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This article is about being culturally responsible  for holiday and religious celebration. I liked it because it talked about how teachers affect cultural condition during the holiday seasons within their classroom Take a look! It's from colorin colorado http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/culturally-responsive-instruction-holiday-and-religious-celebrations

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This article discusses welcoming all families into the school environment. Being sensitive to each families cultures and beliefs can effect our relationship with each family. Helping a child learn is the key component. We need to know as much as we can about the families home culture in order to help our biases and misunderstandings about a family.

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An adapted excerpt from Parents & Teachers Working Together
One of the enduring truths about teaching is that to teach children well, we have to know them: what they're passionate about, what worries them, where they are in their development.

We also have to understand something of their family culture-that world outside the school that has such a huge effect on how well children do in school.

As many teachers know, the U.S. school-age population is becoming increasingly diverse. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2000, 3.4 million U.S. children ages five through seventeen (about one in fifteen) spoke little or no English. And by 2020, nearly half of all U.S. children will be of color; about one in four will be Hispanic. This increasing diversity means that more than ever, we need to be attentive to how students' family cultures can be very different from the dominant culture of the school.

No doubt this can be hard work. It takes time and effort to learn about unfamiliar cultures. It takes stretching our powers of empathy and creativity to adjust teaching practices to fully include families of different cultures.

But this hard work can also be exhilarating. As teachers, we come into the profession because we find joy in seeing children learn. When we build bridges to families of non-mainstream cultures, we're making sure that their children, not just the children of mainstream cultures, can do well in school. We're also opening up exciting new worlds of learning for all children. Just think of how much children can grow socially and academically when our teaching reflects the traditions and contributions of all the cultures in our schools. In the words of parent Bekki Lee, "To have a teacher affirm and embrace all cultures, especially those that our society most under-represents or misrepresents, is incredibly powerful. Teachers shape how our children see the world and each other, and it's never too early to begin."

Many resources-books, websites, community groups, and families and children themselves-can suggest practical ways to welcome families from diverse cultures (see end of this article). Rather than adding more such ideas, this article offers instead one overarching goal and one fundamental belief to keep in mind while taking those practical steps to reach out.

The goal: helping children learn

The goal in working with parents-all parents, no matter what their culture-is to enable them to support their children's learning. It sounds simple, but in the process of finding innovative ways to include all the cultures of our students, it's sometimes easy to lose sight of this goal.

Educator Sonia Nieto observes that many schools believe they're offering multicultural education when they're actually implementing "little more than ethnic additives and cultural celebrations." She writes, "Curiously missing from discussions in most schools that claim to 'do' multicultural education are statements having to do with student learning." Nieto recalls telling a friend about a multicultural education initiative in a nearby school system. The friend's reservations about the project were evident when she asked, "But are the kids learning?" During a similar discussion, another friend asked impatiently, "But can they do math?" (Sonia Nieto, The Light in Their Eyes, page xvi).

"Are the children learning?" needs to be the question that we continually keep in the forefront as we work with all parents. Activities such as celebrating holidays from various cultures and decorating a bulletin board to reflect diverse cultures are worthwhile. But we need to ask whether such efforts, by themselves, help children learn math, reading, science, cooperation, responsibility, empathy-all the things they're supposed to learn in school.

In addition to keeping the classroom focus on learning, we can have practices that enable the children's parents to help them learn. That means making the small but critical everyday efforts to reach out in ways that help parents understand and be part of their child's classroom. For example, we could look for people at school or in the community to translate letters and other school-to-home communications. Whenever possible, we could invite interpreters to join meetings with families. These efforts can help parents feel heard, welcomed, and comfortable asking questions and voicing opinions about their children's education.

A fundamental belief: differences, not deficits

How we view families from cultures different from our own deeply affects how we work with them. All families have had different sets of experiences. We can best help students learn if we believe their family experiences are neither better nor worse than our own, but simply different.

Literacy professor Victoria Purcell-Gates writes about this "difference" versus "deficit" view of family backgrounds. As teachers know, children come to school with widely varying experiences in reading, writing, and other literacy activities at home. Even English speakers come speaking different dialects. But, Purcell-Gates point out, if the family is poor, undereducated, or speaks a "nonstandard" dialect, we're more likely to interpret a child's uniqueness as an inherent deficit or flaw rather than a mere difference in experience.

When we do this, Purcell-Gates says, we risk lowering our expectations for the child and writing the child off as less teachable or even unteachable. By contrast, when we truly believe that all children can learn and that they vary only in their experiences, we're more likely to maintain high expectations of all children and nonjudgmentally build on the experiences they have had to help them learn at their best. (Lisa Delpit and Joanne Kilgour Dowdy, eds., 2002, The Skin That We Speak, New York: The New Press, pp. 121-139).

The "difference" versus "deficit" view also comes into play in areas beyond language and literacy. Early in her career, Bonnie Baer-Simahk, a teacher of K-6 English language learners in Massachusetts, was surprised to learn that many Southeast Asian students didn't like to take their completed schoolwork home because their parents would throw it away. "I was so upset, thinking that the message the parents gave their children was that their schoolwork was not valued," she recalls. "Later I saw that I was quite wrong." The same parents who never displayed schoolwork welcomed Bonnie into their home to talk about their children's progress in school, came in to help out whenever invited, and urged Bonnie to tell them if their children weren't doing good work in school. Clearly, these parents valued their children's school efforts. Why, then, didn't they display their children's schoolwork?

"I suspect it was a combination of things," says Bonnie. Maybe the parents didn't understand the significance of the papers or the teacher's comments on them. Maybe they expected their children to work hard and thought that positive efforts didn't require any special acknowledgment. Whatever the reason, the point is that the parents' behavior reflects a difference in experience and norms, not a lack of concern for their children.

A further point is that once we recognize differences, we need to respect them. Children from diverse cultures and their families can succeed in American schools without surrendering the customs of their home cultures. For example, Bonnie didn't try to change the Southeast Asian families' customs around taking home and displaying school- work. She simply accepted that these families had other ways of showing pride in educational effort.

Whatever we're trying to understand about students from other cultures, we can teach best when we hold fast to the "difference, not deficit" mentality. In doing so, we're more likely to see intelligence, talent, and caring, even if these are expressed in ways that we're not used to. We can then build on these assets to teach the children what they need to learn in school.

For more about working with families, see our book, Parents & Teachers Working Together.

Resources for Learning about Different Cultures

The children and their parents: Ask parents for help in learning about their culture. Most parents are happy to help if they feel respected.

Colleagues: Teachers of English language learners, other teachers, home liaisons, instructional assistants, and office or other staff may have ideas or skills to offer.

Your school: If possible, talk as a whole staff about cultural and language issues in working with families. Staff teams could learn about a particular issue and share the information with the rest of the school community.

Other schools: See what's worked for other schools serving the same family populations as you do.

Community organizations: Libraries, cultural and social service organizations, churches, other religious organizations, civic groups, and local universities may offer books, pamphlets, and other kinds of help.

The Internet: Here you'll find a wealth of information and practical strategies for working with families from diverse cultures. You'll also find misinformation, so rely on credible sources. A few sites to check out:

Educator's Reference Desk

National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition & Language Instruction Educational Programs

Teaching Tolerance

Tags: Family Connections, Working with Families

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Welcoming Families of Different Cultures | Responsive Classroom

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An adapted excerpt from Parents & Teachers Working Together One of the enduring truths about teaching is that to teach children well, we have to know them: what they're passionate about, what worries them, where they are in their development.

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As research already indicates parental involvement is critical to the successful educational journey. It makes a big diffeence when parents feel they are contributing to the educational experience of their child.
http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Other-Resources/Family-and-Community-Engagement/Getting-Parents-Involved/Sample-Best-Practices-for-Parent-Involvement-in-Sc

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This is an excellent opinion editorial from the New York Times. The article discusses how technology is revolutionizing how we think about the educational system and who the members of that system are. Now, parents can be just as crucial to education of students as teachers and administrators. The article discusses in particular the use of Family Playlists (TM) from the non-for-profit group PowerMyLearning.

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I was in the third grade the first time I taught math to my father. We were sitting at the kitchen table and he was helping me with a homework problem that involved fractions. I figured it out before him and showed him how I did it. His reaction made me feel proud. After that, we never returned to the old one-way homework help. Sometimes he taught me, and sometimes I taught him. It changed how I saw myself.

That memory came back recently while I was visiting South Bronx Preparatory, a New York City district middle school that is one of 20 sites using Family Playlists, a program developed by the educational nonprofit PowerMyLearning.

Family Playlists are interactive homework assignments through which students practice a set of learning activities and then teach them to a family member, usually a parent, who then provides feedback to the teacher about the experience - like how well the child understood or explained the lesson, and how much the two enjoyed the mutual learning.

Over the last seven years, PowerMyLearning has worked with more than 70 schools in New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta and the San Francisco Bay Area, providing tools and professional development services to strengthen the triangle of learning relationships that connects students, teachers and families. Among other results, its partner schools have experienced annual gains in math proficiency that outpace comparable schools by seven percentage points.

As I have previously reported here, PowerMyLearning has built an extensive digital learning platform. Teachers in more than 30,000 schools have registered for its free basic edition. In 2016, the organization piloted the Family Playlists feature to further reinforce the relationships in the triangle, particularly the connection between teachers and families. To make communication as frictionless as possible, all the interaction between teachers and families can be handled easily on a computer or smartphone, with notifications by text messages or email.

"If you ask an adult, 'What's the educational system?'," said Elisabeth Stock, the chief executive and a co-founder of PowerMyLearning, "they'll usually say, 'Well, there's the superintendent, there's the district, there's the teachers union.' But if you ask a student, they'll say, 'I have my teachers and my family.'"

Family engagement is essential. Research indicates that learning happens best when what's happening in school is reinforced by what's happening in a student's home. But teachers say they and the parents both need help in making the interplay effective. That can be challenging in high poverty communities, where parents often lack the knowledge, English language skills, or confidence to help their children with their schoolwork.

Unless the process starts with schools insisting that parents are a part of the triangle, teachers tend to reach out to parents mainly when there's a problem with behavior, homework completion or grades, all of which can make the interactions unpleasant or intimidating.

Until recently, South Bronx Prep was no exception. "We'd gotten to be status quo about family engagement," said the school's principal, Ellen Flanagan. "I had settled into accepting that the engagement we had was good enough."

Last school year, however, the school began using Family Playlists in the sixth grade, and teachers and school administrators were amazed that 91 percent of families participated in the activities - more than triple the engagement rate that they usually see.

"Many parents in our community haven't had the educational background and struggle with the math and they've been honest about that," said Flanagan. "But this is changing the conversation about what homework is for. It's not just the parent saying, 'Is it done?' It's about students trying to figure out the best way to explain something. It's more about conversation than about completion, and they're having fun together."

The fundamental premise behind Family Playlists, which teachers assign as homework intermittently - typically at the end of a unit - is that when students are asked to teach something, they learn it at a deeper level and strengthen their sense of self-reliance. That was my experience as a child, and it appeared to be shared by the eight sixth graders from South Bronx Prep I recently interviewed.

Jesmari Cruz, 11, was surprised to discover that her father, Luis, was good at math. However, she found that he had forgotten some things, like how to calculate perimeter. "So I had to teach him," she said. "First I explained it and gave him his own shape and let him do whatever work he understood, but then I had to explain it more to him, and help him break it down."

Madison Toro, 12, had a similar experience teaching her father, Eugene. "When we did polygons and shapes, I made mistakes and he corrected me," she said. "But I taught him about dividing fractions and how to make an improper fraction and a mixed number."

The students found that after having led parents and other relatives through a number of lessons, their parents started reminding them less often to do their homework - reflecting, perhaps, increased trust and confidence. Their biggest difficulty was having to translate math concepts for parents who weren't fluent in English. And their most common complaint was about parents being too busy with work and caring for younger siblings - and too distracted by cellphones - to give them their full attention. (Some children confiscated their parents' phones until the homework was done!)

The two fathers I interviewed were unabashedly enthusiastic. Luis Cruz, 36, who works as a housing certification agent, said of his daughter, Jesmari, "I love that she's bringing me back to my childhood because I don't remember that many things from school." He added: "Since she was little she's been smart, but she's shy and she used to hold herself back. I've seen a big change. She's opened up a lot. She's grown and she's got a big smile on her face. I like that."

Eugene Toro, 45, who works on immigration affairs in the mayor's office, said of his daughter Madison: "I think she's more confident in what she's learning because of this. She really understands the material and she has no problem explaining it to me, which is great when you want to become a leader. She's taking charge of her academic learning."

Arelys Arenas, a veteran sixth grade math teacher at South Bronx Prep, who began using the Family Playlists in 2016, recalled, "When I first started with this, my students used to say, 'I can't imagine teaching my father.'" But, she added: "When a kid has a chance to go home and explain something to their parent, they really learn it. They actually learn better with the freedom of being who they are - not being controlled by me."

Meghan Wells, director of family engagement for PowerMyLearning, modeled Family Playlists on a paper-based family engagement program developed at Johns Hopkins University named Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork or T.I.P.S. In a two-year study, T.I.P.S. had been found to have significantly improved family involvement and attitudes about math homework and boosted math scores on standardized tests.

"Students who have family or community members who are engaged and supportive of their learning are much more likely to do better in their classes, take harder classes and graduate from school," said Steven Sheldon, an associate professor in the School of Education at Johns Hopkins and a researcher in the school's Center on School, Family and Community Partnerships. He advised PowerMyLearning about how to adapt T.I.P.S. to a digital environment.

When the playlists were introduced at South Bronx Prep, they were met with some resistance. "Often teachers come into this thinking, 'O.K., fine. I'll do it. But this feels like I'm having to learn a new thing and I haven't seen family engagement mean anything for me before,'" said Wells. "And then they do it and it becomes an 'aha' moment, especially when they read the parents' comments."

Mallory Marra, a blended learning specialist and teacher coach for PowerMyLearning, recalled Arenas reading the parents' comments after assigning her first playlist assignment. "She was moved," said Marra. "They were filled with emotion and pride. The students were really taking their roles seriously and the parents appreciated it."

Arenas and other South Bronx Prep teachers have begun encouraging peer-to-peer teaching in class to prepare for family activities. "I call my classroom a 'good mess' now," Arenas said, "because my students are always talking loud explaining things to each other. I think it's amazing."

Toward the end of the year, Arenas decided to have her students design their own lesson plans to teach family members about polygons. She had the students pair up to practice on each other and walked around the class to check on them, Wells recalled. "She asked one student who was playing the role of the teacher, 'Is the other student learning it?' He said, 'Yes,' and she asked, 'How do you know?' and he said, 'I asked him this question and he got it right.' So she asked to see the question, then said, 'That looks like an easy question - how do you know he really knows it?' And the student said, 'Oh, yeah, you're right.'"

Wells added: "Suddenly they're realizing: 'Oh, the reason why Ms. Arenas is asking us questions and why the questions get progressively harder is she wants to know whether we know it. It's not to just make us struggle. So by having them do what she does to them, there's this nice loop where they understand better what it is to be a student because they understand better what it is to be a teacher."

PowerMyLearning is instituting this program in 20 schools to learn how to support it in a variety of school environments. The organization plans to make it available next year in 10 languages to at least 100 schools, including its full partnership network.

"This kind of family engagement is on the front lines of where things should go, but it's still very much the exception," Sheldon said. "Right now the conversation about homework is whether we should have it, or is it effective. We're not asking a more important question: Is there a different kind of homework that can give us better results? And I think interactive homework is much more effective. It's actually engaging all the resources at home to support learning, and it's much more enjoyable."

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Opinion | When Parents Teach Children (and Vice Versa)

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I was in the third grade the first time I taught math to my father. We were sitting at the kitchen table and he was helping me with a homework problem that involved fractions. I figured it out before him and showed him how I did it. His reaction made me feel proud.

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Creating an environment at school that promotes parent interaction and contribution of their childs educational experience is priceless.Parents sometimes view their child capabilities differently from what the student is actually producing in school.  It is critical for parents to be able to see their child work which helps parents understand how to help their child at home.
http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/bilingual-family-night-ell-families

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I thought the pedagogical pathways activity was really interesting. I had always wondered how schools can use the holiday season to teach students about different cultures. I found this Around the World through the Holidays picture book that I think would be an great way to get students interested in learning about the holidays of different cultures. I think it would also be really cool to have parents come read different sections of the book to the class.

