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Parent Outreach

Parents of English language learners, like all parents, want the very best for their children, but they may feel apprehensive about getting involved at school because of limited English skills or lack of familiarity with American culture and the American public school system. The articles below provide information on how you can reach out to the parents of your ELLs and encourage them to become involved in their children's learning, both at school and at home. See Reaching Out to Hispanic Students and Families for more information.

This section contains 9 articles.

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Tips for Successful Parent-Teacher Conferences with Bilingual Families

By: Kristina Robertson (2007)

As the time for parent-teacher conferences approaches, you may be wondering how to hold an effective conference with the parents of your English language learners if they can't communicate comfortably in English. In this month's Bright Ideas, we provide a number of tips that will help you bridge that language gap, take cultural expectations about education into account and provide your students' parents with the information they need about their children's progress in school.

Helping Your Child Succeed: Helpful PreK-12 Tips

By: American Federation of Teachers (2007)

Some of the main academic subjects include reading, math, social studies, and science. Whether your child is struggling in a certain area, or you just want to help them get ahead, this article contains tips you can use to help them succeed in every subject, from preschool through high school. There are also suggestions for how to make sure your children are developing socially and staying healthy.

School Issues and Program Information

By: American Federation of Teachers (2007)

All schools are held to certain standards based on federal and state laws. This article discusses some of obligations stated in The No Child Left Behind Act, which includes mandatory testing. It also describes the different programs available to English Language Learners and students with disabilities, as well as vocational and college preparatory programs.

How the School System Works

By: American Federation of Teachers (2007)

Besides your child's teacher, many other people are involved in your child's education, The more you know about what they do, the more you can help your child.

Pathways to Success:
An AFT Guide for Parents

By: American Federation of Teachers (2007)

As a parent, you want the best for your kids. The American Federation of Teachers shares your expectations and knows you can make a big difference in your child's education.

Empowering Hispanic Parents & Families at Home

By: Colorín Colorado (2007)

All parents can help their children learn to read, regardless of their language, education, or literacy level. Through Spanish, kids can develop key language and literacy skills that will help them to become excellent readers in English.

Learning about Your Students' Backgrounds

By: Colorín Colorado (2007)

English language learners represent a vastly diverse group. Learning more about the language, culture, values, family, and home environment of your ELL students will help you to better support your students in the classroom and receive more support from home.

Dads Who Are Making a Difference

By: National Institute for Literacy (2006)

In these selections from Dad's Playbook: Coaching Kids to Read, compiled by the National Institute for Literacy, a couple of dads share some of the ways that they are helping their kids become better readers.

Creating Programs for Language Minority Families

By: Margaret Mulhern, Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, and Timothy Shanahan (1994)

Learning English is often the reason that language minority families seek out community programs. This article describes questions to consider when establishing a family literacy program.