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parler français et utiliser la langue en classe

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parler français et utiliser la langue en classe

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En réfléchissant à mes expériences personnelles dans l'apprentissage des langues, je sais que c'est un fait: lorsque les élèves entendent l'enseignant s'exprimer en français et lorsqu'ils sont capables d'utiliser la langue, ils ont du succès. Se sentir bien à apprendre le français  = attitude positive

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Want to get your students psyched to learn the basics of French?

Easier said than done, right?

Your beginning French students may feel like first-time skiers having second thoughts.

After all, the language can certainly look intimidating from a distance.

But while plunging into French for the first time can feel daunting, it doesn't have to play out that way.

It's completely possible to introduce activities that keep the enthusiasm level high, and to make your students feel confident and excited about learning more.

The trick is to keep their attention on what's fun about French while also giving them the chance to start using the language right away.

In this post, I'll share some resources that are handy for easily engaging your students, and then move into some interesting activities for students who are new to the French language.

Getting Started: Multimedia for Introducing French to Beginners

There's a lot of available, engaging media out there to infuse a bit of life into your lesson planning as you prep your students for a new world of French text and sound-it's just a matter of knowing where to look for it!

To use some of these resources in the classroom, you'll need a laptop with Internet access that can be hooked up to a monitor, and a TV with DVD or streaming video capabilities.

However, many of these resources can also be shared with your students in online classroom settings.

The easiest way to share level-appropriate and entertaining French video material with your students, both in your classroom and virtually, is through FluentU. FluentU takes real-world videos-like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks-and turns them into personalized language learning lessons. While it's great for your beginners to start out with, there's also tons of higher-level content waiting for them whenever they're ready.

Movies

Of course, watching movies is a fun, engaging way to get your students to dive into the French language with a multicultural focus. The idea here is to expose your class to "real-life" settings (well, not really, but I think you know what I mean), where they can witness French being spoken in practical ways, outside of a "textbook" context.

I highly recommend films with multi-dimensional storylines such as the foreign exchange student romp "L'Auberge Espagnole," the tender, groundbreaking and about un Martiniquais educated in France who literally and figuratively journeys back to his roots on the heels of a family emergency. Or if you want to take your students back in time for a bit, there's the disco-era, coming-of-age classic

Even if the film comes with an option to activate subtitles, you may want to turn them off so that your students can zoom in on general French comprehension.

As beginners, they may not understand most of what the characters in the film are saying, but the idea of showing movies at this point is not necessarily to dissect all the dialogue, but to get them used to hearing and seeing the language in context. They will most likely pick up on body language and other non-verbal communication, which should bring much of the dialogue into focus.

Video Tutorials

Soon after I first learned French, I was introduced to everyone's favorite vintage video French-learning program with Yale University's Pierre Capretz, Mireille, her little sister Marie-Laure and their family and friends: the French in Action series. What can I say? Guess my French teacher liked to keep it old-school. I think I even caught a French in Action reunion special a couple years back. But I digress...

Nowadays, there are lots of (free!) options to choose from to learn and teach basic French. A plethora of tutorials for beginners exist out there...almost too many! But here are a couple of the best:

Fluenz is a great video learning series, especially for English speakers, because the narrator breaks down French phrases and vocabulary into bite-size chunks on the screen, mirroring real-life situations (e.g., what to say when you get off the plane, arrive in a French-speaking country and need to grab a bite to eat). Fluenz's learning method is cyclic in that it recaps all of the material taught in one episode, so that beginners can get a better grasp on the "building block" concepts around basic French.

The Ouino series is another great video tutorial option, because its interactive features allow French-language beginners to navigate phrases and vocabulary based on their needs. The Ouino learning method is primarily grounded in French text presented in the context of images, and the phonetics are slowed down enough for even the most timid beginner.

Easy (and Semi-easy) Reads

Listed below are books, magazines and other reading materials that may help your students contextualize French on the page.

"Le Taxi-Brousse de Papa Diop" (Christian Epanya) is a beautiful meditation on the hustle-bustle life in the city-from Dakar to St-Louis, Senegal-told through the eyes of young Sène as he embarks on exciting adventures from the interior of his uncle's taxi cab.

The "Les Copains du Coin" (L. D. Brimner) series for children is not only great for students learning the basics of French, but also promotes themes around patience, teamwork, mindfulness and ecological stewardship.

(Marguerite Abouet) is a graphic novel, concerning Aya-a young woman living and loving in Yopougon, Côte d'Ivoire-and the world of family and friends around her. Abouet crafted this decidedly warm, funny series outside of the war-and-famine tropes that tend to saddle so many narratives taking place within Africa. In 2013, a film by the same name was released in France.

"Le Chat du Rabbin" (Joann Sfar) tells the story of Zlabya, her rabbi father and their talking cat (yes, you read that right) in a colorful Jewish community in 1930s Algeria. Destined for an overseas journey, the three find themselves mired in drama and adventure in this colorful graphic novel.

"Poésies Pour La Vie" (Gilles Tibo) is a great beginner-level book that opens up the possibilities around what happens when we marry le quotidien (the everyday) with the power and magic of art and words.

Intended to engage the younger, elementary set, these beginner-level reads will be easier to digest for those new to the French language:

As for young adult books that kick things up a notch, you could start with any of these:

I also recommend presenting your students with teen and tween French-language magazines. Sounds questionable, I know, but teen magazines are chock-full of juicy info on the secret lives of pop stars, the latest fashion and useful advice for young readers...plus beginner-friendly French!

and seem to be all the rage for French-speaking teens these days.

Of course, if you'd like to offer more cerebral options for your students, this online collection of French-language newspapers and journals from all over the world will sharpen one's reading comprehension skills through current events.

Again, some of these materials are specifically geared towards students new to French, while with others, the idea is just to get your students excited about learning by exposing them to Francophone culture. So try not to be too concerned about handing out issues of during the first week of class.
Au Café (At the Coffee Shop)
Other Engaging Ways for Your Students to Grasp Basic French

As noted above, coming up with engaging ways for your students to grasp French can be fun, but also challenging at times. Here, however, are some powerful teaching ideas for building your students' confidence and getting them excited about diving into the language!