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I think creating a Virtual Open House is such a neat idea, as it gives working, or timid parents the opportunity to step into their students’s classroom to see what their teachers and kids have been up to. The Virtual Open House takes minimal effort and is just another great example of how technology can bring the classroom to the parents. I will absolutely incorporate this idea into my classroom, as it will allow my families to be a part of their student’s school and education. The best thing is that the parent can attend on their schedule!

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/56646907796550481/

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This article nicely summarizes factors teacher should consider before selecting which technology tool for parent-teacher communication.  It also provides list of  tools that the teacher can use to establish a fruitful parent-teacher-student triad partnership.

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Co-authored by Lakshmi, a Mobicip blogger who is just as passionately opinionated about the juxtaposition of technology, parenting and education.
It may not take a village to raise a child anymore, but parents and teachers certainly continue to play a vital role in the growth of the child. Hitherto, the parents' and teachers' groups were largely disjoint with brief overlaps coinciding with "PTA" meetings where a five minute face-to-face was expected to exchange a semester-worth of information. With familial focus shifting from multi-children households to largely nuclear families with limited offspring, parents and teachers have come to expect more from their interactions with regard to their wards. Both sets of caregivers rightly believe now that teacher-parent communication fosters better understanding and collaboration between the classroom and home to make education a wholesome experience for the child. Indeed, research has shown that increased parent participation is a critical influence on student success.

Despite the known benefits of increasing parent participation in schooling, parent-teacher conferences can be stressful for teachers, especially in a competitive society that often breeds helicopter parenting and tiger parents. But beyond interpersonal strain that such meets can cause, the sheer volume of information that must be sorted and communicated can make such meets less than pleasant for the teacher. Through experience, teachers learn the best way to deal with the stressful experience and develop their own techniques to conduct smooth parent meetings that are productive and painless. Experience dictates that the teacher prepare in advance for the meet, provide both positive and negative feedback judiciously, listen not only to the spoken word, but also the implications of parents, and be pleasant.

With the inroads of technology into education, it is but logical that educators use technology to encourage meaningful parent participation and improve the experience for all concerned. Technology can enhance home-school communication in ways that alleviate communication challenges and barriers of time and distance that teachers and parents often face. There are many ways in which a teacher can use technology to improve the interaction, starting from scheduling to dissemination of student grade information, thus establishing avenues for parents to have a more meaningful role in education.

The selection of the technological tools for parent teacher communication must be based on the answers to the following questions:

What is the nature of the message to be communicated? Is it a private communication about a specific student, or news/message dissemination to the parent community as a whole?

What are the types of technology that both teachers and parents have access to?

What are their skills and willingness of parents and teachers to use the technology, and to what extent?

Should technology replace face-to-face communication or will it complement offline communication?

Some specific tools that the teacher can use to establish a fruitful parent-teacher-student triad partnership are as follows.

Email
Emails have replaced all conventional modes of communication in tech-savvy countries and are already used, especially in primary school, as a mode of communication between the teacher and students - announcements of assignments, submission of homework etc. have now already moved on in many schools to the digital classroom, to free the teacher of time, effort and paper clutter. The use of email communication between the teacher and parent can help ease the strain during parent teacher meets because any issue, problem or announcement can be communicated at the required time without waiting for a later scheduled meeting so that the issue can be addressed immediately. This also frees the teacher from remembering and collating information and messages over the year to be conveyed to the parent. The parent also benefits from being in email touch with the teacher because she can monitor the progress of her child, and know of problems that the child may be facing academically and otherwise. It must however be remembered by all parties concerned that the line between "awareness" and "obsession" is blurry and both parent and teacher must take care not to overstep limits beyond which the freedom and privacy of the child is invaded.

Apart from periodic email updates, weekly or fortnightly class newsletters could be created as a joint effort, to include examples of student work, and upcoming assignments. Such newsletters can be made a class assignment and include the syllabi in it, in terms of quizzes and creative assignments.

Web Pages and Lists
The more tech-fervent teacher may create, or guide creation of a class webpage that provides information and updates on class activities as a whole. This could be a joint effort by the teacher and the students, and will serve not only the purpose of communication, but also a learning experience for the teacher and student. The students get to use, and display their creativity, in addition to learning hands-on practical skills such as web design, the teacher herself gets to know the hidden talents and skills of her students, and the parents get to know what happens in class, a win-win-win situation all around. Again, the possible pitfall here could be distraction - the focus could get shifted from learning a curriculum to learning the technology without careful monitoring and control, and the experience of the teacher can come handy here.

Social Networking Tools
Social networking is a dicey tool that while allowing teacher to increase the level of communication using a recognizable social media format, possesses inherently a high risk of distraction. As a means for disseminating information and exhibiting and sharing the skills and talents of the students (through weblogs, for example), social networking can undoubtedly support the teacher-parent-student partnership.

Mobile Apps
Mobile apps are increasingly gaining acceptance as a medium of communication between parents and teachers. Mobile apps such as Remind (formerly Remind101) and ClassDojo are being used by millions of teachers, parents and students, without doubt a staggering rate of adoption for apps that were launched but a couple of years ago.

Video Conferencing and Video Podcasts
Occasional live video podcasts of class activities can make the parent feel more included in their child's education. This can give the parent first-hand account of how the class is conducted, how the students behave and what improvements could be needed to make the class better. This particular use of technology in the classroom is, however, fraught with practical difficulties. On the technical end is the setting up of a video capture system and transmitting it to the parents, but the more difficult task is to obtain permission from all parents because of privacy issues. Even if such videos are shared only with class parents, there may be objections from the parents, and often even students themselves, which must be taken into consideration.

Live Chats
The other side of video podcasts are live chats and video conferencing with parents. Video enhanced chat options are now aplenty and the parents and teachers can set up a convenient time to meet online to avoid schedule clashes and unnecessary travel. There are even free tools that allow live online collaborative sessions. Such tools allow multiple participants to communicate with one another to share ideas.

Portal (or Apps) for Grades, Events and Calendar
This is perhaps the least "social" and most utilitarian part of technology in the area of parent-teacher interactions. Rather than wait a semester or year to share grade information to parents, such information can be sent to parents as and when required so that any followup discussions are more relevant and apt. Many schools already use student management.

Susana Juniu has published a research article on computer-mediated parent-teacher communication and succinctly summarized the needs vis-à-vis application of technology in the classroom in the following table:

Technology allows parent-teacher interactions to be practical, positive and personal. Technology mediated communications tools such as videoconferencing, phone conferencing, online chats,and emails are already being discovered as efficient mediums to enhance school/home communication that allow teachers, parents, and students to stay connected and informed. Of course, there are occasions when teachers and parents must engage in a face-to face dialogue and online chat may not offer that level of "personal" touch and motivational spontaneity of a real-life interaction. Lack of computer access, and knowledge and skill in using technology and absence of interest in a new form of communication, by both teacher and parents, are some barriers to tech-enabled parent-teacher interactions. In such cases, a bare minimal use of technology must be encouraged that may include text-based and instant messaging and the use of tools that are more personalized to encourage active engagement.

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Using Technology to Enable Parent Teacher Communication

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Co-authored by Lakshmi, a Mobicip blogger who is just as passionately opinionated about the juxtaposition of technology, parenting and education. It may not take a village to raise a child anymore, but parents and teachers certainly continue to play a vital role in the growth of the child.

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I found on this website a variety of activities to use in class according to grade level and to have a better understanding of how other culture view and represent their traditions

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You and your child can learn about and celebrate different world cultures with these fun and engaging activities from Education.com.

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This article shows how you cam connect students prior knowledge to content. This will help engage students.
http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/connect-students-background-knowledge-content-ell-classroom

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A fun way to get students to share with the class about their family would be having them fill out a family tree with pictures of their family members. I would also have students label each member and what they call them in their native language.

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This article analyzes factors related to the implementation of effective parental involvement with ELLs such as characteristics of ELLs and barriers to parental engagement. It also introduces several models for ELL parental involvement as well as provides suggestions and recommendations of how to involve parents in schools.

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https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-resources/five-ways-to-engage-parents-of-ell-students/

I liked this article because it provided some similar and some different approaches to involving families in ELL student education. I especially liked the suggestion of tailoring your educational approach to a variety of cultural ideals and traditions. That will make students feel included and at home, even if there is a language barrier between the teacher and the ELL student.

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http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/how-reach-out-parents-ells

I thought that this Colorin Colorado article with tips on how to reach out to parents of ELL students was very helpful and tact for pre-service teachers. Their suggestions of using the parent's preferred language is a must, because it will help make the meeting smooth and the parents will feel welcome and open to communicate, particularly if there is a translator that can communicate in each language. Additionally, I liked the suggestion of educating parents on how the school system works in the United States. Often times, students come from different countries where what is expected of them and their parents is different than what we have established as a cultural norm, here.

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This article is a great read for teachers who are curious about how to become more aware of their students' cultures in the classroom. There are several resources out there to help educators connect with their students on a personal level.

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A person's culture deeply impacts his or her way of thinking and learning; that presents a special challenge to educators because modern classrooms often have a beautiful mishmash of students from different backgrounds. How can you adapt and demonstrate cultural awareness in your teaching? The following resources may help.

Pursue a Multicultural Mindset

The most diverse cities in the U.S. have fairly equal numbers of Hispanics, whites, blacks, and Asians/Pacific Islanders. If you are coming from a place with a fairly non-diverse population - or if you are just starting to notice that your classes are becoming more diverse - adjusting your mindset to take all cultures into account may be something of a lengthy process. These resources may help you make the transition.

In August 2014, Edutopia updated its list of cultural diversity resources for teachers. One of the standout resources on the list is an article from the Harvard Family Research Project. The article contains the viewpoints of several diversity education leaders and offers practical advice on how to approach cultural diversity.

The University of Minnesota presents a simple but insightful article that gives pointers on how to embrace cultural identity in the classroom. It starts with understanding that "culture is taught and caught." The article offers three tips for teachers that center around getting to know students and building meaningful relationships with them.

Tolerance.org provides a thought-provoking commentary on the impact that books can have on human perception of culture. Even individuals with the best intentions may be unaware that they exhibit cultural bias. One way to combat the subconscious pitfall is through diverse literature. The article gives a short list of books that feature people of varying backgrounds.

Teaching for Change offers a wealth of downloadable articles that focus on anti-bias early childhood education. The list includes attention-grabbing titles like "What if All the Kids are White?" and "Diversity Issues Are Sneaky." The articles on the list are available in both English and Spanish, making them more accessible to both standard and ESL classrooms.

Diverseeducation.com shares the thoughts of Dr. Marvin Lynn, the dean of the School of Education at Indiana University South Bend. Dr. Lynn points out that culturally inclusive teaching is too often more of a theory than a practice. He explains the benefits of the edTPA program, a teacher assessment that requires candidates to demonstrate how they give attention to their students' varying backgrounds.

An Australian university gives a useful look at the benefits and challenges of designing a curriculum that doesn't leave any student feeling alienated. The article also includes practical strategies for considering students with varying religious and cultural backgrounds. At the bottom of the page, you will find links to external resources.

The Lafayette Journal & Courier shares the challenges faced by schools in Tippecanoe County, Indiana. In recent years, the number of minority students in the county has grown significantly, and educators are struggling to cope with the cultural and linguistic challenges of reaching those students. The article may help you anticipate and understand some of the obstacles that come with a diverse classroom.

International schools face some unique challenges when it comes to cultural diversity. These schools' students are often from all across the globe, have limited English skills, and may even be unaccompanied minors. This article from NPR discusses how Flushing International High School in New York handles these challenges.

Connect With Students of All Backgrounds

After you have a well-rounded idea of what it means to have a culturally diverse class and the attitudes that should come along with it, it's time to formulate specific strategies that aim to ensure that every student in your class derives the most benefit possible from the information you present. There is no one tried-and-true formula for approaching cultural diversity, but these resources will give you a good idea of how to get started.

The University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia presents an article entitled "Designing culturally inclusive classrooms." It is aimed at university teachers, but you can apply the principles therein to K-12 classrooms as well. Tips include things like having a positive attitude toward diversity, setting clear expectations, and making students feel safe in the learning environment.

Cultural diversity involves more than simply what you do as an educator; it also involves what your students do. This list of resources from Kentucky's Department of Education includes lesson planning resources, lesson plans, and classroom activities that you can use to teach your students about diversity.

A person's cultural background can have a deep impact on how they learn. Edutopia offers pointers on how to help diverse learners thrive. Tips include setting high expectations, presenting culturally relevant instruction, and developing caring relationships with students. The article contains a link to a PDF file that gives further details.

Categorizing your students by culture instead of by their individual traits can make you miss out on connecting with them. A writer for EdWeek gives advice on how you can get to know students on a personal level through their writing assignments. You have to log in to the website to access the full article, but registration is free.

Becoming acquainted with your students is vital if you want to give them the personalized education they deserve. This infographic, published by Edudemic in August 2014, provides ideas for fun activities you can use to become more familiar with your pupils.

How can you go about learning about other cultures? This article from Community Tool Box answers that question in detail. It even includes a PowerPoint presentation that summarizes the article's key points.

Religion plays a pivotal role in many cultures. Religionfacts.com contains abundant information about major religions as well as religions you may never have heard of. If religious students are uncomfortable with certain assignments or activities, you may be able to use this website to find out why.

In Short

Cultural diversity is beautiful and should be embraced as an opportunity for learning rather than as a challenge. The above resources can help you become an effective educator whether your students are from your hometown or anywhere else in the world.

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15 Resources: Prepare for Cultural Diversity in Class

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A person's culture deeply impacts his or her way of thinking and learning; that presents a special challenge to educators because modern classrooms often have a beautiful mishmash of students from different backgrounds. How can you adapt and demonstrate cultural awareness in your teaching? The following resources may help.

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I LOVE blogs especially when they are offer resources along with their opinions. I came across this blog that provides links to parent-child programs. This particular link offers information about college readiness. The experience is different for every family especially if you are dealing with first generation college students.

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Middle and High School Development Programs for Hispanic Parents

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Find the best staff Development title I and title III books and programs for Parent Involvement Middle and High with English Learners at LatinoLiteracy.com

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This article is from a blog post where they asked What are some of the ways teachers can actively involve & connect with English Language Learners' parents? Many people responded and shared many great ways to involve parents. This is a great resource.

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Education Week - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo

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This week's question is:
What are some of the ways teachers can actively involve & connect with English Language Learners' parents?
Parent engagement can be a challenge to teachers, as contributors to this blog discussed in last week's two-part series: Seeing Families as 'Co-Creators' of our Schools and 'Successful Schools Solicit' Family Engagement. Engaging parents of English Language Learners can offer some unique challenges, as well as opportunities.

