Challenges Typically Faced By English Learner Parents

Whether you have already finished the school year, will be finishing soon, or are just starting summer session, June is a great time to start discussions and planning for next year, review what went well this past year, both in the school and in your classroom, as well as to start setting goals for the next year.

One important question to ask yourself is: how well did I engage and communicate with my EL students’ families?

Research has shown that students whose parents are actively involved tend to show better academic performance, fewer behavioral problems at school, and are more likely to graduate from high school than students whose parents are less involved in their children’s schooling (Child Trends, 2013; Henderson & Berla, 1994; Henderson & Mapp, 2002).

Studies have also shown that parents who do not speak English at home are less likely to participate on school boards or attend school events or meetings (Child Trends, 2013). Data from Child Trends (2013) even suggests that in 2012 only about 50 percent of children with parents who do not speak English at home had a parent attend a school event compared to 78 percent participation for parents of students who both spoke English at home.

So, how can we better engage EL families and work to incorporate their needs and concerns in our classrooms, schools, and districts?

One way is to host bilingual family night(s) at your school. These can be language-specific nights, or can be one, large event in which there is plenty of support from interpreters and bilingual staff. Bilingual family nights can also be opportunities to provide statistics and information, explain upcoming activities, and set classroom and community goals with the parents of your EL students. Bilingual family nights are also a time for teachers to listen to the concerns of your students’ parents and communities, (e.g., what issues do they see as most important, what are resources the parents might want, where are areas parents might be able to contribute to the school/classroom environment, how do parents see the role of the school/teacher with regard to the relationship between school and home life)?

For a short article discussing how to plan a bilingual family night or for more ideas about how/why to host a family night at your school, check out this article.

There are lots of resources for help encouraging positive interaction between EL families and the schools—take a look at this guide from Colorín Colorado for some engaging strategies for promoting communication and engagement with EL students and families.

This article from the Great Lakes Center for Educational Research and Practice provides an overview of some challenges typically faced by EL parents when it comes to engagement, and some ways schools can work to knock down some of these barriers.

Get planning and start considering how you can better involve parents in your school and classroom!

4.Teacher Tips & Activities

Parents

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