A parent-teacher meeting is an opportunity to understand how a child is learning, where they are making progress and what may be holding them back academically. While report cards provide useful information, grades alone rarely explain the full story. A child may earn good marks but struggle to apply what they have learnt, while another may be improving steadily despite results that have not yet caught up with their effort.
For this reason, parents should use conversations with teachers to look beyond scores and understand the learning taking place in the classroom. Asking focused questions can help reveal a child’s strengths, learning gaps, study habits and need for additional support. It can also help parents understand how to reinforce classroom learning at home without putting unnecessary pressure on their children.
Research supports the value of meaningful communication between families and schools. The Education Endowment Foundation reports that parental engagement can have a positive impact on pupils’ academic progress, particularly when it improves the quality of learning activities and interactions at home. It also notes that schools need to consider families’ different circumstances when encouraging involvement.
Whether parents are meeting a class teacher, subject teacher or school administrator, the following questions can make the discussion more useful and focused on academic development.
1. What are my child’s academic strengths, and where have you noticed improvement?
It is useful to begin by understanding what a child is doing well. A teacher may have noticed that the child is becoming more confident in reading, showing stronger reasoning in Mathematics, contributing more during discussions or completing written assignments with greater care. These improvements may not always be obvious from the final examination score.
Parents should also ask for examples of the child’s progress over time. A student who previously struggled to complete classwork but now finishes tasks independently is demonstrating meaningful development. Recognising such progress helps parents celebrate effort and improvement rather than focusing only on whether the child has achieved the highest mark.
Understanding strengths can also guide support at home. If a child is particularly interested in reading, for instance, parents can encourage that interest through age-appropriate books and conversations. If the child shows strong practical reasoning, everyday activities involving measurement, planning or problem-solving may help extend that ability.
2. Which subjects or specific topics does my child find difficult?
A general statement that a child is performing below expectations does not tell parents what needs to change. It is more useful to identify the particular subject, topic or skill causing difficulty. A child may understand most Mathematics lessons but struggle with fractions, or read fluently while finding it difficult to interpret what a passage means.
Parents can ask the teacher to explain the difficulty using examples from classwork, assignments or assessments. They should also find out whether the challenge relates to understanding basic concepts, following instructions, applying methods, reading comprehension or completing tasks within the available time.
This information helps families avoid responding with pressure or extra work that may not address the actual problem. If a child is struggling with a foundational concept, for example, additional practice with that concept may be more helpful than repeatedly revising an entire subject. Identifying the learning gap is the first step towards providing appropriate support.
3. Does my child understand the lessons or mainly memorise information for tests?
A student can sometimes achieve good examination results by memorising definitions, formulas and familiar answers without fully understanding the ideas behind them. This may work for straightforward questions but become a problem when the learner is expected to explain a concept, apply it in a new situation or connect it to previous learning.
Parents can ask how the teacher checks for understanding beyond written tests. Does the child explain ideas in their own words, show their working, participate in discussions or apply knowledge to unfamiliar examples? These activities can reveal whether the learner understands the material or is relying mainly on recall.
The question is particularly relevant when a child performs well in examinations but struggles with homework or follow-up topics. It can help parents and teachers identify whether the child needs more explanation, practice or opportunities to use knowledge in different ways.
4. How does my child perform in classwork, assignments and examinations?
A child’s academic performance should be considered across different types of work rather than through one examination result alone. Some students perform well in class but become anxious during tests. Others may earn strong examination marks but regularly submit incomplete assignments or struggle to keep up with daily lessons.
Parents should ask whether the child’s performance is consistent and what the teacher notices across class participation, homework, projects, quizzes and formal assessments. If there are differences, the teacher may be able to explain whether they relate to preparation, time management, understanding of the subject or assessment conditions.
This discussion can also clarify how the school evaluates learning. Parents should understand what different assessment results mean and whether a particular score reflects mastery of a topic, improvement from an earlier level or an area requiring further attention. A fuller picture makes it easier to support the child without overreacting to one result.
5. Is my child keeping up with the expected learning outcomes for their class?
Parents need to understand what their child is expected to know and be able to do at their current stage of education. A grade may appear satisfactory, but the teacher may have concerns about a foundational skill that will become important in later lessons. Equally, a child whose results are average may be making steady progress towards the expected learning goals.
Ask the teacher which key skills or concepts the class is working towards and how your child is progressing against those expectations. If the child is behind in a particular area, find out how significant the gap is and what support is available. If the child is progressing comfortably, ask whether there are opportunities for more challenging work.
The purpose is not to compare the child unnecessarily with classmates. It is to understand their current learning position and what should happen next. Clear learning expectations help parents and teachers set realistic goals and monitor progress over time.
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6. What happens when my child does not understand a lesson or falls behind?