Rusul Alrubail is the guest writer/editor of today's post focusing on this topic. In addition to her own written commentary, she has collected contributions from educators Anna Bartosik, Jordan Lanfair, Anabel Gonzalez, Karen Nemeth, and Judie Haynes. You can listen to a ten-minute conversation I had with Rusul, Anna and Jordan on my BAM! Radio Show. You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.
Response From Rusul Alrubail
Rusul Alrubail is an Educator-in-Residence at Design Cofounders, where she helps with the development and facilitation of Education pathways in Design, Education & Entrepreneurship communities in Toronto. She also teaches composition, literature, and ELL to college students. Follow her on Twitter at @RusulAlrubail:
One of the hardest thing to go through as a parent is to watch your child struggle to learn a new language, as well as try to fit in socially at school. Building a relationship with parents and guardians of English language learners can help to alleviate some aspects of those stressors. What does building a relationship exactly mean when it comes to ELL parents? How does a teacher go about doing this? There are several strategies that teachers can practice and implement in their English Language learners parental outreach that can help to actively involve and connect with the parents. Answer their FAQs: Many ELL parents have questions that need to be answered when their sons/daughters first join the new school. Some of these questions might relate to the child's language level, making friends or doing homework. Invite them to ask these questions early on, as many of them might not feel comfortable to ask questions. In many cultures, asking questions might be inappropriate, or can seem to be challenging the authority of the teacher. It's best if the teacher specifically invites them to chat and share their concerns. A face to face chat can make a difference. Communicating questions and concerns through letters, or email might also be a good idea. Some parents might need help with the language themselves, seek out your school's resources and see if an translator can help out with communicating. Also, Google Translate is a fantastic resource to help with communicating and translating to parents some of the letters/emails/memos. Share Student Progress: Every parent is interested in knowing about the progress of their child in the classroom. Many parents of English language learners worry about progress as well as other aspects of school that may be challenging to ELLs. Making friends, learning the second language, and even the students' progress compared to others in the classroom are some of the concerns that parents have. Sharing the students' progress frequently helps to build a strong relationship with the parents and the student pedagogically. By sharing the student's' progress, the parent and the student will most likely start to have conversations about their progress, which will impact the student's' growth and learning in and out of the classroom. Have parents help the students with their homework. In the case that the parents don't understand the homework assignment (assignment should have clear & simple instructions), suggest to the parent to ask the student to explain the assignment. In this way, the parent will be able to see whether the student has a good grasp on the assignment themselves. Connect through Culture: Connecting ELL parents through a cultural understanding is the best way to build a strong relationship to ensure the student's success in school. Educating oneself about the race, culture and ethnicity by doing research will help to build a culturally competent foundation to communicating and connecting with the parents. It's important to be mindful, respectful, and understanding when it comes to different cultural practices, events and holidays. Create a class calendar where students can add their cultural holidays and traditions. In this way, the class can celebrate together by learning about the event. Inviting parents to such events helps them to feel welcome, and creates a safe environment for them. Connecting with ELL parents can be challenging due to cultural and language barriers, however, with a positive mindset, consistent communication and cultural understanding, a teacher can work together with the parent to ensure the best learning environment for the students.

Response From Anna Bartosik
Anna Bartosik, a Sheridan College ESL professor in Canada, is a teacher/facilitator with an extensive background in ESL/ELT education. Her current interests include instructional design, assessment and rubrics, program evaluation, story telling, motivation's role in learning, and incorporating educational technology in reading/writing classes for purposes of collaboration:
"Hello, my name is Mrs. Winters. I am your son's teacher. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?" I clearly recall my first parent/teacher interview. I remember the look of confusion that passed across the teacher's face when she heard me speak accent-less English. My son began school as a second language learner because I thought it was important for him to learn the language of my family's heritage. He had the ESL label on his file, and his teacher was expecting an uncomfortable exchange between parent and teacher. She got it, but not the one she was expecting. "But you're a native speaker. Why aren't you speaking English to your son?" Families shouldn't be discouraged from speaking their first language at home, whether they immigrate or are born in the country but speak another language at home. As our classrooms reflect a language and cultural melange, the tendency is to address the language and ignore how culture can play a role in parental involvement. Children are not the only ones learning; parents are learning the language but are also challenged with meeting the educational needs of their children in an unfamiliar system. Instead of simply focusing on the challenges of second language teaching, perhaps we should consider an alternative approach and think about creating a culturally responsive classroom that invites parents to interact and react. Here are some suggestions to reach out and connect with the parents of ESL learners. Express the value of communication and volunteerism in the classroom when meeting parents. They will appreciate the invitation to get involved. This is also your opportunity to ask a parent back for a more intimate meeting and get to know them better. While you have them in a room, try and talk to parents in a group and invite them into the classroom together to help. It is easier to say yes when you have someone else to work with. Prepare a short summary in bullet form of what you would like to talk about in a meeting and send it home beforehand. Benefit: the parent has some advance notice to prepare for the conversation If a translator is not available for a meeting, remember that the interview is with the parent, not the child. It's unfair to expect the child to take on the adult role of translator. Express your thoughts simply. Perhaps write them down so the parent can take the paper home and go over it with someone later on. Approach your monthly newsletters with the goal of interaction in mind, not just information-sharing. Include your contact information and communicate with parents your vision of their role in and outside of the classroom. Give them ideas for participating in their child's learning and reiterate your openness to interaction. Make yourself available to parents on social media. Post a video of yourself walking through the classroom before a school day begins, talking about the different things students will be doing. Watching a video about your plans is another way for parents to see how they can connect with their child's learning. Parents acquiring a language perceive cultural as well as linguistic obstructions to communication. Removing those barriers for parents allows them to grasp possibilities for meaningful exchanges with you and their children.
Response From Jordan Lanfair
Jordan Lanfair is currently a middle school ELA teacher on the west side of Chicago, IL. His background includes positions in the Middle East, Navajo Reservation and rural Illinois. His belief in social justice and curriculum reform leads to continued work and innovation for all students:
During the 2012-2013 school year, an estimated 9.2 million students were classified as English Language Learners. That number amounts to roughly 9.2 percent of the current public school population. ( USDOE, 2015). This represents a growing number of our schooling population and while schools are adjusting as best they can, for the average teacher, the question of how to actively connect and communicate with ELL parents takes center stage. While there are no quick fix solutions, the list begins and ends with a key recommendation: be open to learning from their experience. For willing parents, inviting them in to share their experiences can be a building block to a relationship of substance. Whether discussing immigration, adapting to the United States, or demonstrating cultural heritage for students, it can prove a remarkable source of first hand narrative and illuminate voices that are often silences in mainstream curriculum. Resources available to teachers interested in bridging the gap with parents of ELL students continue to grow with popular sites such as Class Dojo translating their parent communication handouts into multiple languages. The flipped classroom offers incredible opportunities and resources, ranging from translators to articles on different cultures. These resources are critical in communicating with parents as they not only demonstrate a willingness to learn and be moved by the opportunity afforded, but for the sake of practicality allow teachers to navigate possible cultural blind spots. Teachers truly interested in communicating with English Language Learners' parents must be willing to make it an active part of their instruction and classroom. Authentic communication and respect will yield the same, while calling your diverse parents whenever added diversity is needed will create hostile relationships and continue the diminished role of varied cultural backgrounds. Projects that emphasize different cultural aspects such as cooking, dress or language allow all students to explore parts of their heritage that they might not have been in contact with and provide safe spaces to question and learn. The American identity is built from the history, stories and backgrounds of immigrants. This understanding can be a lynchpin of a teachers approach towards parents of ELLs. They are helping to define the current American identity, and our interactions via curriculum, outreach and support must seek to help all students and all families move forward. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2015). The Condition of Education 2015 (NCES 2015-144), English Language Learners.

Response From Anabel Gonzalez
Anabel Gonzalez is a Secondary ESL Teacher with the Mooresville Graded School District in North Carolina. She teaches students in grades 7-12 of various backgrounds, languages, and English proficiency levels. She has been a member of the Center for Teaching Quality Collaboratory since 2014. Follow her on Twitter @amgonza. She has previously written Tips for Connecting With Non-English-Speaking Parents for Ed Week Teacher:
Using Technology to Engage Parents of ELLs With the increasing cultural and linguistic diversity in America's classrooms, communicating with some parents can be a daunting task. If you're fortunate to be fluent and/or literate in your students' home language, you have an advantage. Yet, even though I'm fluent in Spanish, it does me no good when I need to communicate with families who speak Vietnamese. While we can sometimes hire professional human translators, they are not always available at a moment's notice and then their fees might exceed our budget. Thankfully, we are in the 21st century and technology is here to the rescue. There are a number of tools that can help you bridge that communication gap. Here are a few of my favorites.

Google Translate. This tool can be a real lifesaver. Simply enter an English message and it will translate it into any of dozens of languages. For those families who may not be literate, click on the sound clip to have the message read in their preferred language. Install the app on a smartphone or tablet, and it allows users to use a stylus or finger to write words, to speak into the device or to simply hover over text for instant translation. And if you receive a parent note but have no idea what language it's written in, the nifty auto detection feature will detect the language you are entering.

Remind. This is a free and simple way to send notifications as a text message right to someone's mobile phone without giving out our personal phone number. It also has a private chat feature that enables one-to-one communication. Best of all, by only the tap of a button, it instantly translates an English message into any of 90+ languages. If you have a predominant language represented in your student body, for example Spanish or Russian, you can set up a group in the target language so you can communicate with those parents, even if you aren't literate in their language.

Class Dojo. Developed as a behavior management tool, Class Dojo is a communication platform that engages parents by sending text and/or email notifications. In recent months, they added Class Story. With Class Story, teachers can share moments like projects, field trips, and other celebrations with parents. For non-English speaking families, stories can be translated into 30 different languages.
While a trained human translator is always preferable to a website or app, we don't always have the luxury of hiring one. These tools aren't perfect, but they work fairly well. If used consistently, they will generate much needed-support, which should eventually "translate" to an improved school experience. For more tips on connecting with non-English speaking parents, please check out my recent article.

Response From Karen Nemeth
Karen Nemeth, Ed.M. is an author, consultant and advocate focusing on early childhood education for ELLs/DLLs. She has leadership roles in NAEYC, NABE, and TESOL. She hosts a resource website at www.languagecastle.com:
I work primarily with preschool programs and early childhood educators. They have the unique responsibility of getting each family started on their path of engaging in their child's educational career. Those first family engagement experiences can set the stage for many years to come. To begin good relationships with families of ELLs/DLLs, I always start the discussion by suggesting three strategies: 1. Start with pictures. Emailing or texting a parent with a photo of their child having a good day is a positive step toward building rapport that is practically irresistible in any language. At the beginning of the school year, communications should always be warm and welcoming. 2. Create a diversity committee. Involve experienced bilingual family members in school decisions and activities so they are well-prepared to serve as ambassadors to newcomer families. They can call new families to invite them to school events and they can help them understand policies and procedures. 3. Explain things. Be explicit about how families can help the school in general, and their child in particular. It is important to realize that many of the things we ask and expect of family members here are unique to American schools. We can't assume that newcomers understand what "back to school night" is, why they should come in to volunteer in their child's classroom. Administrators often say they host several events for families each year, but they are not well attended despite the many notices, newsletters, and text messages they send out to families. One principal explained that she saw a real change when her school changed its focus. They asked families how they wanted to receive communications from school and they cut way down on flooding everyone with too many words. They also asked families what would make them take the time from their demanding schedules to come to school and get involved. Then, they flipped their activities from large group entertainment/information events to individual opportunities for each family to help make the school better. When families felt heard and needed and valued, they were much more likely to find a time in their schedule to participate. This kind of participation breeds true engagement in the four key focus areas: * Engaging families in their child's learning. * Engaging families as active participants in the school community. * Engaging families to improve two-way communication * Engaging families to make sure they receive the support they need to ensure their child's school success. Strategies include hosting a classroom re-design day, inviting families to build a school garden, asking family members to share their talents and interests with the children or in the school office, and holding a toy-making workshop for parents. Families that are hardest to connect with are often the families that need our help the most. True parent engagement can not be about getting parents to go along with what the school wants. True parent engagement has to be about finding a way to build a relationship with each individual family on their own terms with all four of the key focus areas in mind.
Response From Judie Haynes
Judie Haynes is a former K-6 ESL: teacher, professional development provider and author with 32 years of experience working with English language learners, their parents and their general education teachers. She has authored and co-authored six books including The Essential Guide for Educating Beginning English Learners (with Debbie Zacarian)(Corwin, 2012). Judie writes a bi-monthly blog for TESOL and is co-moderator of #ELLCHAT.a Twitter chat for teachers of ELLs:
To successfully connect with parents of English learners, schools make a whole-school effort to establish a welcoming environment and build bridges that go both ways. This can not usually be accomplished by individual teachers working on their own. One of the key techniques for schools to connect with and engage parents of English language learners is to plan a meeting at the beginning of the school year. Schools needs to help parents understand how U.S. schools work. For example, a school may want to explain their policy for reporting an absence or talk about after-school programs. They also need to listen to parents' concerns about the education of their children. Letters of invitation for all meetings should be sent to the parents of ELLs in their first language,. It is also helpful to send a reminder letter the day before the meeting or have a native speaker call parents on the phone to remind them. Keep in mind that many parents do not come to meetings because they don't have transportation or they lack childcare for younger children. They also don't know what is expected of them at a school meeting. Schools need to keep this in mind and provide transportation and childcare for parents. They need to have translators explain the purpose of the meeting. Some ideas to present are to ask the community liaison from the police to explain traffic and other safety issues. Have the school nurse to talk with parents about health issues and how to get health care. Ask an administrator to explain some of the school policies. Parents always want to know about report cards, homework and testing. All of these presentations should be translated for parents. Encourage parents to come into the school and classroom by involving them in school projects that include their children. Encourage parents to come in to talk to their child's class about their home culture. Make sure parents know about the school's art show, science fair, bake sales and concerts. Ask parents of ELLs to chaperon a field trip. Explain to parents how important it is for them to come to school events.. Many school districts are making a concerted attempt to advance student learning through programs to engage parents in their child's education. This initiative could great effect the education of English learners in the schools where it is being implemented. Some of the strategies used to build these programs include:

Professional development programs to build teacher knowledge of how to collaborate with parents including those from diverse language and cultural backgrounds.

Building time into teacher's schedule to support parent engagement on the part of teachers.

Identify community leaders who can enhance communication with the parents of ELs. i.e. local church and business leaders who are from the same language and cultural background.

Support translation services for families who do not speak English.

Find local services that support the health needs of the families of ELLs.

Zacarian D. & Haynes, J. (2012) The Essential Guide For Educating Beginning English Learners, Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Thanks to Rusul, Anna, Jordan, Anabel, Karen, and Judie for their contributions, and a special second thanks to Rusul for guest-editing today's post!

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] .When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it's selected or if you'd prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo.

Anyone whose question is selected for weekly column can choose one free book from a number of education publishers.

Education Week has published a collection of posts from this blog -- along with new material -- in an ebook form. It's titled Classroom Management Q&As: Expert Strategies for Teaching.
Just a reminder -- you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email or RSS Reader... And,if you missed any of the highlights from the first four years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below. They don't include ones from this current year, but you can find them by clicking on the "answers" category found in the sidebar.
Classroom Management Student Motivation Implementing The Common Core The Best Ways To Begin & End The School Year Teaching Social Studies Project-Based Learning Brain-Based Learning Using Tech In The Classroom Parent Engagement In Schools Teaching English Language Learners Student Assessment Teaching Reading & Writing Education Policy Issues Differentiating Instruction Author Interviews Teaching Math & Science Professional Development Teacher & Administrator Leadership Relationships In Schools Instructional Strategies This Year's Most Popular Q & A Posts!
Look for the next "question-of-the-week" in a few days.....

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Response: Building Relationships With Families of ELLs

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This week's question is: What are some of the ways teachers can actively involve & connect with English Language Learners' parents? Parent engagement can be a challenge to teachers, as contributors to this blog discussed in last week's two-part series: Seeing Families as 'Co-Creators' of our Schools and 'Successful Schools Solicit' Family Engagement.

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While this video is in Spanish (there are English subtitles), I think it provides a lot of great information. It talks directly to the parents of ELLs and how much they want to be involved in their child's education, but they don't feel helped always. They also talk about how Latino students are the highest dropout rates among students. Take a look if you have ELLs in your classroom. It will really make you empathize with these parents. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_-aLWOk9Og

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This article has great suggestions on how teachers can get parents of ELLs more involved. A suggestion I found really beneficial was hosting a Spanish language back-to-school night. The article suggests to make sure to have a good interpreter set up ahead of time. This way, ELL parents will feel involved and will be informed throughout the school year. Not only can teachers use this idea for Spanish speaking parents, they can do it for any language.
http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/how-reach-out-parents-ells

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This is a fascinating article from The Atlantic that examines how charter schools in Texas have better served and educated ESL students than their public school counterparts (this is on a large scale investigation). The article examine what exactly is the explanation for this fact, and a big reason proffered might the freedom that charter schools are afforded which allows them more creative ways to scaffold knowledge for their students. Moreover, this article was written 3 years ago, so it would be interesting to see if this results have held consistent.

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This article is from the archive of our partner

Understanding the opportunity and achievement gaps in U.S. universities
Read more

Charter schools, it turns out, are doing a better job of educating English-language learners than traditional public schools. That's a bright spot in an otherwise bleak report on Texas charters.

And that's an interesting finding because, as the number of English-language learners in the United States, and in Texas specifically, has climbed so have the theories about how best to serve these students. According to government data, these students made up more than 9 percent of all students nationally in 2012 and more than 15 percent of the student body in Texas.

