In previous years I have invited parents to observe the children and me during writing workshop time.  After each observation period I would lead parents in a brown bag lunch discussion.  This was always received with great success.  I made sure all parents - mom, dad or both - could attend and made accommodations in my schedule so that this could happen.  Occasionally, I would get a grandparent, as well.  Parents appreciate being invited into the classroom to see the teacher (and their child) in action and not just to volunteer.  It’s one thing to read about what your child’s teacher does in the classroom, how s/he teaches, what her/his beliefs are, and it’s quite another to actually see the ins and outs of this as it plays out with real live children, and especially with their children.  If nothing else, parents learn to appreciate what it means to juggle a classroom of 20 7- and 8-year-olds day in and day out.  More importantly, they start to understand what you are talking about.  You can then share a common language and approach that allows parents to provide an added scaffold to their children’s learning.

This year I will be offering parents monthly workshops starting in October.  These sessions will be focused on the reading process and how parents can support their children’s progress.  Although similar in intent from the sessions on writing workshop I used to do, these monthly gatherings will be more structured in nature, at least in the beginning.  However, my plan is for the agenda, and the learning, to be co-constructed with parents.  In addition, parents will be encouraged to schedule a time to observe me conferencing with their child one-to-one during reading workshop.  
The focus of these observations will be miscue analysis.  My goal is to teach parents how to use miscue analysis to support their children, as they become effective readers, no matter what their starting point happens to be.   My emphasis will be on reading as comprehending.  I know I will be spending quite some time, not only at the first session in October but in subsequent ones, on how I define reading and how that guides the reading instruction that I do in my classroom.  I want to work in tandem with parents during the year so that the children are not confused by two different approaches, their parents’ and mine, but sustained, in the classroom and at home, in their reading development.  As the school year progresses I hope to blog on these sessions as a way of reflecting on my teaching and learning with children and parents, alike.