"Real-world" Situations

I highly recommend creating "real-world" scenarios where your students can use French in practical ways. Having your students act out common situations, skit-style, at the front of the class-complete with props and imaginary walls!-so that everyone can engage, is a great way to have them embody exactly what they're learning. Here are a few examples.

Vocabulary words: le café, le croissant

Student 1 (acting as a barista): Qu'est-ce que vous prenez ? (What would you like?)

Student 2 (acting as a customer): Je prends un café et un croissant. Ça coûte combien ? (I'll have a coffee and a croissant. How much would that be?)

Student 1: Huit dollars. (Eight dollars.)
À l'École (At School) Vocabulary words: les classes, les sujets
Student 2 (giving the barista "money"): D'accord. (Okay.)

Student 1: Merci et bonne journée ! (Thanks, and have a great day!)

Student 2: Merci ! (Thank you!)

*Prendre is an irregular, more advanced verb. But for this particular lesson, you can inform your class of the correct conjugation for the pronouns je and vous.

Student 1: Salut, [Student 2's name]! (Hey, [Student 2's name]!)

Student 2: Salut, [Student 1's name]! (Hey, [Student 1's name]!)

Student 1: Où vas-tu ? (Where are you going?)
À Table (At Dinner)
Student 2: Je vais en classe. On étudie beaucoup aujourd'hui. (I'm going to my class. We're studying a lot today.)

Student 1: Moi, aussi. J'étudie beaucoup de sujets cet après-midi. (Me, too. I'm studying lots of subjects this afternoon.)

Student 2: Alors, on va en classe, hein ? (Well, off to class, huh?)

*Here, you can alert your students as to why the y replaces en in the line above it.

Vocabulary words: le plat, les légumes, le pain

Student 1: Que mangeons-nous ce soir ? (What are we having [for dinner] tonight?)
En Ville (Going Out)
Student 2: J'ai préparé un plat de légumes. (I made a vegetable dish.)

Student 1: Ah, bon ? (Oh, really?)

Student 2: Oui, et on peut aussi manger du pain. (Yes, and we can eat bread [with it].)

Student 1: Alors... bon appétit ! (Well...bon appetit!)

Vocabulary words: la boîte, la bibliothèque

Student 1: Qu'est-ce que tu vas faire ce soir ? (What are you doing tonight?)

Student 2: Bah, je vais danser avec mes ami(e)s en boîte. Et toi ? (I'm going to dance with my friends at the club. And you?)

Student 1: Moi, j'espère trouver de nouveaux livres à la bibliothèque. (Well, I hope to find some new books at the library.)

Student 2: Ah, d'accord. Amuse-toi bien, hein ? (Oh, okay. Have fun, okay?)

Student 1: Merci ! Toi aussi. (Thanks! You too.)

...And so on.

Let your students unleash their inner thespians and have fun with the exercise! As long as they're following a logical pattern of thought with the verbs and vocabulary words, they're already on the right track. If they end up adding in more verbs or vocabulary, even better!

English-to-French Phonetics

To help your students with some of the phonetic aspects of French, you can use rough English-language phonetic equivalents to help them sound out French words.

I once tutored an English-speaking student from the US who wanted to tighten up his "French accent" before departing for a long-term trip to France. He repeatedly pronounced feu as "foo." So I urged him to say the English word "foot" a couple times, and on the third time, to drop the "t"-that seemed to work!
Moi, j'ai les cheveux bruns avec les yeux marron. Je suis un peu timide, mais j'aime bien danser et aller au café avec mes ami(e)s.
Keep in mind that English and French phonetics function very differently (which is why I noted the equivalents as "rough"), and should only be used as a guide for the student who may struggle with pronunciation as they dip their toes into the French language.

Self-portrait Projects

Try giving your students the opportunity to create "self-portraits" of themselves to help them learn basic French vocabulary around hair texture, eye color, personality traits and other physical and emotional characteristics. You can infuse a bit of art into your classroom by getting out the colored pencils, markers, paint and paper so that your students can come up with images that they create themselves, of themselves.

On a separate sheet of paper, your students can describe what they see and feel. For example:

(I have brown hair and brown eyes. I'm a bit shy, but I like to dance and go to the coffee shop with my friends.)

Once everyone has completed their art project, you could even allow your students the option of presenting them to the class.

Encourage, Praise, Repeat!

Practice makes, not perfect, but progress. As you allow space for your students to make mistakes as they learn, be sure to encourage them to keep trying if things don't quite stick (yet).
Bring French immersion to your classroom!
Also, keep in mind that any new activity will take time to catch on. If any of the activities or materials you present to your class don't quite go over, feel free to obtain their feedback to see what other ideas might speak to them.

Learning a new language is a pretty big deal.

Be sure to remind your students that it's all a journey, a collective process from which we can all learn and grow.

If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to teach French with real-world videos.

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How to Teach French to Beginners: Getting Your Students Pumped to Learn the Basics

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Want to get your students psyched to learn the basics of French?Easier said than done, right?Your beginning French students may feel like first-time skiers having second thoughts.After all, the language can certainly look intimidating from a distance.But while plunging into French fo

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"France is often considered the language of culture. A French lesson is a cultural journey into the worlds of fashion, gastronomy, the arts, architecture and science. Learning French also offers access to the works of great French writers such as Victor Hugo or Marcel Proust and famous poets like Charles Baudelaire or Jacques Prévert, in the original text. It means being able to hear the voices of actors Alain Delon or Juliette Binoche, and the pleasure of being able to understand the words of French songs sung by an Édith Piaf or a Charles Aznavour and even sing them yourself." https://nz.ambafrance.org/17-good-reasons-to-learn-French

Apprendre le français est enrichissant, il ouvre les étudiants à de nouveaux horizons, dont beaucoup n'ont jamais été imaginés auparavant, ni accessibles en apprenant un autre sujet. Une façon pour les adolescents d'apprécier le fait que le français est parlé dans divers pays du monde, et que cela pourrait leur ouvrir des portes à partir de maintenant, c'est si le monde extérieur est introduit dans la classe. L'impact incroyable que la culture française a eu sur le monde est moins connu par beaucoup à cet âge, et seulement réalisé plus tard dans la vie. L'un des moyens les plus faciles et les plus attrayants qu'un enseignant peut utiliser pour apprendre le français consiste à intégrer la culture dans le programme d'enseignement. S'ils sont enseignés de manière à intéresser les étudiants, les avantages de l'apprentissage du français sont le fait qu'ils peuvent en voir l'utilisation pratique, et qu'ils se révèlent immenses. Cette gratification immidée est inestimable pour l'esprit de l'adolescent.