The report, from Stanford University's Center for Research on Education Outcomes, finds that English-language learners in charter schools come away with 50 more days of learning in reading and 22 in math compared with their peers in traditional public schools. Children living in poverty, particularly Latino students, also showed greater gains at charters.

This article is part of our Next America: Higher Education project, which is supported by grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Lumina Foundation.

About the Author

Emily DeRuy is a former staff writer at The Atlantic, where she covered education.

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Charter Schools Are Especially Good for ELL Students

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This article is from the archive of our partner Understanding the opportunity and achievement gaps in U.S. universities Read more Charter schools, it turns out, are doing a better job of educating English-language learners than traditional public schools. That's a bright spot in an otherwise bleak report on Texas charters.

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This article provides how to help with home school relationships. The website is great and offers many other articles related to education.

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Leer en español (read in Spanish)
Week after week, Maria Arias Evans has to face her failure.

The 60 to 70 parents who crowd the library here at Washington Elementary School each Thursday morning, chatting in Spanish and snacking on sweets donated by a local bakery, are the product of years of dogged relationship-building led by the veteran principal.

When Arias Evans began the Madre a Madre parent program, five or fewer people would show up for the weekly sessions.

Where others see success, Arias Evans sees a shortcoming: Twelve years ago, she set out with the goal of attracting 100 parents every week. It's all part of a painstaking plan to boost literacy in English and Spanish at Washington Elementary, a 425-student school near the city's downtown. Four out of every five students on campus is an English-language learner.

Arias Evans knows, and research shows, that children whose parents are involved in supporting their learning do better in school. For English-learners, parent involvement is especially important for supporting successful language development.

Parents who speak Spanish or another language should encourage and support their child's development and literacy in the home language, which can benefit their English-learning, research from the Center for Early Education Development at the University of Minnesota has shown.

That's why the school library at Washington Elementary opens 50 minutes before the first bell and stays open 50 minutes after school ends each day. Parents pull Spanish and, if they're comfortable, English books from the shelves to share with their children.

Then, when classes begin, transitional kindergarten and kindergarten classrooms for 4- and 5-year-olds are open for parents to do the same. The open-door policy draws dozens of families each morning.

"We want to send a message: 'We expect you. We invite you,' " Arias Evans said. "We want to build a routine, so that it becomes part of the day."

Not all schools are so welcoming.

"Most schools kick parents out when the bell rings," said Maria Estela Zarate, an associate professor at California State University, Fullerton's College of Education.

A decade ago, Zarate's research on Latino parents found that schools and families have much different perceptions of what constitutes good parental involvement.

Tapping parent focus groups in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York, Zarate reported that communication activities with schools were impersonal and infrequent, and that parents rarely heard from anyone unless their child had an academic or discipline problem.

That approach can be discouraging for parents for whom language is already a barrier to school participation and engagement, San Jose school officials said.

But the disconnect doesn't stop there.

The teachers and school administrators that Zarate met with felt that the more traditional back-to-school nights, open houses, and parent-teacher conferences were important venues to communicate about students' academic progress. The Latino families that took part in the study didn't.

The findings are in sync with prior research findings that, in some Hispanic cultures, parents view teachers as the experts and defer education decision-making to them.

"The biggest challenge is not having the intimate knowledge about these families and their cultural practices and expectations for their children," Zarate said.

Welcoming Latino Parents in Schools

Some schools have found understanding those things more difficult than others.

San Jose school leaders have strived to make their campuses more welcoming places, said Jason Willis, the district's assistant superintendent for community engagement and accountability.

"Parents showing up on our campuses should be an invitation to learn," Willis said.

Less than two miles from Washington Elementary, another San Jose school, Olinder Elementary, has garnered attention from the White House for its parent-engagement efforts.

The White House and the U.S. Department of Education honored Christian Rubalcaba, who was a teacher at Olinder, for developing strong parent-school relationships. Since he came to Olinder in 2010, Rubalcaba, now an instructional coach at the school, has visited the homes of all his students during the first month of each school year, as part of a program now known as Mr. R's Home-to-School Connection.

Alejandra Ceja, the executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, visited the school in March to discuss parent engagement and efforts to recruit and retain Latino teachers.

A Chicago native and a product of that city's public schools, Rubalcaba didn't have a Latino teacher until he left for college.

Rubalcaba's ability to speak Spanish has opened doors for him in a community where many families who may be undocumented immigrants can be leery of outsiders and see school and home as distinctly separate entities.

English-Learners' Families Are Diverse

But even among native Spanish-speaking English-learners, Hispanics are a diverse group that defy simple categorization. Factoring in country of origin and citizenship status alone can make it more difficult to develop universal strategies to boost parental involvement, advocates and researchers said.

In Zarate's study, English-speaking parents reported that email and web postings were a convenient way to communicate with teachers.

That's not an option for parents who don't read or write English, many of whom have little or no contact with teachers because reaching them by phone can prove challenging during the school day. Many of the parents also reported that campus security measures discouraged them from visiting classrooms during school hours without appointments.

"We shouldn't be saying, 'Your culture needs to fit exactly what we're doing at school,' " said Tina Durand, an associate professor of human development at Wheelock College in Boston.

Durand's research has focused on the nature of Latino parent involvement in their children's schooling, Latino parents' cultural beliefs about education, and effective partnerships between schools and Latino families. The studies and analyses have shown that parent involvement is a significant predictor of children's literacy skills, and that bonds formed with other parents at the school may help increase school involvement among Latino families.

Research has shown that some Latino parents aim to ensure that their children behave and focus in class, which paves the way for learning in the classroom. While some teachers may simply see their actions as parenting, Zarate's focus group participants considered it "education from the home."

"We have to think about the biases and misperceptions we have of families, and that may include English-learners," Durand said. "We have to want to make those connections and we may have to work harder to do so."

A 2015 report makes the case that communities looking to improve education for school-aged English-language learners should also offer services to their parents.

The study from the Center for American Progress-"The Case for a Two-Generation Approach for Educating English Language Learners" -found that limited English skills for parents and students "can create a poverty trap for families" and argues that engaging them simultaneously improves the academic and educational well-being of both generations. Research has shown that English-learners who do not reach proficiency can often end up illiterate in two languages, effectively unable to read or write in either.

The report author, Tracey Ross, examined how the Oakland, Calif., district prioritizes family engagement at school to help parents become better advocates for their children. Nearly a third of students in that district are English-learners.

"It can't be a one-size-fits-all approach. Each family has a unique situation, unique work schedules, their own children have unique needs," said Ross, the associate director of the Poverty to Prosperity Program at the Center for American Progress, a Washington-based policy think tank. "It's a challenge to reach the most marginalized communities to begin with."

It's a struggle that Arias Evans, the principal at Washington Elementary, knows well. Many families arrive at her school because of a lack of education and opportunity in Mexico.

Helping ELLs' Parents Realize Dreams

Plenty of parents have little more than a 6th-grade education, and more than 90 percent of families at her school live in poverty. She's visited students and found them living with eight or nine other people in a 500-square-foot apartment.

"No wonder reading is not the priority," she said.

That's why she opens the library doors, hosts Monday morning coffees, and leads the Madre a Madre sessions, where she honors parents as Las Joyas de Washington, the Jewels of Washington. Regular participants have bejeweled crowns on display on a prominently placed library bulletin board. Parents can earn sapphires, rubies, and other gemstones for volunteering on campus in a host of ways, including reading to children.

Arias Evans understands that parents in her community may need access to health care, food pantries, and other supplemental services, but she also wants them to give back when and where they can. For some, it's a weekend campus cleanup. For others, it's founding an after-school reading program, like Juanita Escamilla did.

As a child, Escamilla wanted to work as a teacher. Though her dreams to do that were dashed, she has helped to build the capacity for future educators in her community, Escamilla said through a translator.

"Even if families don't have the education we do, there are gifts that they can bring," said Durand, the Wheelock College professor.

The school's most earnest volunteers, such as PTA President Adriana Leon, rack up more than 300 service hours per school year. The mother of two children at Washington and a teenager who came up through the school, Leon came to the United States in 1999 to learn English. Seventeen years later, she's still tussling with the language. But she's amazed by her 5-year-old's growing grasp of English and his development in Spanish reading and writing.

"I did not realize my dreams to become fluent in two languages," Leon said through a translator, "but my children will be."

Published in Print: May 11, 2016, as Home-School Connections Help ELLs and Their Parents

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Home-School Connections Help ELLs and Their Parents

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Leer en español (read in Spanish) Week after week, Maria Arias Evans has to face her failure. The 60 to 70 parents who crowd the library here at Washington Elementary School each Thursday morning, chatting in Spanish and snacking on sweets donated by a local bakery, are the product of years of dogged relationship-building led by the veteran principal.

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This article provides tips for communicating for ESL families, but some of the tips are good reminders for communicating with anybody.
https://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2015/12/01/tips-for-connecting-with-non-english-speaking-parents.html

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Keeping parents in the loop is always a good idea. In this digital world, it has become increasingly easy to keep parents informed and up-to-date about their child. Today’s technology allows us to connect with parents in an instant. Luckily, there are a variety of avenues that can help strengthen your partnership with parents, from apps to websites, to nightly notebooks and newsletters.

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Keeping parents in the loop is always a good idea. In this digital world, it has become increasingly easy to keep parents informed and up-to-date about their child. Today's technology allows us to connect with parents in an instant. Luckily, there are a variety of avenues that can help strengthen your partnership with parents, from apps to websites, to nightly notebooks and newsletters. Here are the top 5 (teacher-tested) positive parent-teacher communication ideas.

If you haven't heard of the Remind app yet, then this is one that you will need to take a closer look at. It is one of the most popular parent-teacher communication apps on the market. Whether you teach kindergarten or 12th grade, it will work for you and your students. It's easy to sign up, all you have to do is give your students the access code to join. Once you're in, teachers can send reminders, assignments, homework information, or messages directly to students' or parents' phones. Middle and high school teachers love this app because they can text their students reminders. We all know how teens are texting pros and never leave home without their phones, so you know they will be sure to get the message. There will be no more, "I didn't know what the homework was" or "I didn't know when it was due." The app is free, and everyone's privacy is protected, so communicating with this app just makes sense.

The Bloomz App

The Bloomz app is another teacher favorite, especially among elementary schools. Again, parents will need an access code to join, and it's free and protects your privacy. With Bloomz, parents can message the teacher as well as other parents in the classroom. Parents are also able to "Like" photos or documents posted by the teacher (similar to Facebook). One of the features teachers find the most valuable is the digital sign-up sheet. This option eliminates the need to send home a physical sign-up sheet, which is great if you're looking to not waste any more paper. There is also a calendar feature which is nice for remembering important dates and events. The bottom line is that this app has everything you need to communicate with parents in one easy app.

A Nightly Notebook

Parent communication notebooks have been around for a while now. This is probably due to how effective teachers think they are as a means of communication. Each night, students bring home their notebook with their homework, messages from the teacher, etc., and the parents must sign the book showing that they have checked over all of the contents of the notebook. It's an easy way to ensure a positive home-school connection.

Weekly Newsletter

Weekly newsletters have also been around for some time now. A newsletter usually entails important dates or events coming up, or shows pictures or projects that students have been working on. Traditionally, classroom teachers would send home a newsletter at the beginning of the week, telling the parents what their child should expect to happen that week, or at the end of the week telling the parents what the child has done during the week. However, within the past few years, teachers have crossed over into the digital age and now like to email the newsletter or post it onto their classroom website. If you're looking to kick your classroom newsletter up a notch, then I suggest checking out the free website called Smore. This website allows you to create fun and whimsical newsletters.

Class Website

Technology has made it extremely easy to communicate with parents, so many teachers opt to create a classroom website. Weebly and Educatorpages are just two of the many free websites teachers use to communicate with their students and their parents. These sites are easy to build and navigate, and not to mention they help you keep organized while maintaining that critical parent teacher communication.

In short, if you want to have a positive parent-teacher experience, then you want to choose one of above ways to communicate. In this digital age, parents want access to their child's education, without the hassle of having to come into the classroom, or talk on the phone. Any of these ideas will help keep parents in the loop, all you have to do is choose which option is best for you and your students.
What is your favorite parent-teacher communication method? Please share your tips and experiences in the comment section below, we would love to hear what you have to say.
Janelle Cox is an education writer who uses her experience and knowledge to provide creative and original writing in the field of education. Janelle holds master's of science in education from the State University of New York College at Buffalo. She is a contributing writer to TeachHUB.com, TeachHUB Magazine, and Skyward. She was also the Elementary Education Expert for About.com for five years. You can follow her on Twitter @Empoweringk6ed, on Facebook at , or contact her at Janellecox78@yahoo.com.

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5 Positive Parent-Teacher Communication Ideas

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Keeping parents in the loop is always a good idea. In this digital world, it has become increasingly easy to keep parents informed and up-to-date about their child. Today's technology allows us to connect with parents in an instant.

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This article gives 8 strategies for elementary students specifically working on literacy. It discusses how to group students. It also focuses on how the home language of the student should still be used in the classroom of English language learning. Some of these activities do specifically have to occur in the classroom with other students, but some of them can be sent home to work on individual sounds.

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Early childhood education can play an essential role in preparing young English language learners (ELLs) for later success in school. Children who have an opportunity to develop basic foundational skills in language and literacy in preschool enter kindergarten ready to learn to read and write (Ballantyne, Sanderman, & McLaughlin, 2008).

But how can early childhood educators know if their programs are providing children with the skills they need? This article will describe some of the methods and strategies that research has proven effective in preparing young ELLs for kindergarten.

Language Development for Preschool ELLs

Essential to any preschool program for ELLs is effective instruction in language development. Children need explicit instruction in English vocabulary, as well as opportunities to hear and speak the language throughout the day. Examples of strategies are listed below.

5 Classroom Strategies: Language

Provide explicit, systematic instruction in vocabulary.

Children require multiple exposures to words in order to develop a rich understanding of their meaning and use. Teachers should make a point of introducing interesting new words for children to learn into each classroom activity (Tabors, 2008).

Presenting vocabulary thematically helps children make associations between words and scaffolds students' learning (McGee & Richgels, 2003).

Read-alouds that include explanations of targeted vocabulary can support word learning (Brabham & Lynch-Brown, 2002; Coyne, Simmons, Kame'enui, & Stoolmiller, 2004), as can dramatic play organized around a carefully chosen theme (Barone & Xu, 2008; Tabors, 2008).

Ensure that ELLs have ample opportunities to talk with both adults and peers and provide ongoing feedback and encouragement.

English language learners need lots of opportunities to engage in social interactions with other children, but they also need support from adults as they develop the language skills they need to negotiate those interactions (Ballantyne et al., 2008). You can use the following strategies to foster social interaction:

For group activities, pair English language learners with children who have strong English language skills, and make sure that all the children who speak the same home language (L1) are not grouped together (Barone & Xu, 2008).

Provide opportunities for self-directed activities so that ELLs can choose activities that match both their interests and their language abilities (Bunce & Watkins, 1995).

Encourage child talk by providing prompts when children need help in expressing themselves (e.g., "Tell Bobby, 'May I have the red crayon now?'").

Use open questions, or questions that can have multiple answers, to help ELLs expand their own utterances (e.g., "Why do you like this doll best?" instead of "What is this doll's name?").

Expose ELLs to rich language input.

Exposure to rich language, whether through shared book reading or through teacher talk, has been shown to enhance children's oral language development (Aukrust, 2007; National Early Literacy Panel, 2008). One effective strategy is for the teacher to provide an ongoing commentary on activities that are taking place in the classroom in order to expose children to language associated with the immediate context (Bunce & Watkins, 1995; Tabors, 2008).

Structure the classroom space and routine to provide scaffolding for ELLs' language learning.

Arrange the classroom in a way that supports each type of instructional activity that will take place, and then keep changes to the physical environment to a minimum. Once ELLs learn which activities take place in various parts of the classroom (e.g., centers, circle), the physical environment will cue them as to what they are to do and how they are to behave in that area (Barone & Xu, 2008).

Predictable classroom routines can also provide scaffolding for English language learners by allowing them to anticipate what will happen each day, including the type of language they will need for each activity (Bunce & Watkins, 1995; Tabors, 2008).