Every student encounters difficult topics at some point. What matters is how the difficulty is identified and addressed. Parents should ask what the teacher does when a child is confused, performs poorly in an assessment or has missed important lessons.
Depending on the school and the child’s needs, support may include additional explanations, revision activities, small-group teaching, practice questions or guidance on foundational skills. Parents can also ask how the teacher checks whether the support is working and when progress will be reviewed.
It is important to understand whether the child feels comfortable asking for help. Some learners remain silent when they do not understand because they are embarrassed or afraid of appearing slow. If this is happening, parents and teachers can work together to encourage the child to seek clarification early rather than allowing confusion to accumulate.
The Australian Education Research Organisation recommends collaborative planning between families and schools, including agreeing on learning goals and strategies that respond to a student’s individual needs.
7. How are my child’s study habits and approach to learning affecting their performance?
Academic progress depends not only on what students know but also on how they approach learning. A child may understand lessons but struggle because they leave assignments until the last minute, revise inconsistently, lose track of materials or rely heavily on help from adults.
Parents can ask whether the teacher has noticed patterns in the child’s preparation, organisation, concentration and completion of tasks. It is also useful to find out whether the child participates actively, checks their work and makes an effort to correct mistakes.
The answer can help parents identify practical changes at home. A consistent study routine, an organised homework space or a simple plan for preparing for tests may be useful, depending on the child’s needs. The aim should be to develop habits that encourage independence rather than turning every evening into a prolonged struggle over schoolwork.
8. What can I do at home to support what my child is learning in class?
Parents often want to help their children academically but may not know which activities will be most useful. The teacher can suggest practical ways to reinforce current lessons without requiring expensive materials or advanced subject knowledge.
For example, parents may be encouraged to listen to their child read, discuss a topic covered in class, practise basic calculations during everyday activities or help the child organise revision time. They can also ask whether there are recommended textbooks, learning materials or school resources that would support the child’s current needs.
It is equally important to clarify how much assistance is appropriate. Parents should support children in understanding instructions and developing good habits, but they should avoid completing assignments on their behalf. Children need opportunities to think independently, practise skills and learn from mistakes.
The Education Endowment Foundation highlights the importance of practical guidance for families, noting that support which helps parents engage meaningfully with learning at home can be more useful than simply asking them to provide general help.
9. Are there any academic concerns I should know about before the next report card?
Waiting until the end of a term to discuss academic difficulties can leave parents with limited time to respond. A teacher may already have noticed that a child is struggling with a topic, missing assignments or showing a decline in performance. Discussing these concerns early allows the family and school to consider support before the next formal report.
Parents should ask whether there are emerging concerns involving particular subjects, attendance, concentration, homework completion or preparation for assessments. They can also ask whether the teacher has noticed a change compared with the child’s previous performance.
The conversation should focus on evidence and practical next steps rather than blame. Parents may have information about circumstances at home that could help explain a change in the child’s learning. Sharing relevant context can help the teacher understand the situation more fully and respond appropriately.
10. What academic goals should we set for my child, and how will we monitor progress?
A productive conversation should end with a clear understanding of what the child needs to work on next. If the teacher identifies a difficulty in reading comprehension, for example, the next step may be regular practice with short passages and follow-up questions. If the child struggles with assignment completion, the goal may involve improving organisation and submitting work consistently.
Parents can ask the teacher to help establish realistic, specific goals and explain what support will be provided at school. They should also clarify what they can do at home and how progress will be communicated. Where necessary, agree on a suitable time to review the child’s development.
Goals should be manageable and focused on improvement rather than perfection. A child who is working towards a clear target can better understand what progress looks like and recognise when their effort is producing results. Collaborative planning also helps ensure that parents and teachers are reinforcing the same learning priorities.
Turn the conversation into academic support
Parents do not need to ask every question at every meeting. The most relevant questions will depend on the child’s age, academic performance and current challenges. However, preparing a few focused questions in advance can help ensure that a short meeting produces useful information rather than ending with a general comment about grades.
It is also important for parents to share their own observations. A child may be struggling to complete homework at home, expressing frustration about a subject or showing greater confidence than before. These details can help teachers build a fuller picture of the learner’s needs. In turn, teachers can explain what they observe in class and suggest strategies that are realistic for the family.
Effective communication is a partnership, not a one-way report from school to home. A study published in the Journal of School Psychology found that teacher practices for communicating with parents were associated with parent reports of school contact and with students’ academic adjustment and achievement.
While communication alone cannot resolve every learning challenge, it can help families and teachers identify concerns earlier and coordinate their response.
Ultimately, asking thoughtful questions about academics allows parents to move beyond simply knowing whether their child passed or failed. It helps them understand what the child has learnt, where further support is needed and how progress can be strengthened. When parents and teachers share information and work towards clear goals, academic support becomes more focused, practical and responsive to the child.