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Rester connecté avec les autres à l'échelle mondiale et offrir des possibilités aux personnes apprenant le français peut être apprécié lorsque les enseignants peuvent présenter des façons de présenter le monde extérieur à travers différents médias. Inviter les invités à venir en classe, se connecter à des gens par lettres ou skype, ou des projets, ou s'ils sont chanceux, une excursion, ne sont que quelques-unes des façons dont les étudiants peuvent se sentir connectés dans le monde.

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What weighs the equivalent of 10 elephants?

I'll give you a hint: It's in Paris, France.

Believe it or not, it's the paint on the Eiffel Tower!

Your students will find that fact just as interesting as you did, because the most-visited paid monument in the world is practically a universal symbol.

Why bring up French icons like the Eiffel Tower in the first place?

By using iconic symbols, you can smoothly incorporate French culture into your teaching -while making your students hungry for more.

And to save you time, I've put together the best resources for teaching culture through seven famous French icons.

Before we get to the icons, though, let's first take a look at why it's worthwhile to spend time on culture-even when there's so much grammar and vocab to teach.

Why Teach French Culture with Famous Icons?

A successful recipe for teaching a language is to teach both its grammar and its culture. If you don't teach both, you are leaving out an important ingredient. Iconic symbols that are important to a culture are intertwined with the language.

They help students relate to the countries whose language they are learning. Students will feel motivated to learn French and their horizons will be widened as they link the culture to the grammar. They'll soon learn that language is used to express culture; one cannot separate the two. Just try to explain greetings in French without faire la bise-impossible!

They're a fun way to teach diverse vocabulary. Icons can open the way to a whole range and variety of vocabulary-from the mundane (such as shopping) to the more exotic (art and fashion). Language is the most visible form of communication in a culture, of course, and teaching culture always improves vocabulary. To enhance your language teaching with culture, it's useful to pick an icon and work around it in order to enhance the students' grammar and four basic skills: reading, writing, listening, speaking.

Icons are internationally recognized and thus easy to describe. Everyone has heard of the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. Most people have eaten a baguette and read about French fashion in magazines. Thus it will be relatively easy to ask students to describe these icons. The new aspect is the French vocabulary associated with each.

There are many iconic symbols associated with France, but here are seven to get you started.

7 Famous Icons for Teaching French Culture the Engaging Way

1. The Baguette

Everyone has heard of the baguette-it is one of the clichés of how we picture a Frenchman: a man wearing a beret, striped t-shirt and carrying a baguette under one arm. But the baguette is so much more. It can open the door to useful vocabulary and cultural aspects.

To introduce the topic, print out an image from the internet of a Frenchman holding a baguette and get the students to describe him. You can also ask the students to imagine what a typical Frenchman or woman looks like. This will get them to use the vocabulary of description, colors, etc. Another useful exercise is to get students to role-play being in a bakery and buying bread.

The French Learner site lists all the different varieties of bread that can be found in a boulangerie such as le pain de seigle (rye bread), le pain complet (granary bread), le pain au levain (sourdough bread), etc. Thus your students can learn about the baguette and the vocabulary associated with it.

Another post on the same site describes what French people eat for le petit déjeuner, another source of related vocab.

A fun way to help your students learn the vocabulary associated with the baguette is to get them to make a sandwich using the baguette. So give them a recipe and get them to follow instructions. They will thus review not only the vocabulary, but also the imperative.

You could also widen the range of vocabulary and culture by using Marie Ponterio's excellent site on French Civilization.

Laura Lawless has a reading exercise on the baguette, which can also be used as a translation exercise if the students are instructed not to look at the translation. The vocabulary may be expanded to that of shops and businesses.

Tv5.org has a short video with transcription on the story of the baguette. Watch the video with your students, and then do the accompanying four exercises.

2. Chanel No.5

The perfume, Chanel no. 5, is a famous iconic symbol which has become synonymous with sexiness-especially since Marilyn Monroe stated it was the only thing she wore when going to bed. However, one of the ways to motivate your students (apart from giving them a bottle of Chanel no.5) is to show them the film "Coco Before Chanel" which is in French with English subtitles. This can be used as a listening and comprehension exercise, or even as a writing exercise (ask the students to summarize the story briefly).

If you don't have time for a full-length film, this 3-minute video "The Story of Coco Chanel" on FluentU is a perfect way to introduce your students to the legendary Coco Chanel. Mostly in present tense, this upper-intermediate animated video tells about the life and times of Chanel. You won't have to create any extra materials for this, as all FluentU videos are complete with a downloadable transcript, a vocab and dialogue list, plus "learn mode"-interactive questions that gradually teach the vocab and phrases from the video.

A way to expand your students' vocabulary is to have a lesson about makeup (probably not popular with boys) by going to French Learner's audio lesson on French makeup vocabulary. It is also useful to show students an ad for Chanel No. 5 and ask them to analyze it and then to research the product.

There is an innovative method called Le français à travers le parfum which helps students learn French by exploring the theme of perfume. Students must answer questions, do research, play games and thus learn French in a fun way.

If your students are advanced, ask them to describe their favorite perfume and do research on the perfume industry in Grasse. It's also useful to have students role play that they're buying a perfume.

3. The Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower can be seen from anywhere in Paris. It stands tall as the symbol of Paris and hence France. Laura Lawless has a 3-minute video on the Eiffel Tower, which can be used for listening practice. It has the French transcription with the English translation just a click away.