Encourage continued L1 language development.

Strong L1 skills support both language and literacy learning in English:

Encourage parents to talk and read to their children in their home language as a way of strengthening children's L1 language skills.

Incorporate children's home language in the classroom when possible. Songs and videos can be used effectively for this purpose if teachers do not speak their students' language (Gillanders, 2007).

Literacy Development for Preschool ELLs

Research has shown that alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, and print awareness are early literacy skills that contribute significantly to later reading achievement (National Early Literacy Panel, 2008). English language learners can begin to develop these essential foundational skills in preschool, even before they have developed strong English language skills.

Early Literacy Skills

Alphabet knowledge

Skills appropriate to preschool include recognizing and naming upper and lower case letters and beginning to associate letters with the sounds they make.

Phonological awareness

Phonological awareness refers to the ability to manipulate the sounds that make up language, independent of meaning. In preschool, children benefit from:

learning to recognize rhyming words

listening for syllables within words

learning to recognize beginning sounds in words

matching those sounds to letters

Print awareness

Print awareness is an understanding of the features of books and print. Children should:

be taught to recognize the parts of a book (e.g., front and back covers, top and bottom)

learn that printed letters and words run from left to right and from top to bottom

learn that a book has a title, was written by an author, and has illustrations that were drawn by an illustrator

3 Classroom Strategies: Literacy

Design instruction that focuses on all of the foundational literacy skills.

Activities that promote early literacy skills in preschool include:

interactive storybook reading

"pretend" reading and writing

games and other activities to help children identify the letters of the alphabet

interactive experiences with language and print through poems, nursery rhymes and songs

The emphasis should be on code-based instruction, or instruction that helps children understand the relationship between spoken language and print (National Early Literacy Panel, 2008).

Recognize that many literacy skills can transfer across languages.

A child who has developed early literacy skills in his or her first language will find it easier to develop those same skills in English. Parents who are not proficient in English should be encouraged to help prepare their children for learning to read by using the home language to:

teach rhymes and songs

play word games

share storybooks

Teachers can support parent-child reading by sending home books in the child's home language. This makes L1 text available to parents, and it lets them know that the teacher considers reading to children in the home language to be important.

Accelerate English literacy development by helping ELLs make the connection between what they know in their first language and what they need to know in English.

Similarities between English and the child's home language can be used as a foundation for instruction (Helman, 2004). For example, if L1 has some of the same phonemes as English, start with those phonemes for rhyme or beginning sound activities because those are sounds the child is already familiar with.

Children usually have the most difficulty when they encounter sounds that are present in English but do not occur in their home language. For this reason, Spanish L1 speakers often have difficulty with the "short" or lax sounds of a, e, i, and u and with the consonants j, r, v, and z (Bear, Templeton, Helman, & Baren, 2003; Helman, 2004).

Preparing for the Future

Much attention has been given to the persistent achievement gap between English language learners and their English-speaking peers. Unfortunately, by the time children arrive in kindergarten, differences in foundational language and literacy skills have often already set the stage for this disparity in achievement (Miller & Garcia, 2008).

The good news, however, is that recent research has shown that high-quality early childhood education programs can have a significant impact on children's later academic achievement (Barnett, 2008). Programs that provide research-based, age-appropriate instruction in early language and literacy skills can ensure that English language learners enter school equipped with the tools they need to be successful learners in kindergarten and beyond (Ballantyne et al., 2008).

Aukrust, V. G. (2007). Young children acquiring second language vocabulary in preschool group time: Does amount, diversity, and discourse complexity of teacher talk matter? Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 22, 17-38.

Ballantyne, K. G., Sanderman, A. R., & McLaughlin, N. (2008). Dual language learners in the early years: Getting ready to succeed in school. Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition.

Barnett, W. S. (2008). Preschool education and its lasting effects: Research and policy implications. Retrieved 6/3/2009, from http://nieer.org/resources/research/PreschoolLastingEffects.pdf

Barone, D., & Xu, S. H. (2008). Literacy instruction for English language learners Pre-K-2. New York: The Guilford Press.

Bear, D. R., Templeton, S., Helman, L. A., & Baren, T. (2003). Orthographic development and learning to read in two different languages. In G. G. GarcÃa (Ed.), English learners: Reaching the highest level of English literacy (pp. 71-95). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Brabham, E. G., & Lynch-Brown, C. (2002). Effects of teachers' reading-aloud styles on vocabulary acquisition and comprehension of students in the early elementary grades. Journal of Educational Psychology, 94, 465-473.

Bunce, B. H., & Watkins, R. V. (1995). Language intervention in a preschool classroom: Implementing a language-focused curriculum. In M. L. Rice & K. A. Wilcox (Eds.), Building a language-focused curriculum for the preschool classroom: Vol. I. A foundation for lifelong communication (pp. 39-71). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Coyne, M. D., Simmons, D. C., Kame'enui, E. J., & Stoolmiller, M. (2004). Teaching vocabulary during shared storybook readings: An examination of differential effects. Exceptionality, 12(3), 145-162.

Gillanders, C. (2007). An English-speaking prekindergarten teacher for young Latino children: Implications for the teacher-child relationship on second language learning. Early Childhood Education Journal, 35, 47-54.

Helman, L. A. (2004). Building on the sound system of Spanish: Insights from the alphabetic spellings of English-language learners. The Reading Teacher, 57(5), 452-460.

McGee, L. M., & Richgels, D. J. (2003). Designing early literacy programs: Strategies for at-risk preschool and kindergarten children. New York: The Guilford Press.

Miller, L. S., & Garcia, E. E. (2008). A reading-focused early childhood education research and strategy development agenda for African Americans and Hispanics at all social class levels who are English speakers or English language learners. Phoenix: Arizona State University, Office of the Vice President for Education Partnerships.

National Early Literacy Panel. (2008). Developing early literacy: A scientific synthesis of early literacy development and implications for intervention. Washington, DC: National Institute for Literacy.

Tabors, P. O. (2008). One child, two languages: A guide for early childhood educators of children learning English as a second language (2nd ed.). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

You are welcome to print copies or republish materials for non-commercial use as long as credit is given to Colorín Colorado and the author(s). For commercial use, please contact info@colorincolorado.org.

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8 Strategies for Preschool ELLs' Language and Literacy Development

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Early childhood education can play an essential role in preparing young English language learners (ELLs) for later success in school. Children who have an opportunity to develop basic foundational skills in language and literacy in preschool enter kindergarten ready to learn to read and write (Ballantyne, Sanderman, & McLaughlin, 2008).

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This article has some tips on how we can connect with ELL parents. I have a lot of anxiety about this particular topic, so this was helpful for me to read.

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American schools are becoming more culturally and linguistically diverse. While many students quickly attain proficiency in English, there's often a language barrier when communicating with parents. As an ESL teacher, overcoming language and cultural barriers have become part of my job description. Although I'm fortunate to be fluent and literate in Spanish, many of my students and their families are not Spanish speaking, so I find myself in the same predicament as many regular education teachers when having to communicate with non-English-speaking parents.

While Spanish may be the most common home language of many multilingual students, there are pockets of the country where other languages, such as Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Hmong, Haitian Creole, and Arabic are widely spoken. Perhaps you have a Spanish-speaking staff member on your campus to assist with parent meetings, but if a family speaks another foreign language, you may be in a bind. Conversely, some families are indeed English speaking, and while their accents may be heavy, English is their language of choice, so communication may be challenging. Despite any language barriers, it behooves us to reach out to those of different languages and cultures so they feel welcome and comfortable in our schools.

Here are some tips to help teachers connect with these families:

1. Listen and learn. Ask questions, read, and take the time to learn about their language and heritage. Avoid stereotypes at all cost. Whether you have a predominantly Hispanic, Asian, Arab, or European student population, ethnic groups come in all colors, shapes, and sizes-not to mention dialects and religious backgrounds. Don't assume anything. People within the same ethnic group, and often from the same country, will eat different foods, speak different languages, and celebrate different holidays.

Here are some examples of common assumptions that can land you in a tight spot:

When offering a Hispanic heritage night, don't just serve tacos, unless you're expecting a predominantly Mexican audience (and even then you might want to offer a more nuanced menu). Many non-Mexican Hispanics are highly offended when folks assume they are Mexican. I know a Colombian parent who walked out on a Spanish night presentation because, according to her, "everything was Mexican." While the majority of Hispanics in the United States are indeed Mexican, Hispanics represent numerous different countries. In my case, I'm Cuban and grew up in Miami. I didn't meet a Mexican until I went to Cancun on vacation with my parents.

If you have a large Indian student population, remember there are 15 official languages and countless other unofficial languages in India. Indians from different regions will not be able to communicate with each other unless they both speak English. Furthermore, although English is actually India's common official language, it is very different from American English. While it's likely you can communicate in English, it's safe to expect some communication breakdown.

If many of your parents are Asian, be sure to know more specific information about their countries and regions. And please don't assume that Koreans, Japanese, and Chinese can understand each other. Their languages and physical characteristics may seem very similar, but these groups are vastly different, both culturally and linguistically.

2. Use technology. Professional translators aren't always available at schools, but Google Translate is. It isn't perfect, but it works fairly well. If you use Remind, you can copy/paste the translation into your messages so parents receive them in their native language. I set up a Remind group in Spanish, not only to send messages about my class, but also to translate school calls on important topics such as report cards or snow days. Remind also recently released its Translate feature in Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese, and German. For users who set up the app in one of those languages, a translation button will appear when they receive messages in English. By simply tapping a button, messages will be instantly translated into the requested language. If you need translation into any other language, Remind's private chat feature allows you to send translated messages to someone, by simply copying and pasting from Google Translate. Class Dojo also recently released a Translate feature enabling translation into 30 different languages. While I'm not currently a Class Dojo user, some of my children's teachers have used it in the past, and I found it to be an excellent tool.

3. Use standard English. Some parents' English is broken, but they will be able to understand the gist of the message if you speak slowly and avoid slang, idioms, and analogies. Ask for their "two-cents" and they may hand you some change instead of giving you their input. Likewise, an analogy may help a native English speaker more clearly understand a teaching strategy or approach, but to a non-English speaker, it may be completely confusing.

4. Smiles are understood by all. Care and compassion have no language. A warm and friendly demeanor will express much more than words. When parents sense you are genuinely concerned about their son or daughter, they will connect with you and it will improve their child's school experience.

5. Stay connected. Reaching out to parents is not a once-a-year thing. We need to stay in touch all year long. Connecting with parents helps develop a valuable partnership that will undoubtedly benefit the student in the classroom. All parents want their children to learn. My parents never quite mastered the English language, so they couldn't help me with my homework, but they held me accountable and pushed me to achieve more than they ever could. They understood the value of education and highly respected my teachers. I find that most families are not very different from my parents. They all want their children to thrive. Staying connected can help parents feel like part of this valued process.

Use some of the technology tools mentioned above. Weekly Remind or Class Dojo messages keep parents abreast of what's happening in the classroom and can also give you a chance to brag a little.

6. Push politics aside. Our students' birthplace or immigration status is irrelevant. They are entitled to an education, and it is our job to serve them well. Reaching out to parents will not only generate their support, but will likely increase academic achievement. After all, we want well-behaved, high-achieving students, not dropouts roaming the streets.

As a former English-language learner who entered kindergarten without speaking a word of English, I understood the language acquisition process well before taking my first language-education course. My personal experiences have made me keenly aware of how to best reach out to parents. One thing is for certain. Parents want to know that their child is cared for and valued while at school and that you are not only their teacher, but also their ally. Cultural and linguistic barriers are undoubtedly challenging, but they are not impossible to overcome.

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Tips for Connecting With Non-English-Speaking Parents (Opinion)

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Teachers can play a big role in helping families of diverse languages and cultures feel welcome and comfortable in schools, writes Anabel Gonzalez.

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I am a very visual person so if you are too this video will be great for you. The teacher gives a great example on how to engage parents of ELL students in your classroom. He gives great tips and shows good implementations.

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Engaging Parents of English-Language Learners

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Attached is a website from Colorin Colorado that helps us learn about student background. Some of these include learning about student's languages, values, cultures, and home environments. At the bottom of the website is a video that explains how to reach out to parents of ELLs. The more you learn about where your students come from, the easier your job will become.

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Where do my students come from?

The English language learners (ELLs) in your classroom may represent diverse languages and cultures from around the world. The majority of ELL families in the United States come from Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America. These Hispanic families may have many things in common, such as customs, foods, dances, values, and the Spanish language. However, there are also many rich cultural differences within and between countries like Argentina, Mexico, Cuba, and El Salvador.

The more you learn about where your students come from, the easier your job will become. This includes learning more about their language, culture, values, family, and home environment. This knowledge will help you to better support your students in the classroom and to receive more support from home. There are many ways to make this linguistic and cultural diversity a huge asset. Your efforts will also make ELL students feel more welcome.

View a list of the many languages (with percentages) spoken by ELLs in the United States, 2000-2001.

Language

At home, your ELL students and their families communicate in the language they know best. Although there are regional and social variations of Spanish, Spanish is one commonly understood language.

The more Spanish that you know as a teacher, the more you will be able to reach out to your Hispanic students and their families. Even a little Spanish can go a long way. Here are a few things that you can do:

Learn a few basic words and everyday expressions in Spanish

Although it may seem like a small gesture, using Spanish phrases can mean a great deal to your students and their families. Making the effort shows that you respect and value their language. These lists of Spanish/English cognates and common classroom words and phrases will help get you started.

Try taking a Spanish class

Learning more Spanish will improve your communication with Hispanic students and their parents. And by going through the process of learning a second language, you will better understand the challenges faced by your students, who have to learn English and subject matter at the same time. You will also become more aware of effective strategies for teaching your students.

Culture

Try to really learn where your ELL students come from. Move beyond the "Latino/Hispanic" label. Is this student a Mexican immigrant or a second generation Mexican American? Is he or she from Central America, a Caribbean island, or South America? Your students and their families have interesting histories and a rich cultural heritage to share.

Here are two things you can do to learn more:

Inform yourself

Read about your ELL students' countries, regions, and customs. You can find information in books, articles, and on the Internet. Even just looking in encyclopedias or travel guidebooks will give you a basic overview of their countries.

Invite their culture into the classroom

Invite students and/or family members for show-and-tell, story-telling, food tasting, dancing, etc. Doing this will likely raise the self-esteem of ELL students and generate greater respect from their peers.

Values

Hispanic families often immigrate to the United States with high hopes for better educational opportunities for their children that can lead to economic improvement. Even if parents do not speak English or cannot read in Spanish, they often share some of the following values and beliefs about education:

Respect for the teacher and school

In Latin America, parents tend to put teachers on a pedestal. They respect education. It is assumed that the teacher's job is at school and the parent's job is at home.

Hispanic parents in the United States care deeply about their children's education, but they may not be used to taking an active role. It is up to you, the teacher, to explain that in the United States it is common for teachers to welcome and invite parents to be in touch, come in for conferences, help with reading and homework at home, and make decisions together with the school.

High expectations

Hispanic parents in the United States tend to make big sacrifices for the future of their children. They often move far from home and work long hours so that their children can succeed in school and in life. So it is no surprise that these parents have high expectations and aspirations for their children's success in school.

Family relationships

Family is often the cornerstone of Hispanic social structure. Families have a strong sense of interdependence, mutual respect, and co-parenting. Grandparents, godparents, aunts, uncles, and older siblings may be helping to raise your ELL students. This extended family might live at home, visit frequently, or live nearby. Many Hispanics travel back and forth between their native country and the United States. Understanding this family structure might help you to gain trust and participation from both the immediate and extended family members.

Home environment

Although you do not want to pry for information, the more you can find out about where your students come from, the better you will understand their strengths, needs, and real-life circumstances. One way to find out is to get to know their families - whether at school, in their home, or in the community. But if a family is very reluctant to meet with you, respect their wishes and understand that they may have good reasons for this.

Having answers to the following questions may help you to better work with your students and their families:

Who lives at home? Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings? How many of them speak English? How many know how to read in English and/or Spanish?

How long have they been in the United States? Why did they come?

How familiar are they with the U.S. school system?

What is the child's prior educational experience?

Has the child been formally instructed in English before? If so, for how long?

Do they come from a big city or a rural town?

Does your student have a quiet place to study? Is there someone to help with homework?

