectivity of the parent contact logs. If the logs lack any of these elements, then it will be hard to determine their worthiness.

Tips for Communicating with Parents

The effectiveness of the parent contact log is highly dependent on how teachers fill the form. Since teachers deal with a wide range of parents from different backgrounds, there are some important tips that they should follow when communicating with parents.

• Always initiate contact at the beginning of the year to determine the year’s expectations.
• The teachers need to recognize that the parent contact log is not just for negative concerns about the student. Starting the parent contact log with a positive comment is an effective way of bringing the parents on board.
• The parent contact log should be confidential and not discussed with other teachers.
• It is important to keep time if you have a meeting with a parent concerning their child’s development. If you don’t keep time, parents wouldn’t recognize the importance of these meetings.
• Always be prepared to offer a solution to the behavior of the children with their parents. Teachers should also be open-minded and expect to hear what suggestions parents have.
• Finally, every discussion you have with the parent should be documented. This is important for any future presentation of evidence should a need arise.

The parent contact log is an important document that every learning institution should be using actively. It has great benefits that help to follow up on the students’ development by keeping their parents/guardians actively involved in their school affairs. It is equally important to format it well to maintain its relevance and easy interpretation.