FluentU has a really neat video called "The Eiffel Tower: Brought to You by Google," in which Google Street View goes to the Eiffel Tower to take shots for Google Maps. Just like the Chanel video, FluentU has you covered with its interactive "learn mode"-personalized to each student's learning level-plus the transcript, vocab list with audio, interactive flashcards and more.

The site TICs en FLE has several videos on the Eiffel Tower with a quiz after them. It's for the more advanced students though (B1 or B2), as it only has a French transcription and no English translation. It does provide a 27-page PDF file for you to download with a lot of information about the Eiffel Tower in French. This may be used as a basis for discussions or as a comprehension exercise.

The Alliance Française in Sydney has devised a worksheet (fiche de travail) which sends students off on a WebQuest on the Eiffel Tower site. The idea is to get the students to search for information, organize a visit to the tower, book a table at one of the tower's restaurants, invite a friend (by email) and give him or her directions to the monument. This will get the students to practice reading, comprehension and writing.

There's another WebQuest on the FLE magique site where the students have to research the Eiffel Tower and answer questions about it.

4. The Beret

The beret is an iconic symbol of French fashion, and can be used to review or add to your students' knowledge of French clothing vocabulary. Quizlet has a list of clothing with their pronunciations which may be useful for review. Likewise, Daily Motion has a slideshow with images and pronunciations.

A fun way to teach clothing vocab is to have students describe images of people wearing a beret. This way students can learn or review sentences such as "Il porte/Elle porte...," "Il lui va bien/mal," "Le beret est noir," etc.

For more advanced students (B2), use Tv5.org's site to show this video about the history of the beret. Their site Apprendre le français has the video with its transcription and four exercises that will allow students to practice their comprehension skills.

5. The Croissant

The croissant is another famous symbol of France, although it was not originally invented by the French. Teaching about the croissant gives you the opportunity to ask your students to compare breakfast in their country with breakfast in France.

This can lead to a conversation about cafés in France and the different types of coffee and how to order it in France. FluentU has a video of two businessmen ordering coffee before their business meeting, which you can use to show a real-life ordering process.

Tv5.org has several short videos with exercises to practice comprehension about food and meals. These are aimed at an A2 level and have a transcription in French which may be used as an exercise in translation. Another video on the story of the croissant talks about its origins, its recipes and the eating habits of the French.

Podcast Français Facile has a short dialogue with podcast (which may also be used for the baguette) that takes place in a bakery. This has a transcription plus exercises which can be printed out to test comprehension. Français Facile also has a photo with a podcast which can be used for comprehension and vocabulary review. It's also a good idea to have a role play scenario where the students go to a bakery and buy a croissant.

A great way to motivate students is to introduce them to Jacques Prévert's poem "Déjeuner du matin". Give your students the poem, let them watch a short video, and then have them act it out.

6. The Fleur-de-lys

The fleur de Lys (also spelled fleur de lis) is a symbol of the French monarchy, the Ancien Régime. It can be used to teach the vocabulary of flowers in French. Students can describe colors, shapes, likes and dislikes. Your students can also do a role play where they visit a florist and describe what they want to buy, and also write a note for the person it's meant for.

Bonjour de France has a lesson on idiomatic expressions with the word fleur. These idiomatic expressions are for the more advanced students. Tv5.org has a video on the theme of offrir et recevoir, which can be used for description purposes as well as for comprehension. It is accompanied by a downloadable worksheet and a transcription.

7. The Louvre and Its Pyramid

The Louvre is one of the biggest museums in the world and contains famous masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Victory of Samothrace. Its relatively new entrance, the Glass Pyramid, caused a lot of controversy at one stage.

So, how do you teach about the Louvre? Well, you can start by showing your students a short video clip on the Louvre and ask the students to summarize what they see. You can also use Zaption.com and add your own questions and text to the video, which will help your students with reading and writing skills.

FluentU's video clip "The Louvre for Dummies" is about the publication of a "for Dummies" book on the Louvre-which would be an interesting way to introduce the topic.

It's also a great idea to visit the Louvre site and ask your students to describe one of the paintings or sculptures. This will improve their vocabulary and help with their writing skills. You can also give them a WebQuest and ask them to research the museum to organize a trip (find out what means of transportation to use, how much the tickets cost, which exhibitions are on, etc.)

The Louvre's official site also has a section entitled "Le Louvre raconté aux enfants," which has several videos on the Louvre and can be used for both beginners of French and children.

An excellent exercise for advanced students is to listen to this short podcast on RFI, which tests listening skills. This is followed by several exercises which test students' understanding.

Using French icons to teach culture is a great recipe for language success-one that helps students improve their French skills while enjoying the experience.

So why not start cooking? Introduce these famous French icons-or others from French-speaking countries outside of France-into your lessons today!

Hey, Just One More Thing...

If you want to teach the French language with and through culture every school day, you've got to check out the teacher accounts on FluentU.

With FluentU, you can make every aspect of learning French (even homework!) authentic and interesting, without having to spend tons of time combing the web for perfect material.

FluentU lets your students learn French from real-world content like music videos, commercials, news broadcasts, cartoons and inspiring talks. Since this video content is stuff that native French speakers actually watch on the regular, your students will get the opportunity to learn real French-the way it's spoken in modern life.

There are tons of great choices here when you're looking for material for in-class activities or homework. Plus, all the videos are sorted by skill level and are carefully annotated for students:

FluentU brings authentic French videos within reach of any learner. Interactive captions will guide your students along the way, so they'll never miss a word.

Your students can tap on any word to see a definition, in-context usage examples, audio pronunciation, helpful images and more. For example, if they tap on the word " suit," then this is what appears on the screen:

That's not all, though. Students can use FluentU's learn mode to actively practice all the vocabulary in any video with vocabulary lists, flashcards, quizzes and fun activities like "fill in the blank."

What's more, FluentU keeps track of all the grammar and vocabulary that each student has been learning. It uses viewed videos and mastered language lessons to recommend more useful videos and give students a 100% personalized experience.

