This is top-down communication to ELL parents to encourage involvement.
What is parent involvement?
100
This is the person or persons you should turn to first when establishing connections with ELL parents.
What is/are the ELL teachers?
100
By doing these things:
Displaying maps and flags from your students' native countries
Enlisting a bilingual morning greeter to get the day started on the right foot.
Creating a special area for families to gather such as an extra classroom or lounge,
you are exhibiting this behavior toward your ELL families.
What is creating a welcoming environment?
100
This is an area of great frustration for both school employees and ELL parents.
What is communication?
100
These are three ways parents can be active participants in their child's homework.
What is:
* checking to make sure that their child's homework is done
* asking the child to tell the parent about the school day each evening
* finding a way to keep in regular contact with the teacher or school staff member?
200
This is mutually shared communication between ELL parents and school personnel.
What is parent engagement?
200
This group can possibly contribute interpreters for the schools.
Who are local community organizations?
200
Getting to know your ELL families is a synonym for this.
What is creating a personal connection?
200
It is considered important that you attempt this mode of communication with ELL parents, in part to determine the extent of their oral communication skills in English.
What is a phone call home?
200
This is a specific type of "reading" that is encouraged for ELL parents and children.
What is storytelling in the native language?
300
This is the impact found when students join our educational community with different cultural backgrounds.
What are "cultural shifts"?
300
This is a way to elicit responses from ELL parents for the school. It is a form.
What is a questionnaire?
300
We need to share this with parents. It is imperative that they use this language at home in order to benefit their children.
What is L1?
300
By providing these:
Bilingual staff — When possible, bilingual staff in the main office who are available to help families any time they come in.
Enrollment night — Schedule an "enrollment night" in which families can learn about the enrollment process and school policies with interpreters on hand.
School liaisons — Assign each family a school contact who speaks their language and guides them as needed,
this process will flow more smoothly.
What is the enrollment process?
300
It is advisable to include ELL parents in this in-school activity that benefits not only their own child, but also others in your classroom.
What is volunteering?
400
This is training for teachers.
What is professional development?
400
By taking the time to find this out about each ELL student, you will be much better informed when working with the student.
What is the student's unique background experience?
400
Providing this for teachers will not only enhance the classroom experience for ELLs, but will likely improve communication with ELL parents.
What is professional development?
400
Follow this common sense approach with ELL parents.
What is "assume nothing".
400
Seek out parents' ________________ in order to enhance your students' learning experience.
What are strengths, knowledge-base, or background knowledge?
500
By offering these, parents have the opportunity to learn more about forms of communication from the district.
What is a parent workshop?
500
By investigating this for each ELL cultural group, you will be prepared for possible scheduling conflicts, opportunities to share culture in the classroom, and improving communication with ELL families.
What is knowledge of cultural traditions?
500
We need to demonstrate this belief to all parents re: their children's education.
What is respecting parents' intentions?
500
If you have these for ELL parents, be sure to include the following:
using school websites to check their students' progress
parent-teacher conferences
standardized testing
special education services
the college application process.
What is a parent workshop?
500
By reaching out to these members of the community, you may be able to assist ELL parents' ability to attend school functions.