Most of this information can also be obtained by using a written "Getting to Know You" survey or through informal conversations.

Learn more about identifying your students' language preferences and abilities.

Reaching out

Children's author and literacy advocate, Pat Mora, discusses how teachers and librarians can reach out to parents of ELLs.

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Learning about Your Students' Backgrounds

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The English language learners (ELLs) in your classroom may represent diverse languages and cultures from around the world. The majority of ELL families in the United States come from Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America. These Hispanic families may have many things in common, such as customs, foods, dances, values, and the Spanish language.

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This website lists several of the ways to reach to ELL families we have already seen, but it also mentions to tailor your communication to fit the ELs cultural traditions.
https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-resources/five-ways-to-engage-parents-of-ell-students/

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This article provide insight about what is successful parent involvement, what are some barriers,  how do some school foster successful parent involvement,  as well as how quality programs are develop in collaboration with parents according to their needs and interest.

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Parent involvement continues to challenge practitioners engaged in school reform despite being a required component of many school improvement initiatives-from Title I Schoolwide Programs to federally mandated school improvement plans. The benefits of parent involvement are clear: A growing body of research shows that successful parent involvement improves not only student behavior and attendance but also positively affects student achievement. Yet many schools continue to struggle with defining and measuring meaningful parental involvement, and many don't feel that their efforts are successful. A recent survey of American teachers revealed that 20 percent of new teachers and nearly one fourth of principals identify their relationships with parents as a cause of significant stress in their jobs (MetLife, 2005).

In this article, we offer research-based advice and resources designed to help schools and districts foster successful parent involvement.

What is successful parent involvement?

Successful parent involvement can be defined as the active, ongoing participation of a parent or primary caregiver in the education of his or her child. Parents can demonstrate involvement at home-by reading with their children, helping with homework, and discussing school events-or at school, by attending functions or volunteering in classrooms. Schools with involved parents engage those parents, communicate with them regularly, and incorporate them into the learning process.

What are the barriers to successful parent involvement?

Schools often don't engage parents because they don't think they can. "A lot of it is perception. Teachers perceive that families don't want to be involved when, in fact, families don't know how to be involved," says Karen Salinas, communications director for the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships at Johns Hopkins University.

For their part, parents are sometimes hesitant to become involved in school because they don't have extra time or because they don't speak fluent English. But "the biggest problem is the disconnect between the school and the families," says Salinas. "Parents believe that they are not welcome. It comes in part from their own education history. They often have had a less-than-satisfactory experience with their own schooling, and so they don't feel like [being involved] is guaranteed to be a good experience."

Despite these communication barriers, both schools and parents want the relationship to improve, if only for the benefit of students. A 2003 analysis of more than 25 public opinion surveys by Public Agenda, a nonpartisan public opinion research organization, found that 65 percent of teachers say their students would do better in school if their parents were more involved, and 72 percent of parents feel that children whose parents are not involved sometimes "fall through the cracks" in school (Johnson & Duffett, 2003).

How do schools foster successful parent involvement?

Schools successful in engaging parents start by going beyond narrow definitions of involvement. They don't just count the number of parents who attend the spaghetti dinner or volunteer at the book fair. They don't focus on requirements such as having parents sign reports cards. Instead, they start with a belief that student success is a shared interest of both school and family, envision parents as partners in the learning process, and then identify concrete ways that partnership can be activated.

Improve Communication

Effective communication requires a two-way flow of information. While most schools develop efficient structures for getting information out-such as newsletters, Web sites, and press releases-far fewer develop similar structures to ensure that feedback from parents is actively solicited.

For some schools, improving communication involves technology such as e-mail messages and interactive phone systems. When Stonewall Jackson High School in Manassas, Virginia, implemented an interactive voicemail, for instance, the school saw parental attendance at freshmen orientation jump from 50 to 1,000 (Viadero, 1997). Parents can use the system, called ParentLink, to hear messages from teachers about what is happening in their children's classes and access their children's grades and attendance records.

Other schools try to view parent involvement through the parents' eyes. B.F. Day Elementary in Seattle, for example, holds parent meetings and workshops not at the school but in a Family Center that operates in the neighborhood where many of their bilingual families live.

Of course, the use of any strategy must be tailored to the school's population. If families don't have reliable access to the Internet, e-mail won't work. A phone message in English won't communicate much to parents who speak only Spanish. The bottom line for schools is to communicate using strategies that convey what is important in a way that can be heard by parents and families and invites them to respond.

Teach both parents and teachers

We know that one thing that keeps parents from being involved is their discomfort with schools. And that discomfort often stems from parents not knowing how to be involved. Schools with a commitment to parent involvement take an active role in helping parents learn a variety of ways to be involved. The benefits for students are proven: A recent review of parent involvement research found that parent-child reading activities produce a significant improvement in children's language and reading skills from preschool through high school (Sheldon & Epstein, 2005); another study finds a strong positive effect on student achievement when parents work with students on homework (Van Voorhis, 2003).

Many schools use workshops and other school-based programs to help parents learn about what goes on in classrooms. For example, Clara E. Westropp School in Cleveland, Ohio, held monthly family reading nights. Parents go to the elementary school and read with their children as well as speak with teachers about reading and reading strategies (Epstein & Salinas, 2004). Even traditional involvement strategies present teaching opportunities. Sending home a "weekly work folder" is one positive step, but providing parents with specific information about what to look for in the student work goes one step further in communicating what's important.

The National Network of Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University has designed a useful teacher-parent partnership process called Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork (TIPS). TIPS aims to forge a three-way relationship between teachers, parents, and their children through a creative approach to homework. Among its goals are encouraging parents and children to talk regularly about schoolwork, sharing ideas, gathering reactions, interviewing, or otherwise encouraging interaction between student and family members. TIPS also aims to keep assignments linked to real-life situations and "enable parents and teachers to frequently communicate about children's work, progress, and problems" (National Network of Partnership Schools, 2005). Some studies show secondary school homework assignments that require parent-student interaction predict higher levels of reading achievement (Sheldon & Epstein, 2005).

Many teachers report feeling unprepared to effectively involve parents. As a means of breaking down these barriers, teachers in the Sacramento, California, area have been trained since 1998 to participate in structured visits to their students' homes. The first visit focuses on establishing trust, while later trips give teachers and parents a chance to discuss ways in which parents can support students with the material they are learning in school. The schools involved in the program have seen a reduction in discipline problems and increases in attendance rates, and also are starting to see achievement gains.

Personalize

Successful parent-involvement programs typically develop in response to a specific need in the school or its community and are both focused and flexible in addressing that need. A strategy that works in one school might not be the best choice for another. For instance, while Sacajawea Elementary School in Seattle has established a Parent Mentor program in which parents are designated to contact other families to tell them about school activities, another school in the same city, High Point Elementary, began a program that allows parent volunteers to earn points toward rewards such as computers and other educational materials. Both programs have been recognized for dramatically increasing parent involvement.

Successful parent-school partnerships are not stand-alone, add-on programs. Instead, they are well integrated with the school's overall mission. Typically, quality programs are developed in collaboration with parents and reflect their needs and interests. Offering child care, translators, and multiple opportunities to hear information go a long way toward expressing a school's genuine interest in parent input.

Conclusion

Parents are the most important partner in a child's education and schools can reap large dividends by capitalizing on their support. To be sure, such relationships require a lot of work by both educators and parents. Although success will not come easy, the rewards are too great for a school not to try.

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Parent involvement continues to challenge practitioners engaged in school reform despite being a required component of many school improvement initiatives-from Title I Schoolwide Programs to federally mandated school improvement plans. The benefits of parent involvement are clear: A growing body of research shows that successful parent involvement improves not only student behavior and attendance but also positively affects student achievement.

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This video give ideas and strategies for engaging parents in the school.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoKVYcNwg_8

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This application allows for teachers to instantaneously text parents in their foreign language and it will translate from English to their language and from their language back to English. Super helpful and makes the parents feel invovled and valued.

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After watching the two short videos I enjoyed seeing how to ABC schools were very aware of the parent’s interest in being a part of their child’s education from before he or she even begins school. I found this article that talks about ways to actively engage ELL families in their child’s education. I know this might be geared towards last semester as well, but it also connects to this module.

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GrapeSEED: Accelerated English Language Acquisition Program

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According to the National Education Association, "English Language Learners (ELLs) are the fastest growing segment of the public school population. Over the past 15 years, the number of ELL students has nearly doubled-to about 5 million. By 2015, ELL enrollment in U.S. schools will reach 10 million and, by 2025, nearly one out of every four public school students will be an English Language Learner."

Research shows that students with involved parents are more likely to earn higher grades and test scores, demonstrate better social skills, and graduate from high school. But engaging parents and families of ELL students can be a challenge when they do not understand or speak the language used in school. Here are some tips you can follow to help a student and her family feel comfortable and open to communicating with the school and educators, giving her a better chance for language, literacy, and overall academic success.

1. Do the research. Read student intake forms during registration to determine students' nationalities and educational history. Talk with previous schools and teachers to learn more about students, their performance, and their language needs.

2. Learn about the student's culture and encourage him to share it with the class. Have homeroom teachers, or any teacher who will be spending a significant amount of time with the student, learn about his culture and allow him time to share it with the class. For example, maybe he would like to bring in a treat or toy that is common in his culture to share and explain to the other students.

3. Ask the school to host a family event. Create a fun, comfortable environment that encourages the whole family to participate. For example, hold a family breakfast, game night, or a pot-luck dinner where families can share a dish from their own nationality.

4. Invite parents and caregivers into the school and classroom. Family engagement is moving beyond open houses and parent-teacher conferences as schools try to get families more involved to improve student performance. Let families know about volunteer opportunities and how they can help with parties, field trips, and other school or classroom events. If a new program is being implemented in school, introduce it at a public event that gives families a chance to learn about the program and ask questions.

5. Send home updates and materials. Send home monthly or quarterly newsletters to keep families informed of happenings in the classroom, school, and district. Also send home materials the students are using in class so caregivers know what lessons and projects their child is currently working on.

6. Communicate directly with parents or caregivers. Call parents and speak to them on the phone to let them know how their child is doing. Even if you speak the same language, tone and meaning can sometimes be confusing in an email or text message. It's best to speak with the parents to make sure they understand what you are saying.

7. Encourage families to support the student in her home language. Research has debunked the myth that bilingualism confuses children and delays language development. In fact, there are major academic, social, and cognitive benefits for children learning multiple languages. Encourage parents and caregivers to continue communicating with their child in her home language. Explain that it is OK for the child to switch between languages, and in fact, this exercise in executive function gives her brain a great workout!

8. Get help if there is a language barrier. If the parents or caregivers understand very little English, produce communications in their home language to keep them in the loop. Use an interpreter if there is one available to the school or district. If not, get help from staff members who speak their native language, or ask the child to help you communicate, when appropriate.

Do you have additional tips for effectively communicating and encouraging engagement with families of ELL students? Share with us on the GrapeSEED Facebook page!

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family and community involvement in schools

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Ways to Engage ELL Families in Education | GrapeSEED

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According to the National Education Association, "English Language Learners (ELLs) are the fastest growing segment of the public school population. Over the past 15 years, the number of ELL students has nearly doubled-to about 5 million. By 2015, ELL enrollment in U.S.

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This article gives some great tips on how to reach out to ELL parents! Remember, when the parents are involved, the child is more successful in school!

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English language learners (ELLs) benefit just as much from their parents' involvement in their education as other students. Some Hispanic parents may feel apprehensive about getting involved because of their limited English skills, lack of familiarity with mainstream culture and the public school system in the United States, and other reasons. Below are some ways to reach out to parents of ELLs and increase the likelihood of their participation.

Use their preferred language

This is an essential place to start. Without a common language, very little communication can take place. Here are some ways to build an ongoing relationship with parents by reaching out through their native language.

Find a fully bilingual interpreter.

Whether a school employee, parent liaison, family member, friend, or community member, this person can translate for parent-teacher conferences, back-to-school nights, PTA meetings, and regular communication. It is best to find an adult and not rely on the student as the translator, as this practice can disempower the parent.

Translate the written communications that you send home.

Find a way to send home personal notes and materials in Spanish. This will keep parents in the loop on issues such as report cards, school events, and homework. Try to offer complete translations in a straightforward Spanish that parents can understand.

Learn some Spanish yourself.

Even if it is just some common words and greetings, using Spanish with parents will make them feel welcome. For starters, here are a few common classroom words and phrases in Spanish.

Put parents in touch with bilingual staff.

Give parents a list of names and phone numbers of bilingual staff in the school and district who they can contact to deal with educational concerns. Also encourage them to reach out to other parents who are bilingual or monolingual so they can share experiences and help one another.

Educate parents on the U.S. school system

To support their children's education, the parents of your ELL students need to understand how the U.S. school system and culture work. Listen to parents' concerns, answer their questions, and provide them with written materials in Spanish. Make sure that they understand things like:

How your school works

If necessary, review school hours, school holidays, school rules, school trajectory from pre-kindergarten through high school, and the school's administrative hierarchy.

Your school curriculum, standards, benchmarks, and materials

Consider that in many Latin American countries, the curriculum is very centralized. There is often one set of books. Uniforms are usually required. And rules tend to be the same for all schools across an entire country.

Teacher/school expectations

Explain that teachers hope and expect that parents will help with homework, find tutors, read books, tell stories, take their children to the library, visit the classroom, and become involved in the school.

Parent rights

Make certain that your ELL parents know about their rights regarding access to interpreters and translated materials from your school, free lunch programs, your school's ELL curriculum, supplementary school services that may be available to their children, and anything else that parents at your school have a right to know. If your school receives federal funds, provide information on the No Child Left Behind requirements of schools and the rights of parents. Learn about parents' rights.

Language programs

Work in collaboration with your school social service worker or guidance counselor, and explain the different language program options that your school has, why they work the way they do, and why the chosen program may be most suitable for their children. If parents have doubts, discuss their options and invite them to visit and observe the class.

Arrange home and community visits

Visiting homes and communities is a way to establish a relationship with parents who are working during school and after-school hours or who may feel intimidated by the school setting. Before doing this, however, make sure that parents are receptive to the idea and that your school district and union allow home visits by teachers.

It is often easier to resolve difficult issues face to face as opposed to over the telephone or through written communication. This way, you and the parents can anticipate problems and agree on how to solve them. When organizing home and community visits, try to:

Arrange for an interpreter to be present.

Respect the family's time constraints and choice of location - whether in the home, church, or community center.

Point out ways they can help with their child's language development, reading skills, and homework.

Welcome parents into your school

Here are some ways to involve Hispanic parents at school:

Host a Spanish-language back-to-school night

Host an evening event at the beginning of the school year for Spanish-speaking parents. Make sure ahead of time that a good interpreter will be in attendance. For this important first meeting, try to accommodate parents' requests for scheduling, transportation, and child care. Take this time to get to know them, communicate your expectations, and answer questions. Also find out the best way to maintain regular communication with each of these parents.

Arrange for a "tour" of the school

Within the first semester, organize a general school orientation session for parents of English language learners. With a bilingual facilitator, explain and answer any questions about things such as state standards, assessments, school expectations, language program options, etc. It would be helpful to actually walk parents around the school and introduce them to key people on staff. Some states, districts, and schools already do this.

Benefits of reaching out

Watch children's author and literacy advocate Pat Mora discuss the benefits to reaching out to Spanish-speaking parents.

This video is also available on YouTube.

Recruit volunteers

If parents are willing to volunteer their time, find out what their interests and skills are. ELL parents may be able to help with a variety of activities, such as cooking food for school-wide holidays, telling stories, teaching a dance, teaching a craft, or making a presentation.

Adult learning opportunities

Immigrant families may be unaware of the opportunities available to them. Another way to reach out to parents is to make them aware of learning opportunities for themselves. Somewhere in your community there are likely to be English and/or native language literacy classes for adults, family literacy projects, and parenting classes.

If your school has not compiled a list of these resources, ask your school administrators to do so. They should call your school district, city, county, library, park and recreation center, community college, and community-based organizations. Be sure to verify that families are eligible to receive the services offered regardless of immigration status. To be most effective, this list should be made available in Spanish and English and updated regularly.

