In the third and last part of a back-to-school series on how parents can develop stronger links with their child's school, Education is publishing a guidance package put together by a group of parents of children in state schools.

Parent-teacher meetings are an extremely important opportunity for parents to gain more information about how their child is doing at school and discuss anything that's worrying them.

So it is very important to go to the meetings well-prepared.

Here are some tips for parents put together by a group of parents of children in Zurrieq primary school and provided by the Foundation for Educational Services:

1. Prepare a list of those things you would like to talk to the teachers about. The list could include your child's progress and any difficulties that the teacher or parents might perceive the child as having. Examples of these difficulties could include not paying attention in class, having no friends, being bothered by someone or keeping bad company.

2. Be ready to volunteer important information to the school, such as whom they can contact in case of an emergency.

3. Ask about how the children are being taught, for example, what methods are being used to teach mathematics.

4. Ask what you can do at home that is helpful to the work being done at school, for example, how to read to your child in an enjoyable way.

5. Be prepared to ask the teachers to explain any jargon they may use.

6. Be ready to tell the teacher what your child's activities and interests are at home, such as their hobbies, favourite TV programmes etc.

7. Volunteer information on the type of discipline you exercise at home and, for example, how much television you let your child watch and what time he or she goes to bed at night.

8. If you think it might be useful, you may want to inform the teachers of any illness or other sort of difficult situation being experienced by the family, while keeping in mind that teachers are not necessarily trained in counselling.

9. Before the meeting, ask your children if there is anything they would like you to talk about with the teachers. Is there anything they find frustrating?

10. Above all, keep in mind that the teachers want the best for your child. Approach the meeting in a calm and respectful manner and with the intention of trying to pull at the same rope.

11. If the discussion focuses on difficulties, try and come up with solutions to those difficulties together.

This material was put together by Angele Scerri, Rita Cassar, Sharon Scicluna, Marisa Curmi and Janet Ellul at a Parent-to-Parent course organised under the Parents-in-Education Programme of the Foundation for Educational Services. The Association of School Councils was consulted. The programme's animator is Myriam Soler and its co-ordinator Victor Galea.

Understanding the jargon

Here are a few of the technical words often used by teachers that you may find it useful to be familiar with.

Scheme of work
A detailed programme of the work that a teacher aims to do in class, often month by month.

School Development Plan
A plan to improve the level of education offered by the school. Usually the plan spans a three-year period and is reviewed every year. The plan is developed during meetings between the teachers and the head of school, and some schools also invite contributions from parents sitting on the school council.

School policies
Decisions taken by the head and teachers in drawing up the school development plan, such as policies on food, homework and discipline.

Mission statement
The school's motto, laid down in the School Development Plan

Lesson notes/plans
Detailed notes that guide teachers in their lessons.

Pedagogy
The method of teaching.

Thematic approach
A method of teaching in which all the subjects revolve around a single theme. For example, if the theme is houses, then in mathematics the pupils might count the windows, in English they may learn vocubulary associated with houses and in social studies learn about the different types of dwellings.

Aim
The teacher's target for a lesson, for example, that the pupils should be able to read and understand page 6 of their reading book.

Objective
The intention behind teaching something particular, for example helping pupils appreciate reading while building their ability to form sentences.

Feedback
This usually refers to feedback given by the child, even through homework.

Reinforcement/consolidation
This refers to when the teacher repeats the work done several times and in different ways. This could be through revision, quizzes and other educational games.

Peripatetic teacher
A teacher who teaches the same subject in different state primary schools, such as drama, music, science and other subjects.

Curriculum
Guidelines on the aims and principles of the educational process. One of them, for example, is that parents ought to be part of the group of people educating their children.

Syllabus
A list of what is to be learnt by children according to their age.

Complementary teaching
Teaching given to children who are backwards in a particular subject for some reason such as illness. The complementary teacher is assigned to a school or group of schools according to need.

Facilitator
A person trained to help children with special needs.

Differentiated teaching
A modern method of teaching according to each child's individual learning styles. Students in the same class, for example, may be given different homework in line with the way they approach learning. This method is associated with the Let Me Learn Programme.

Streaming
Putting children into classes according to how they've done in the exams. In Maltese state schools, streaming starts in the fifth year of primary school.

Mixed ability class
An unstreamed class, in which children have attained different educational levels.