The time-honored method of communications between school and home, parent-teacher conferences are valuable for face-to-face meetings but can't occur often enough to be a primary method of communication. Neither teachers nor parents have time for more than a few parent-teacher meetings per year, which leaves too much time for problems at school to develop. Parent-teacher conferences do provide the best in-depth method of discussing a child without outside interruptions.
Preprinted checklists filled in by the teacher at the end of the day or week give parents an idea of how their child is progressing at school, both with schoolwork and emotionally. While samples are readily available on the Internet, any teacher can make up her own checklist geared to the age of her students and their curriculum. Homework lists show parents exactly what each student has to do each evening and puts the "no homework" claim to rest. A checklist that goes back to school with the child the next day with a space for parental comments encourages parental input.
Emailing your child's teacher is a quick and easy way to get a message to her and receive an answer in a timely fashion. Teachers and parents may both find it easier to talk via email than on the phone or face-to-face. Email also has the advantage of not being "lost" by a student on the way to the school. Email is faster, since it eliminates the chit-chat and small talk required for an in-person or phone conversation, a boon for teachers and parents alike. An email also prevents miscommunications or problems later over what a teacher or parent "said." School websites also provide information parents can easily access, such as the weekly lunch menu and the school calendar.
Schools differ on their parent visitation policies. Schools that have open-door visiting policies give parents a chance to observe their child in action. Potential issues become clearer when the parent can see them first-hand. While a teacher may have difficulty getting parents to understand exactly why Johnny keeps getting into trouble during reading circle, seeing him in action may help them better understand. Parental visitation is easier in the lower grades, when having parents come in as helpers to read with children or help with paperwork provides a natural introduction into the classroom.