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English language learners (ELLs) benefit just as much from their parents' involvement in their education as other students. Some Hispanic parents may feel apprehensive about getting involved because of their limited English skills, lack of familiarity with mainstream culture and the public school system in the United States, and other reasons.

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http://teaching.monster.com/counselors/articles/8144-how-to-create-partnerships-with-parents-and-families
It is always an excellent idea to create partnerships with families and to continue to have them involved. Families are an excellent resource and addition to the classroom, building a strong bond with students families can help improve the child's learning experience as well as your own.

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I found this article and it has five ways to engage parents of ELL students. It's very important to connect with ELL student's families and build relationships with the parents and families.

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Engaging with the parents of ELL students, also known as English Language Learners, is vital to helping these pupils succeed.

Parental involvement is the backbone of a child's education, and this is especially true of ELL students who are challenged by language barriers. These five suggestions should smooth the process:

1. Connect with ELL students' families

One important key to success with ELL programs is actively connecting with families. Waiting around for them to connect with your program will not work. Put in the time to learn about parents' cultural traditions and educational characteristics. Work on developing a personal, one-on-one approach with each family.

You'll need creativity and ingenuity to strengthen the relationship between the school and home environments of ELL students. Work on building a partnership based on mutual respect that empowers parents to contribute their talents and experience to their children's education.

If you become involved in ELL students' neighborhood activities, you may meet unexpected contacts like community leaders who can then put you in touch with more parents of ELL students.

2. Ensure the effective communication of important school information

Make certain that ELL families receive all of the school's scheduling and other important information in their native language-not just in English- to ensure they "get the message."

Some people mistakenly believe that using the family's native language does them a disservice because they really need to learn English. But studies confirm that strong native-language skills actually contribute to the academic success of an ELL student.

When parents understand the school's information, they can more effectively support their children's understanding of it.

3. Tailor your approach to the family's cultural traditions

Use what you learned when you established contact with the family to embrace their cultural norms. For instance, people of Hispanic heritage might have a slightly different interpretation of the role of school.

For example, at teacher conferences, Hispanic parents might seem more interested in their child's behavior than in his or her grades. Don't worry, they are not being insensitive to the child's needs; they are simply expressing their social customs- that education is more about teaching moral and behavioral controls than it is about achieving academic milestone requirements.

The key is seeing that this is a two-way street where both viewpoints are valid. Do whatever it takes to empower them to participate in their child's education.

4. Get parents involved in school activities

For starters, all parents can monitor the completion of their children's homework. But they can also be encouraged to visit the classroom and perhaps even to speak to the class.

They also can volunteer in the lunchroom, the office, the library or wherever there is a need. Involving a child's parents in the school's activities is the clearest message of all that parents are expected to have a large role in their children's education.

5. Formulate a plan to encourage parental engagement

Think about alternative scheduling. Sometimes families of ELL students (and the students for that matter) are subject to scheduling limitations that are not immediately apparent or common to other populations. Students may be working jobs for several hours after class. Parents may be working multiple jobs. Guidelines to keep in mind:

Meet the people. Learn their heritage, their problems, and their strengths.

Schedule conferences and meetings according to the family's available time.

Solicit the ideas of the ELL community.

While you are at it, don't forget to ask the students what their parents need most to become more involved.

Research your community for translation possibilities and input from community leaders.

Formulate your plan around identified strengths as well as needs.

Education is everyone's business, not just that of educators. Encouraging the contributions of ELL families is one more way to help schools work for the betterment of the entire community.

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Five Ways to Engage Parents of ELL Students

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Engaging with the parents of ELL students, also known as English Language Learners, is vital to helping these pupils succeed. Parental involvement is the backbone of a child's education, and this is especially true of ELL students who are challenged by language barriers.

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This article offers 9 techniques for building solid parent-teacher relationships. As teachers, a huge part of our students' success is parental involvement. One tip this article gives that wasn't in the module is using registration time to build foundation. From the very beginning of the school year it is important to encourage open parent-teacher communication.

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Putting your child's concrete goals in action is a lot easier (and more effective!) when you've got a great bond with his teacher. After all, she may spend more waking hours with your child than you do - and see behaviors that you might miss. Follow these do's and dont's in order to forge a strong connection:

Do lay the groundwork for a friendly partnership by telling the teacher how excited you are that your child is in her class. And share the goals you set with your kid. She'll appreciate your proactive approach.

Don't dictate your expectations. Saying, "Noah's mastered his times tables, so you can put him in the highest math group" puts your opinion above her observations. Let her assess your child's needs.

Do stay on top of class events by reading her notes or website posts.

Don't call the teacher at home unless it's an emergency. E-mail or phone the school to set up a time. And don't hit her up at open house or school assemblies with personal questions about your kid.

Do send thank-you notes once in a while. ("Sam really enjoyed making slime during science yesterday.") Teachers love knowing they matter in a child's life.

Don't bad-mouth the teacher within earshot of your child. Even if you think she's the Wicked Witch of the West, you need to present a united front, or your child will lose interest in her teacher, and possibly learning.

Do make sure your child gets a good night's sleep (it's the number one request from most teachers!). Tired children have a harder time focusing and may become overly silly or emotional in class.

Don't talk to the principal about your classroom concerns before you've addressed them with the teacher first.

Do be understanding. Teachers face a difficult job: Balancing the academic, social, and emotional well-being of a roomful of kids, plus keeping parents happy, isn't easy!
Get ready for your child to go back to school with our guide - it's full of recommended books, teacher tips, homework help, and more resources for a successful school year.

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Parent Teacher Communication: Dos and Don'ts

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Putting your child's concrete goals in action is a lot easier (and more effective!) when you've got a great bond with his teacher. After all, she may spend more waking hours with your child than you do - and see behaviors that you might miss.

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This YouTube video sums up how teachers and schools can reach out to ESL parents or guardians. Involving parents of ESLs can be difficult if a well thought out plan is not advised for an event. Some things to consider include: adding culture to their class, attending cultural events or educating yourself about their cultural backgrounds, and reach out to parents for specific events that are going on at your school.

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ESL Parent Outreach & Involvement (ELL & Bilingual)

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This article gives insight into an ELL parent and the barriers that have arisen in the education community.  It discusses steps that teachers can take in order for ELL parents to be involved such as making them feel welcomed, hold parent classes so they can learn English too, translate student documents so the parents can understand, and many more strategies to help connect with an ELL parent.

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Our Children (The PTA National Magazine)

Many of the most important challenges in American public education can be framed by considering the deeply troubling statistics and trends regarding our high school graduates. For instance, 17 of the 50 largest cities in the United States have high school graduation rates lower than 50 percent, according to the Alliance for Excellent Education. While this situation should be considered both unacceptable and urgent, it is often not treated as such. For English language learners, a large and fast-growing part of our student population, the urgency is even greater.

The best predictor of student success in high school is student success in elementary and middle school. In Illinois' Diamond Lake School District 76, we have experienced remarkable academic progress with our elementary school English language learners. This success is due to a myriad of factors, including good teachers, more instructional time, curriculum, class size, and a research-based literacy program based on teaching in English with Spanish support. But there is little doubt that an important reason for the district's success with English learners is related to our success in increasing parent involvement for this crucial population.

District 76 is a small, diverse public suburban elementary school district of 1,300 students from Mundelein, Vernon Hills, and Long Grove, that feeds into two high schools, one of which is among the best high schools in the country. We have a 50 percent Latino and a 40 percent low-income population, and 90 percent of the Latino population is low-income. The families of English language learners (ELLs) in District 76 are primarily low-income. The housing for many of these families consists of small, single family houses, with multiple families living in a single home.

From 1998-2003, bilingual education did not work in District 76, even though there was a genuine and full commitment to it during that time. It did not work for at least three reasons.

* A shortage of good bilingual classroom teachers - documented annually by the Illinois State Board of Education.
* A shortage of good bilingual reading teachers.
* A lack of good bilingual instructional curriculum material.

During 2004-2007, the district's low-income population increased by 16 percent. During this same time period, Illinois Standard Achievement Test (ISAT) test scores of ELL students improved by more than 100 percent on the reading exam and 60 percent on the math exam. In anonymous surveys conducted in 2006 and 2008, parents gave a 95 percent approval rating in all key areas of an effective school, including instructional programs.

One of the keys to these gains is District 76's "Sheltered English" program. For the past four years, this alternative, research-based program provides instruction for ELL students primarily in English, with Spanish language support only when needed. District 76 also has a dual language program, where 50 percent of the students are English-speaking and 50 percent are Spanish-speaking. Half of the instruction is in English and half in Spanish. It's an optional program; parents choose to enroll their child in it. When parents are offered such important choices, the climate generally becomes more favorable to maintaining higher levels of involvement.

Barriers to Involvement

What do ELL parents want for their kids? The same thing as the other parents. They love their kids and they want what's best for them. Nonetheless, involving parents of English language learners has posed a challenge to educators around the country for decades. The challenge goes well beyond language differences - poverty and family mobility are more common within this population.

It cannot be assumed that the home in which English is not the first language - or may not be spoken at all - is a nurturing and language-rich environment. The likelihood of both parents working at low-wage jobs is great, and this fact lowers the level of parent supervision children receive.

Culturally, these parents tend to be more trusting and dependent on the school than the other parents. ELL parents are more likely to tolerate poor teaching. They're not familiar and comfortable enough with the school system to know how to complain. There may be no parent involvement or pressure from parents for their children to succeed. The same is not true of most English-speaking parents.

Something as basic to American parents as reading to their children is an uncommon practice in culturally diverse populations. The importance of reading to their children has to be emphasized and modeled for these parents.

Involvement Strategies

Increasing involvement of parents of ELL students can be encouraged in numerous ways:

* Make parents of ELL students feel welcome at school. There has to be the sense that staff, beginning with the principal, want them involved in school.

* Hold parent education workshops specifically for the parents of ELL students. In District 76, the workshop presenters demonstrated effective techniques for reading to children, as well as tips about helping and supervising homework.

* Recognition that language can be a barrier for parents. It would be helpful to have someone who speaks the other language readily available to assist when needed.

* The requirement of a passport to re-enter the U.S., effective for the 2006-2007 school year, improved student attendance in January 2007. Fewer Mexican families took prolonged vacations during the two-week winter break.

* Translate school documents. This is obviously less of a priority for school populations where many parents can't read.

* Have ELL parents serve as teacher/school aides or clerks, and provide a small per-hour salary (i.e. $10.00). This also offers administrators an avenue to grow your own teachers.

* Provide childcare and food during meetings to improve turnout, and even consider providing transportation.

The more exposure to a language, the greater the likelihood of successful language acquisition. Therefore, interaction between all students should be encouraged, and segregation of all types must be vigilantly guarded against. Recess and lunch provide ELL students with informal opportunities to be exposed to the English language. There is little if any pressure on children to speak fluently when they are at recess with their classmates. When they are playing, they find ways to communicate. There will be mistakes and laughing but also learning. It is a marvelous time to practice language. The same is true of the lunch table.

There are many examples of the mandate for bilingual education not working in Illinois school districts. While District 76 still has a long way to go to bring parent involvement up to the ideal level, we recognize its importance and continue to work toward that goal. The record of achievement by English language learners in Diamond Lake School District 76 demonstrates how giving individual school districts the flexibility to implement their own, research-based programs, such as sheltered English, that can provide substantial educational benefits to students and families in those schools.

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Diamond Lake School District Superintendent Roger Prosise has been a superintendent in small public suburban school districts in Illinois for 15 years. This article is based on a September, 2008 paper, "English Language Learners in Illinois: What Worked and What Didn't," published by the Lexington Institute.

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Success with English Learners: Parental Involvement is Essential - Lexington Institute

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Many of the most important challenges in American public education can be framed by considering the deeply troubling statistics and trends regarding our high school graduates. For instance, 17 of the 50 largest cities in the United States have high school graduation rates lower than 50 percent, according to the Alliance for Excellent Education.

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The article I provided covers 20 strategies that you can use to engage families of English Language Learners. They are section on into parts depending on what aspect you want to focus on. All of the strategies seem useful and helpful when working with families! I will definitely refer to this in the future.

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Colorin Colorado provides a great list of tips for reaching out to ELL parents. Some of these tips include finding a fully bilingual interpreter, translate the written communications that are sent home, educate parents on the US school system, how your specific school works, your curriculum, standards, benchmarks, and materials, teacher/school expectations, parent rights, and language programs.

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English language learners (ELLs) benefit just as much from their parents' involvement in their education as other students. Some Hispanic parents may feel apprehensive about getting involved because of their limited English skills, lack of familiarity with mainstream culture and the public school system in the United States, and other reasons. Below are some ways to reach out to parents of ELLs and increase the likelihood of their participation.

Use their preferred language

This is an essential place to start. Without a common language, very little communication can take place. Here are some ways to build an ongoing relationship with parents by reaching out through their native language.

Find a fully bilingual interpreter.

Whether a school employee, parent liaison, family member, friend, or community member, this person can translate for parent-teacher conferences, back-to-school nights, PTA meetings, and regular communication. It is best to find an adult and not rely on the student as the translator, as this practice can disempower the parent.

Translate the written communications that you send home.

Find a way to send home personal notes and materials in Spanish. This will keep parents in the loop on issues such as report cards, school events, and homework. Try to offer complete translations in a straightforward Spanish that parents can understand.

Learn some Spanish yourself.

Even if it is just some common words and greetings, using Spanish with parents will make them feel welcome. For starters, here are a few common classroom words and phrases in Spanish.

Put parents in touch with bilingual staff.

Give parents a list of names and phone numbers of bilingual staff in the school and district who they can contact to deal with educational concerns. Also encourage them to reach out to other parents who are bilingual or monolingual so they can share experiences and help one another.

Educate parents on the U.S. school system

To support their children's education, the parents of your ELL students need to understand how the U.S. school system and culture work. Listen to parents' concerns, answer their questions, and provide them with written materials in Spanish. Make sure that they understand things like:

How your school works

If necessary, review school hours, school holidays, school rules, school trajectory from pre-kindergarten through high school, and the school's administrative hierarchy.

Your school curriculum, standards, benchmarks, and materials

Consider that in many Latin American countries, the curriculum is very centralized. There is often one set of books. Uniforms are usually required. And rules tend to be the same for all schools across an entire country.

Teacher/school expectations

Explain that teachers hope and expect that parents will help with homework, find tutors, read books, tell stories, take their children to the library, visit the classroom, and become involved in the school.

Parent rights

Make certain that your ELL parents know about their rights regarding access to interpreters and translated materials from your school, free lunch programs, your school's ELL curriculum, supplementary school services that may be available to their children, and anything else that parents at your school have a right to know. If your school receives federal funds, provide information on the No Child Left Behind requirements of schools and the rights of parents. Learn about parents' rights.

Language programs

Work in collaboration with your school social service worker or guidance counselor, and explain the different language program options that your school has, why they work the way they do, and why the chosen program may be most suitable for their children. If parents have doubts, discuss their options and invite them to visit and observe the class.

Arrange home and community visits

Visiting homes and communities is a way to establish a relationship with parents who are working during school and after-school hours or who may feel intimidated by the school setting. Before doing this, however, make sure that parents are receptive to the idea and that your school district and union allow home visits by teachers.

It is often easier to resolve difficult issues face to face as opposed to over the telephone or through written communication. This way, you and the parents can anticipate problems and agree on how to solve them. When organizing home and community visits, try to:

Arrange for an interpreter to be present.

Respect the family's time constraints and choice of location - whether in the home, church, or community center.

Point out ways they can help with their child's language development, reading skills, and homework.

Welcome parents into your school

Here are some ways to involve Hispanic parents at school:

Host a Spanish-language back-to-school night

Host an evening event at the beginning of the school year for Spanish-speaking parents. Make sure ahead of time that a good interpreter will be in attendance. For this important first meeting, try to accommodate parents' requests for scheduling, transportation, and child care. Take this time to get to know them, communicate your expectations, and answer questions. Also find out the best way to maintain regular communication with each of these parents.

Arrange for a "tour" of the school

Within the first semester, organize a general school orientation session for parents of English language learners. With a bilingual facilitator, explain and answer any questions about things such as state standards, assessments, school expectations, language program options, etc. It would be helpful to actually walk parents around the school and introduce them to key people on staff. Some states, districts, and schools already do this.