With a FluentU teacher account, you'll get access to a ton of cool features. Aside from being able to incorporate the videos into your regular classroom activities, you can assign your students videos for homework and track their progress individually.
Bring French immersion to your classroom!
Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes store.

If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to teach French with real-world videos.

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7 Famous Icons for Teaching French Culture the Engaging Way

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What weighs the equivalent of 10 elephants?I'll give you a hint: It's in Paris, France.Believe it or not, it's the paint on the Eiffel Tower!Your students will find that fact just as interesting as you did, because the most-visited paid monument in the world is practically a universal sy

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Les élèves réussissent mieux lorsqu'ils montrent leur travail aux autres. La motivation des étudiants est liée plus haut lorsqu'ils ont l'impression d'être connectés au monde - quand leur démonstration de ce qu'ils savent est utile

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In This Module, Trustees Will:

Explore key concepts of family involvement and engagement in education

Explore winning strategies for engaging communities

Examine their role in facilitating parent and community engagement

Introduction

The involvement of family and community members in the life of schools and in the education of their children enriches the learning environment and directly contributes to student achievement. The family supports the student emotionally and physically and the trust they have in the school to also support their child has a positive impact on the child's success and well-being. Active community involvement also helps to create strong, democratically engaged communities.

The module The School Board's Role as Policymaker, identifies the board's role in articulating policy on parent and community relations as a central governance responsibility of school board members. School boards can promote a healthy partnership with parents and the community by: - Ensuring through policy that schools and the school system are accessible and welcoming to parents and other members of the community; - Making sure the public has open access to relevant information about educational policies, programs, and services; and - Establishing mechanisms that offer meaningful opportunities for input into decision making at the school and board level.

Strong school-community partnerships are good for schools and good for the communities they serve. Each school is a rich community resource with assets that include its facilities, equipment and materials, entertainment (sporting or artistic events), human resources (both the staff and the students), programs for students, and courses for the broader community.

The term "family" is used in this module to embrace the diversity of parental and extended family structures in Ontario homes. The module will explore the vital importance of family engagement and involvement in education and the role of communities in supporting a vibrant public education system.

Families - Partners in Education

In September 2010, the Ministry of Education released Parents in Partnership...A Parent Engagement Policy for Ontario Schools. The policy articulates the following vision:

"In Ontario's education system, all partners acknowledge the positive impact of parent engagement on student achievement. Students are supported and inspired to learning in a culture of high expectations in which parents:

Are welcomed, respected, and valued by the school community as partners in their children's learning and development;

Have opportunities to be involved, and also a full range of choice about how to be involved, in the educational community to support student success;

Are engaged through ongoing communication and dialogue with other educational partners to support a positive learning environment at home and at school;

Are supported with the information and tools necessary to participate in school life."

What the Research Says

The evidence about the benefits of families being involved in their children's education is overwhelming. Research shows that parental involvement in their children's learning positively affects the child's academic performance in both primary and secondary schools, leading to

higher academic achievement,

greater cognitive competence,

greater problem-solving skills,

greater school enjoyment,

better school attendance, and

fewer behavioural problems at school

Studies show that children whose parents are involved demonstrate:

greater social and emotional development including:

more resilience to stress,

greater life satisfaction,

greater self-direction and self-control,

greater social adjustment,

greater mental health,

more supportive relationships,

greater social competence,

more positive peer relations,

more tolerance,

more successful marriages, and

less delinquent behaviours

These advantages continue throughout childhood into adulthood[1].

With regard to specific impact on student achievement, the positive effects of parent involvement were borne out in a meta-analysis conducted through the Harvard Family Research project[2]. Two particular aspects of this analysis of the results of existing studies are important to note for school boards concerned with encouraging family involvement in diverse communities or family populations that are hard to reach. The analysis found that parental involvement revealed a consistent and positive impact across racial and ethnic groups. A further pertinent finding was that strategies to enhance family engagement where it is currently minimal or not present are effective in creating positive change. This underscores the importance for school boards and schools in finding ways to encourage engagement of families who may not currently be directly involved in their children's education.

There is high correlation between family and community partnerships and student achievement. Regardless of parents' own socio-economic background, experiences in school or their own educational backgrounds, all parents can and do support their children's success. Parental involvement at school is also linked to greater participation in the community. However, partnerships between parents, community groups and schools need to be real partnerships. Schools that engage parents and the community help build and sustain confidence and support. Respect and trust are built when parents and members of the community are invited into the school.

The advantages of collaborative approaches work in two ways. The school benefits as do families and the community agencies, institutions and other groups. The capacity of the community to understand and serve the needs of students and their families increases as a result of engagement in the school. Similarly, awareness of and access to services for children and families are increased.

Engaging Families as Partners

Engaging families brings benefits for students, parents and the schools. The role of the board and its members is to ensure that schools and, in particular, school principals are supported in their efforts to engage families in the life of the local school. The engagement activities of the governing board are focused at a system level through the structures the board puts in place for consultation and information-sharing.
Benefits for Students:

It is easier for children to learn when they get encouragement from home.

They will do better and achieve more when their parents are involved.

Students see that parents value education and have high expectations for their success.

Children get access to more activities in and out of school when there are more adults to help.

Their concerns can be sorted out more quickly when their parents have a positive relationship with school staff.

They are happy when their parents are enjoying events in the school.

Benefits for Parents:

Their children do better when they are involved.

They are better able to help and encourage their children when they understand the system and have more information about their children's education.

Parents can build their own confidence and skills as parents and adult learners.

Where there is a positive relationship between parents and their child's school there are benefits for everyone.

Parents get reassurance that their children are receiving a good education when they are involved and engaged in the process.

Benefits for Schools:

Parents bring skills and experience which complement teachers' skills and expertise.

Parents contribute their time and skills, so together parents and teachers are able to do more activities with pupils than teachers can do on their own.

Pupils' learning, attendance and behaviour improve.

Parents have ideas about how the school can best support the children and have opportunities to make suggestions.

Teachers have people with whom they can talk over ideas and get help when developing plans for the school.

