While some teachers have always had parents in their classroom, many more are very uncomfortable with the idea. Having parents in the room may be one strategy for making practices explicit. When parents see how we're teaching reading and math and they see children learning, new strategies seem less threatening. Having them there also provides us with an opportunity to explain what they are seeing. Bring parents in as helpers rather than observers, though observation is a legitimate role too.
Many districts hold orientation sessions for parent volunteers.
It is very important that they understand what their role is while they're in the classroom and that confidentiality is observed. Share research, fact sheets and articles about issues with parents. The popular press frequently runs articles about educational issues particularly at the beginning of the school year. Keep a collection of these articles and ask permission to reproduce them to share with families. Over the last couple of years whole language, brain research and child development have all appeared in such popular magazines as Time , Newsweek and Good Housekeeping .