Benefits of reaching out

Watch children's author and literacy advocate Pat Mora discuss the benefits to reaching out to Spanish-speaking parents.

This video is also available on YouTube.

Recruit volunteers

If parents are willing to volunteer their time, find out what their interests and skills are. ELL parents may be able to help with a variety of activities, such as cooking food for school-wide holidays, telling stories, teaching a dance, teaching a craft, or making a presentation.

Adult learning opportunities

Immigrant families may be unaware of the opportunities available to them. Another way to reach out to parents is to make them aware of learning opportunities for themselves. Somewhere in your community there are likely to be English and/or native language literacy classes for adults, family literacy projects, and parenting classes.

If your school has not compiled a list of these resources, ask your school administrators to do so. They should call your school district, city, county, library, park and recreation center, community college, and community-based organizations. Be sure to verify that families are eligible to receive the services offered regardless of immigration status. To be most effective, this list should be made available in Spanish and English and updated regularly.

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English language learners (ELLs) benefit just as much from their parents' involvement in their education as other students. Some Hispanic parents may feel apprehensive about getting involved because of their limited English skills, lack of familiarity with mainstream culture and the public school system in the United States, and other reasons.

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Parent involvement is an important instrument in the success of our students, and as teachers, we must do everything we can to promote parent and family participation. A parent’s lack of involvement may have nothing to do with the idea that they don’t care but may have to do with the parent feeling embarrassed that they are not educated themselves. They may have not received a formal education and due to the language barrier feel as though they have nothing to contribute. This is a quick video discussing how a school can create cultural and community awareness by having a dinner night, in which families from all over bring a dish to the school and “break bread” together. Families begin to understand that they are not alone and they can rely on the school and other families for support. This is just one idea, but it can lead to so much more.
http://www.colorincolorado.org/guide/guide-engaging-ell-families-twenty-strategies-school-leaders

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This article discusses ways to build positive parent-teacher relationships include understanding the benefits of parents, students, and teachers when teachers have positive relationships with parents, tips for some good communication strategies, tips for how to make a phone call to parents, etc.

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This article gives practical tips on ways to partner with families and communities.  Six types of involvement highlighted are: parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision-making, and collaboration with the community. The bottom line, a welcoming school is a school that welcomes all families regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, religion, etc.

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Abstract

Pipe Dream or Possibility?

Research-Based Approaches

Stories from the Field

Welcoming All Families

Focusing on Achievement

Collaborating with the Community

Strengthening School Learning Communities

A well-organized program of family and community partnerships yields many benefits for schools and their students.

Abstract

Pipe Dream or Possibility?

Research-Based Approaches

Stories from the Field

Welcoming All Families

Focusing on Achievement

Collaborating with the Community

Strengthening School Learning Communities

What is the difference between a professional learning community and a school learning community? A professional learning community emphasizes the teamwork of principals, teachers, and staff to identify school goals, improve curriculum and instruction, reduce teachers' isolation, assess student progress, and increase the effectiveness of school programs. Professional teamwork is important and can greatly improve teaching, instruction, and professional relationships in a school, but it falls short of producing a true community of learners. In contrast, a school learning community includes educators, students, parents, and community partners who work together to improve the school and enhance students' learning opportunities.

One component of a school learning community is an organized program of school, family, and community partnerships with activities linked to school goals. Research and fieldwork show that such programs improve schools, strengthen families, invigorate community support, and increase student achievement and success (Epstein, 2001; Henderson & Mapp, 2002; Sheldon, 2003).

Pipe Dream or Possibility?

Is it a pipe dream to think that every school can become a true learning community, or is it really possible? During the past eight years, more than 1,000 schools, districts, and state departments of education in the National Network of Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University have worked with researchers to develop and implement programs of school, family, and community partnerships. Their efforts have produced not only many research publications but also research-based materials that elementary, middle, and high schools can use to customize and continually improve their programs of family and community involvement (Epstein et al., 2002).

Research-Based Approaches

A well-organized partnership program starts with an Action Team for Partnerships. Made up of teachers, administrators, parents, and community partners, the Action Team is linked to the school council or school improvement team. With a clear focus on promoting student success, the team writes annual plans for family and community involvement, implements and evaluates activities, and integrates the activities conducted by other groups and individual teachers into a comprehensive partnership program for the school.

Annual action plans use a research-based framework of six types of involvement-parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with the community-to focus partnerships on school improvement goals (see fig. 1, p. 15). By implementing activities for all six types of involvement, schools can help parents become involved at school and at home in various ways that meet student needs and family schedules. Input from participants helps schools address challenges and improve plans, activities, and outreach so that all families can be productive partners in their children's school success.

Figure 1. Six Types of Involvement

Figure 1. Six Types of Involvement

Source: Epstein et al., 2002.

Stories from the Field

To understand how research on partnerships is applied in practice and to learn from educators and families about challenges that must be addressed to involve all families, each year the National Network of Partnership Schools collects what are called promising partnership practices (Salinas & Jansorn, 2003). The following examples illustrate how schools in urban, suburban, and rural locations are working to create effective programs of family and community involvement to strengthen their learning communities.

Welcoming All Families

A school learning community welcomes all families. Many schools serve a diverse range of students, including new immigrants and refugees. The parents of such students, like all parents, want their children to succeed in school. These children, like all students, do better when their parents and teachers are partners. In a welcoming school, educators appreciate differences and involve all families in many ways throughout the school year.

Like many schools in the National Network of Partnership Schools, Madison Junior High in Naperville, Illinois, fosters a welcoming environment by implementing activities for all six types of family involvement. Last year, the school held evening discussions about adolescence to help parents share effective parenting strategies and network with one another on important topics; published newsletters; held "Thursday Things," a weekly activity for sending information home; created a database of volunteers; hosted honor roll breakfasts; conducted family literacy nights; built connections with business partners; and celebrated Dad's Day. All activities were linked to goals for students in the school improvement plan and help foster an active learning community.

Roosevelt Elementary School in St. Paul, Minnesota, organized the Second Cup of Coffee program-a monthly morning activity during which parents have the opportunity to meet with teachers, administrators, and other parents and discuss such school activities as testing, homework, and reading programs. Translators encouraged parents with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds to attend these and other school activities.

Early Childhood Center #17 in Buffalo, New York, conducted its Diversity Celebration program to help students, teachers, and families learn about and appreciate more than eight cultural groups represented in their learning community. Families and community volunteers contributed cultural items and worked with students on costumes, skits, poems, songs, and dances. The activities helped students develop language skills and other talents and involved diverse families in their children's learning.

Focusing on Achievement

A school learning community puts a laserlike focus on student learning and success. Schools in the National Network of Partnership Schools have implemented many family and community involvement activities to support and extend students' reading, writing, math, and goal-setting skills. The home, school, and community connections make school subjects more meaningful for students.

Reading. Many schools engage parents and community partners by offering workshop sessions on reading, by organizing reading volunteers, and by helping parents strengthen students' reading skills and encourage reading for pleasure at home (Baker & Moss, 2001; Sheldon & Epstein, in press-a). For example, Clara E. Westropp School in Cleveland, Ohio, conducted monthly family reading nights. The school librarian identified age-appropriate books for students from kindergarten through grade 4. Parents came to school with their children, selected books from the library, asked teachers questions about reading, and learned strategies to increase children's reading at home.

All students in grades 1-3 participated in the Book Check program at Ladysmith Elementary School in Ladysmith, Wisconsin. Parents, teachers, retired teachers, and high school students performing community service volunteered to listen to children retell the stories they had read and to discuss plots, settings, and characters. The students took tests on the books they had read and then moved on to new reading. The program expanded from a pilot project to a whole-school activity, creating an active reading community.

Many schools in the National Network of Partnership Schools conduct reading-partner programs once a week, twice a month, or on other schedules with a variety of volunteers, including parents, senior citizens, and community groups. Others hold special reading events. For example, Dr. Lydia T. Wright School in Buffalo, New York, ran a reading marathon for 26 days to focus the entire community on reading. This event involved parents, grandparents, and others in the community-for example, police officers, firefighters, local authors of books for children, the mayor, judges, local celebrities, and older students-in reading activities.

The Lea Conmigo (Read with Me) program, conducted by Families in Schools in Los Angeles, California, provided books to more than 23,000 students and families in an effort to improve the early literacy skills of preschool and kindergarten children. Teachers introduced the program to parents, many of whom did not speak English. Parents received English and Spanish books to take home and learned ways to encourage their children's reading. Data show that students improved their reading skills and parents increased the time they read with their children.

Writing. Partnerships for writing take many forms, including workshops n the writing process, activities that engage parents in writing, presentations by local authors, and celebrations of student writing before family and community audiences. At Highlands Elementary School in Naperville, Illinois, a writing workshop series helped more than 120 parents learn about the school's writing process, state writing tests, and ways to support student writing at home. All sessions were videotaped for parents who could not attend. Arminta Street Elementary School in North Hollywood, California, turned a classroom into the Arminta Café That Celebrates Literacy, serving coffee, tea, and cookies to parents who listened to students read their writing aloud. Other schools have students share their stories, poems, journals, and artwork with their parents. At Discovery School #98 in Buffalo, New York, students discussed their portfolios with family members or neighbors who came to class. Visitors were given a list of questions to ask to keep the discussion moving.

Many schools take other innovative approaches. Teachers from Loreto Elementary School in Los Angeles attended a district workshop on Parents as Authors and then worked with their students' parents on Thursday mornings for three months. Many new immigrant parents created books and videos about their lives and experiences, wrote poems about their children, and then presented their work to their children. The activity expanded when 5th grade teachers met with their students' families to create family books as gifts for the 5th grade graduates. In this way, the school's learning community grew to include parent-authors who had had little or no prior schooling in the United States.

Math. Family involvement in math may encompass events for parents and students, community connections, information sessions for parents on math curriculum and assessments, and homework support (Sheldon & Epstein, in press-b). In Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, more than 600 people wanted to attend Woodridge Primary School's Math Night program, making it necessary for the school to conduct the program twice. For Math Night, the school invited families to learn about the new Ohio state math standards. The Action Team for Partnerships, in cooperation with parents, teachers, and community partners, provided dinner, conducted teacher-led math sessions on ways to help students with math at home, distributed take-home bags of math materials and information on state standards, handed out coupons from local businesses, and even held a math-related raffle.

Math also became a real-world activity at Kennedy Junior High in Lisle, Illinois. In an estimation project called Beat Pete, a math class followed Pete, a local moving man, to estimate the weight and cost of a moving job. The program provided students with bus transportation, printed materials to prepare for the estimation task, and prizes for best estimates.

Thurmont Middle School in Thurmont, Maryland, conducted a highly focused workshop series for parents and students to help students prepare for the state's Functional Math Test. At monthly meetings, parents and students worked together under teachers' guidance and received math homework materials. Students who failed a practice math test were invited with their parents to additional sessions. More than 80 percent of the 6th graders passed the required math test, exceeding the school's goal by more than 10 percent and surpassing the percentage of passing 7th graders, who had not taken the workshops. The teachers enjoyed working with one another as well as with parents and students to reach an important school goal as they strengthened their math learning community.

Because most parents cannot frequently come to the school building to see what their children are learning, new designs for homework hold promise for engaging all parents in weekly discussions with their children about schoolwork. For example, an interactive homework process from the National Network of Partnership Schools called Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork (TIPS) helps elementary and middle school teachers design and assign homework that enables all students to share what they are learning with a family member (Epstein, Salinas, & Van Voorhis, 2001; Van Voorhis & Epstein, 2002). Homework is part of a full program of school, family, and community partnerships and extends the learning community to include student learning outside school (Epstein, 2001; Van Voorhis, 2003).

Planning for college and work. In school learning communities, educators, parents, and community partners help students focus on their plans for college and careers and on the education requirements they must fulfill to meet their goals. For example, at Glenmary School in Peace River, Alberta, Canada, high school students, parents, and faculty were involved in Career Portfolio Night. Eleventh graders researched a career of interest, interviewed a professional in their selected field, and created a personal career path and portfolio about that career. By involving families in this class assignment, the students' career portfolio displays, presentations, and evaluations became a shared learning experience and created new contacts for students with many potential future employers. This age-appropriate activity reflects research findings that demonstrate the importance of parent-student discussions throughout high school about education and future plans.

The Mother-Daughter College Preparation Program was started in District B in Los Angeles to help 5th grade Latinas and their mothers think about postsecondary education. In 2003, more than 160 mothers and daughters made college visits to California State University at Northridge. The program serves 17 schools and approximately 425 mother-daughter teams, and participation continues to grow. Due to its popularity, Families in Schools and District F expanded the Mother-Daughter College Preparation Program to form an extension known as Going On To (GOT) College. The GOT College program guides boys, girls, and family members to visit local colleges and to plan their middle and high school programs to enable students to qualify for college. By introducing postsecondary pathways early in students' education careers, families and students can plan more effectively for their futures-both educationally and financially.

Collaborating with the Community

A school learning community works with many partners to increase students' learning opportunities and experiences. Activities to enrich students' skills and talents may be conducted during lunch, after school, and at other times by school, family, and community partners (Sanders, 2001; Sanders & Harvey, 2002).

Teachers in the middle grades at Good Shepherd School in Peace River, Alberta, asked community instructors in tai chi, tae kwon do, and hip-hop dance to volunteer their time to conduct fitness classes for students during the lunch hour. This program, known as Try It at Lunch, enrolled many students, increasing interest in the community programs.

FamiliesFORWARD, working in Cincinnati, Ohio, conducted the Gifts We Share program to help students and families in high-poverty schools give of themselves, meet their neighbors, and improve students' writing and reading skills. Students wrote letters to invite senior citizens to become pen pals and to interact in other ways. Parents helped students coordinate several events, including a dinner to honor the seniors. The seniors, too, shared their talents and participated as guest readers, oral historians, and volunteers at school. The project extended the demographics of the learning community by including senior citizen neighbors.

Studies indicate that enriched learning activities help students do better in school, but not all families have extra resources for such activities. At East Taunton Elementary School in Taunton, Massachusetts, business partners provided part of the costs of buses and entrance fees for students and families to visit museums and attend cultural programs. Many community partners are more willing to help when they know that their investments contribute to student learning and success in school.

Allen and Lathrop Elementary Schools in Canton, Ohio, organized the Mercy Pals program to support two-way community service. Local medical center volunteers provided students and families with health care information and medical testing, gave presentations on careers and hobbies, led science activities, and supplied nutritious treats to sustain students during achievement testing. In return, students conducted community service activities for patients and hospital staff, created art displays, and performed at hospital celebrations.

Strengthening School Learning Communities

Schools have a vested interest in becoming true learning communities. They are now accountable for all students' learning. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires schools, districts, and states to develop academic programs that will increase students' proficiency in reading, math, and science. To learn at high levels, all students need the guidance and support of their teachers, families, and others in the community.

NCLB also requires schools, districts, and states to develop programs to communicate with all families about their children's education and to involve them in ways that help boost student achievement and success. The federal legislation, related state and district policies, school goals, family and student expectations, and useful research on partnerships are converging to encourage all schools to establish active and effective learning communities.

Most schools conduct at least a few activities to involve families in their children's education, but most do not have well-organized, goal-linked, and sustainable partnership programs. The schools featured here differ from most schools in two important ways. Organizationally, educators, parents, and other partners are working together to systematically strengthen and maintain their family and community involvement programs over time. Interpersonally, these partners recognize that they all have roles to play in helping students succeed in school-and that, together with students, they are the school's learning community.

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Partnering with Families and Communities

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Abstract Pipe Dream or Possibility? Research-Based Approaches Stories from the Field Welcoming All Families Focusing on Achievement Collaborating with the Community Strengthening School Learning Communities A well-organized program of family and community partnerships yields many benefits for schools and their students. Abstract Pipe Dream or Possibility?

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Strong relationships between families and teachers are critical for successful students, but where do you begin to build them? This video offers up resources and a playlist of videos about parent engagement.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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Developing positive relationships with parents or guardians is crucial as educators. We must create positive rapport with guardians, so that they trust us, and want to become more involved with their student's education. The more involved and empowered parents feel by their participation in their student's life (especially at school) the better.

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20 Tips for Developing Positive Relationships With Parents

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Blogger Elena Aguilar shares 20 tips to help teachers better connect with parents.