Parents can offer schools greater understanding of the learning styles and life conditions of each student and therefore help teachers in their efforts to provide differentiated instruction

The ability of parents to use effective learning strategies at home with their children is enhanced.

Parents can give advice and help around reaching out and engaging other parents.

The work of Ken Leithwood in School Leaders' Influences on Student Learning: The Four Paths outlines the "family path" and its role in supporting student achievement. The Ministry's Parent Engagement policy refers to this work: "Many families have questions about how to relate to and support their children's learning from the early years through adolescence. Various activities such as workshops for parents can strengthen parenting skills related to their children's education and provide parents with a greater understanding of their options for involvement."

Joyce Epstein, a renowned authority on parent/family involvement and building educational partnerships, has created a framework of six types of parent involvement:

Parenting

Communication

Volunteering

Learning at home

Decision-making

Collaboration with the community

Henderson, Mapp, Johnson and Davies in their book Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family School Partnerships describe four different kinds of schools. In a Partnership School, families and communities work closely with the school to ensure that every student succeeds. In an Open-Door School, while parents may be involved in many ways, parental attendance at school events and activities could be improved. In a Come-if-We-Call School, parents are welcomed by the school when they are invited for a specific reason. Staff and administration in Fortress Schools believe that parents belong at home, not in the school. In order to achieve the goals of education in Ontario, (Achieving Excellence, Ensuring Equity, Promoting Well-Being, and Enhancing Public Confidence) and considering the research on the impact of parent and community engagement on student success, it is essential that school boards foster a district culture with high expectations for parent and community engagement in which Partnership Schools are the norm.

Parenting

This approach involves school boards and their schools in helping families establish home environments to support children as students. Most school boards provide information on their websites about services for families in the community and provide tip sheets to help with issues that arise in the daily lives of families. Through Parenting and Family Literacy centres, boards will also provide parenting supports for families.

Communication

This strategy involves the design of effective forms of school-to-home and home-to-school communications about school programs and children's progress. In addition to report cards and parent-teacher interviews, effective communication involves regular sharing of student work folders and encouragement of parent comments; curriculum nights; information about school policies, programs and events; regular newsletters; phone calls; e-mails; online access to information. In many communities boards will also accommodate first language needs through translations of board and school communications and using interpreters for critical meetings and interviews.

Volunteering

An important involvement strategy is recruiting and organizing parent help and support. Most boards have a volunteer policy and post information on their websites about how to get involved. Common suggestions are: preparation of arts and crafts supplies; classroom reading buddies; membership on school council or attendance at school council meetings; fundraising; field trip supervision; welcoming new families, providing help with translation/interpretation; helping with the school's environmental program, e.g. garden planting or recycling; assisting in the library; speaking to students on Career Day.

Learning at home

This strategy is about providing information and ideas to families about how to help students at home with homework and other curriculum-related activities, decisions, and planning. Many boards through their websites provide families with information on skills students need for various subjects at different grade levels; they publish homework policies and tips on helping with homework; they have parenting and family literacy centres and run family fun with literacy or family math evenings; they offer summer learning packages.

Many boards run annual parent conferences on topics that support them in helping their children to be successful in school and also cover themes such as peer pressure in the teen years or children and the internet. Boards also encourage schools to have information nights on key issues of interest and suggest topics and speakers.

Decision-making

The inclusion of families in local school decision- making and in contributing to the school improvement plan is an important aspect of parent involvement. It is a strategy for developing parent leaders and representatives. In Ontario, by Ministry regulation, every school has a school council with strong parent representation and each board has a Parent Involvement Committee (PIC). The role of a PIC is to support, encourage and enhance meaningful parent involvement to improve student achievement and wellbeing throughout the board and its schools. PICs are formal parent-led committees and important advisory bodies to the board. Many boards will also have community advisory committees such as an Aboriginal Advisory Committee or a Race Relations Advisory Committee. Each board also has a Special Education Advisory Committee with parent representation that makes recommendations to the governing board about the establishment and development of special education programs and services. Boards through their websites and local school communications make families aware of who their parent representatives are and what the process is for becoming a member of a council or committee.

Collaboration with the community

This strategy seeks to identify and integrate resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs, family practices and student learning and development. Boards provide families with information on community health, cultural, recreational, and social support. Some specific initiatives include summer programs for students, intergenerational programs, community use of schools and involvement of community volunteers who are not parents of children in the board's schools.

Community connections were common in many districts no matter what their strength. More unique to strong Ontario districts, however, was the sense of importance both district and school leaders attached to their relationship with these local community groups as part of their efforts to accomplish the district's mission and vision. The label "community schools" was widely used in these strong Ontario districts in reference to their schools. (From Strong Districts and their Leadership, page 21.)

Eliminating Barriers to Family Engagement

An ongoing challenge for school boards is to have in place effective strategies for involving families who, for a number of reasons, feel disengaged from the school system. Barriers for these families could include language, poverty or newness to the school system. In the case of some newcomers to Canada a barrier might also be a culture of suspicion of authority or a culture of a high level of deference to teachers at the expense of expressing their own legitimate concerns. They may have had negative experiences with government bodies or school systems in their country of origin; they may have had little experience of any school system as a result of lengthy periods spent in refugee camps. Many families struggling to make ends meet may be balancing multiple jobs and shift work; this makes it harder for them to find the time and opportunities to engage with the school.

First Nations families have strong traditions about involvement of parents in their children's education. Engagement with the provincial school system may, however, be difficult: " First Nations people have suffered at the hands of education systems for well over a hundred years.........Parents whose school experiences have been painful are uncomfortable involving themselves in their children's education.....Disillusionment with the school can be (deepened) by the uneasy response of teachers and principals, many of whom do not know how to approach First Nations parents, seek their input and establish positive reciprocal relationships with them."[3]

Steps to eliminating barriers for disengaged families across communities could include:

Building awareness of the perspectives and experiences of the board's communities particularly those that are most reluctant to engage with the school system

Ensuring there is professional development for staff to strengthen cultural sensitivity and increase teacher-parent liaison skills

Providing friendly accessible information through community leaders that will encourage participation on Aboriginal Advisory Committees and community liaison groups

Where it is feasible, ensuring there are staff who can support pro-active outreach to specific communities that are not currently well represented on school councils, parent involvement committees or present at school events

Going out to the community to hold meetings or events, e.g., a "town hall" in a specific community's meeting place or a "reporting to parents" evening in the First Nation community; solicit input that is community-initiated, not just input the board requires on a specific issue

Encouraging participation of extended family members including grandparents who are often parent/guardians

Bringing the community into schools as role models for students, e.g. Artists, First Nation Elders, Métis Senators

Community Engagement

Community engagement in public education values the right of community members to have input into the decisions that affect the lives and education of the community's children. It is the process of building relationships with community members who will work with the schools board as an ongoing partner, and support its mission with the end goal of making the community a better place to live.

