Connecting Adolescents With Their Geographically Separated Parents: Videoconferencing for Reading Support

Prolonged separation from a parent has been linked to emotional and academic consequences among children. Therefore, in this article, the authors used free videoconferencing to (a) deliver parental support for a student struggling with reading and (b) maintain a nurturing relationship between a geographically separated father and son. The authors explain how to set up and conduct the parent–child videoconference with information gleaned from trying the procedures. In addition, the authors suggest how to use the practice to foster better home–school partnerships in education. The use of web technologies seems to be a promising means of making a student resilient to the potential academic and emotional consequences of separation from a parent.