Amendments to the Education Act in 2009 underscore the importance of community engagement when the elected board sets strategic directions and establishes its goals. Trustees are expected to consult with parents, students and constituents of the board on the board's multi-year strategic plan and the elected board is obligated to make its constituencies aware of the plan and report on progress with regard to its implementation. The plan demonstrates the board's responsiveness and accountability to its community and reflects community values and priorities.

Community engagement is not an exercise in public relations; it is a collaborative process aimed at reaching a shared understanding of preferred solutions to identified problems or key community needs and priorities.
"A board/director leadership and governance team must develop a plan for creating (and regularly updating) a vision that "fits" its community and is consonant with high standards for children. Public engagement and community mobilization are keys to defining priorities, setting goals, and creating an educational vision, all of which must be tied to quality education for all children. Perhaps the most important task of every board/director team is to lead the community to face the problems and assault the barriers that are blocking the potential of its children. That kind of leadership can inspire and engage citizens, staff, and students - neighbourhood by neighbourhood, using whatever means possible - to create a community vision and long-range plan."
It is important to recognize, however, that the community is comprised of a diverse range of people whose views will vary and even be in conflict with each other. The job of the members of the board is to listen to all the voices, not just the loudest, or the ones they most agree with. Having listened, the board then has the responsibility to make a decision that will be in the best interests of the entire school board district. It goes without saying that the board's decisions will not find favour with absolutely everyone who provided input. The challenge at that point is for the members of the board to be well-equipped to provide the rationale for the decision made by the board and be able to respond to community questions.

When engaging in consultation it is important for the board of trustees to be clear about why they are consulting. Is it a "listening" consultation or a "telling" consultation? If the participants believe the process is a "listening" one when in fact it is a "telling" one, the scope for false expectations and conflict is high.

Listening

A listening consultation takes place at the beginning of the process that will lead to a decision on a particular issue. The purpose is to collect as many options, and as much evidence about the impact of the options, as possible. Every option is analyzed publicly during the consultation using the evidence that is available. Goals are evaluated and community feelings are assessed in what is a very open-ended collaborative process. It is also made clear that, ultimately, it is the governing board that will make the decision. This type of consultation can be lengthy.

Telling

A telling consultation takes place towards the end of the process when the board is clear about the direction that will be taken. Option identification and evidence-gathering will have taken place internally. The goal of "telling" consultations is to ensure that the action to be taken is well understood by those affected, that there are few disruptive rumours floating around, and that there isn't any major factor that was missed by the internal process. This type of consultation is usually short and straightforward.

Winning Strategies for Community Engagement

A report prepared for the Alberta School Boards' Association summarized findings in the literature on public engagement that highlight successful elements in any community engagement effort. These are provided here in an adapted format:

Important principles and practices:

Be committed. A school board should not simply view community engagement as one of its projects but as a way of doing business. It is a purposeful management tool.

Be accountable. Let the public know that the board leadership is committed to community engagement and be clear about roles and responsibilities for maintaining communication. Let the public know that their input makes a difference in outcomes and keep all publics informed of the progress in strategic planning efforts.

Be transparent. Board information, business practices and decision-making processes should be highly visible, easily accessible, accountable and open to participation.

Build trust. This means building or rebuilding relationships with constituent groups including employees, students, parents, volunteers, community members and business leaders.

Know the board's communities. Get to know stakeholders thoroughly. Take the time to gather more information if it is needed.

Make effective use of existing communication vehicles. Don't underestimate the power of clear, succinct messages in parent newsletters and the local media. Take advantage of every school gathering. Ask to speak at local civic organizations. Most people want to know what is going on and want to support public education.

Use technology and online communities. On-line media helps give voice to citizens who care about public schools but do not want to attend public engagement activities.

Be clear and use simple language. Every message should be viewed as a "report to the shareholders." Don't assume prior knowledge. Every message should stand on its own. Only use educational terms if absolutely necessary and then define them. Many an effort has been waylaid due to misunderstanding of key terms. Boards could make it a matter of policy that all their documents are to be written in simple, clear language.

Use graphics and lists where appropriate. Key information in point-form or conveyed through an appealing graphic is more user-friendly than dense text.

Deliver key messages in ways most likely to reach the target audience. Audiences want to hear what the core message. They don't want it buried in the process that was followed.

Frame the essential questions to guide dialogue. Reflective thinking can be enhanced by pointed questions. Invite key constituents to respond to these questions. Wide-open public forums invite confusion and grandstanding.

Establish a clear, open process. Initiate and publicize widely designated input/discussion opportunities. Invite key groups who are likely to question a proposed effort or direction.

Schedule public forums appropriately. At forums, consider limiting verbal input to three to four minutes per person, and invite presenters to provide a short summary to serve as the "official record" of their presentation. This eliminates some note-keeping, cuts down on mis-understandings about what was actually said, and ensures that many people have an opportunity to offer their point of view.

Promote civility. The process for dialogue should contain suggestions for protecting the right to disagree and to be civil in debate.

Emphasize local ownership. Articulate and promote the notion that people have ownership over the issue, process and product for discussion and ultimate decisions to be made.

Have a clear challenge process after decisions are made. After any public debate is complete and decisions have been made, ensure that the process used to reach the decision is known. If individuals still object to the outcome, make sure everyone knows in writing what the challenge process is - if there is one - and make it available to the unhappy stakeholders.

Discover new ways. Be creative in the methods used to encourage stakeholders to become actively engaged the board and its schools. From parents and senior citizens to the business and religious communities, take the necessary steps to target information to them and invite their increased awareness and participation in ways that work uniquely for them.

Have welcoming schools. How do people in the community feel about approaching the schools? Are they welcomed as the board's customers or are they made to feel like they are intruding?

Effective public engagement tools

Communications and public engagement audits. Use these analyses and reports to list and assess what has already being done on all fronts, and where the gaps are in processes or relationships. One component of the audit is a review and analysis of all written materials prepared by the jurisdiction for consumption by the schools' many audiences.

Strategic planning sessions, town hall meetings or community conversations. Open dialogues foster trust and collaboration, shared goals, and strategies.

Collaboration between schools, service-providers, businesses, etc. Shared resources and collaboration enhance learning, strengthen connection, and produce mutually beneficial results for students, schools and the community.

Public information-sharing on student achievement. Communities must be informed of and understand student achievement data in order to understand and support school and board strategies for improvement.

E-mail. E-mail is a powerful, low-cost tool that can be used to connect with families, community members, businesspeople and others. E-mail responses on issues cannot be considered a representative sample of opinions but they are a convenient way to communicate with diverse audiences.

Study circles. Study circles are a semi-structured, multi-step method that convenes policy-makers and the public over extended periods in small-group discussions. Policymakers say study circles give them the opportunity to understand a variety of perspectives about key issues and to receive a reality check on their policy direction.

Community participation in school board meetings. School boards need input from the community to inform and support decisions. Inviting the community to participate in board meeting discussions is one way of doing that. One way is to include public Q & A sessions at meetings and to have guidelines for delegations.

Communication with elected officials and policymakers. Take advantage of opportunities to inform and solicit the input of other elected officials and policy makers at various levels of government.

Keen awareness of all publics

Parents and families. The number one constituent group. Involved families can effectively advocate for schools with the general public. Often, informed parents are among the best ambassadors. Most parents want to know three things:

What is my child supposed to be learning and doing?

What progress is my child making?

How can I help my child?

Facilitating ongoing involvement with families, with a clear focus on improving student achievement, is perhaps the most critical step schools can take to engage the community. When families are actively involved in schools, teachers learn more about the students in their class, and students are more able and willing to learn. Encouraging family directories to help parents communicate among themselves is empowering and further strengthens the building of a school community.

Community/lay people (parents and non-parents without children in school). This group receives most of its information from the news media, neighbours and relatives. It's important to find ways of informing and involving this large sector of the public in the goals and values of publicly funded education.

Students. An often overlooked public. They will be more involved and supportive of the board if they understand the goals and purposes of education beyond their own personal course of study.

Employees. Principals, teachers and every other employee of the board need to know and understand the board's key goals, issues and opportunities. They need to know how they can enter the dialogue and the importance the board places on helping other stakeholders do so too. Staff play a key role in promoting community partnerships. Principals, in particular, are leaders in the school community -building their capacity to engage with families and supporting them in being the positive, welcoming face of the school is a vital investment for the board to make.

French-language communities. For French-language boards in Ontario it is particularly important to build links with other services and agencies in the community to promote understanding and support for the role of publicly funded education in strengthening French-language education and culture, reducing assimilation of francophone students and enriching sustainable development for all sectors of that community.

Policy-makers. Comprised primarily of legislators and locally elected officials. The less involved and informed they are, the greater the influence of single-issue, special interest groups.

Special interest groups. Many a director or board member spends an inordinate amount of time and resources responding to small but vocal and energetic groups. They deserve and need to be a part of the process and debate.

Community agencies and services. Building partnerships with agencies such as those providing children's mental health services, local police services, multicultural associations, aboriginal organizations, religious communities is critical to the role of publicly funded education in serving the needs of the whole child.

Business leaders. Most business people know the skills needed for success in the twenty-first century work environment and are willing to advise and support boards in their strategic plans for student achievement.

Conclusion

"It takes a village to raise a child."

TRADITIONAL AFRICAN PROVERB

In public education terms this truism reinforces the necessary partnership among families, schools and communities in giving children the best possible start in life as well as the skills and knowledge to achieve success in an increasingly complex global environment.

Other Resources

Equity and Inclusive Education in Ontario Schools, Guidelines for Policy Development and Implementation (2009) www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/equity.pdf

Parents in Partnership, A Parent Engagement Policy for Ontario Schools (2010) www.parentinvolvement.ca/Ontario%20Parent%20Engagement%20Policy%20Sept%202010.pdf

Ontario First Nation, Métis and Inuit Education Policy Framework (2007) www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/aboriginal/fnmiFramework.pdf

Sound Foundations for the Road Ahead, Fall 2009 Progress Report on Implementation of the Ontario First Nation, Métis and Inuit Education Policy Framework (2009) www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/aboriginal/SoundFoundation_RoadAhead.pdf

Handbook on Citizen Engagement: Beyond Consultation, Canadian Policy Research Networks (2008) www.cprn.org/doc.cfm?doc=1857&l=en accessed October 31, 2010

Aménagement linguistique: A Policy for Ontario's French-Language Schools and Francophone Community www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/policy/linguistique/guide/index.html

Best practices in public engagement, Alberta School Boards Association (2009) www.asba.ab.ca/files/pdf/best_practices_report.pdf accessed October 31, 2010
Useful and practical public feedback on community engagement in education is also found in:
Summary Report: Summit on Public Involvement in Public Education, Alberta School Boards Association (2009) www.asba.ab.ca/files/pdf/summit_summary_report.pdf

Notes

Effective practices of many school boards in Ontario were relied upon in the development of this module. This is gratefully acknowledged by OESC-CSEO.

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Family and Community Engagement / - Education that Connects

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In This Module, Trustees Will: Explore key concepts of family involvement and engagement in education Explore winning strategies for engaging communities Examine their role in facilitating parent and community engagement Introduction The involvement of family and community members in the life of schools and in the education of their children enriches the learning environment and directly contributes to student achievement.