How Schools Can Welcome Multilingual Families

There are lots of things that schools can do to welcome families. They can make sure that different languages are evident in the school, on the bulletin boards, in the materials that they send out, in the kinds of activities that they sponsor.

I know you have resources also about making home visits. I think home visits are really important and I know that some school districts frown on that, but I think that there are ways of doing it that everybody can feel comfortable and welcomed. I did home visits when I was working at the bilingual school and it was really wonderful. I remember parents being so grateful just to see me at the door, “Ms. Nieto, entra, entra. ¿Un cafecito?” and it's just a wonderful way to get to know the families and the students.

One of the teachers who I interviewed in one of my books said that she would go out to where the parents pick up the kids every day in their cars and talk to them and say, "Oh, listen, you had to come to this event that we're having. We're so excited about it. " And just doing that kind of outreach to families, it's really important.

I was just reading something about the mariachi groups in schools and that will bring in parents. Have kids perform, have their kids perform and the parents will be there. I can guarantee instead of just calling them to a PTO meeting where they might feel really uncomfortable and alienated, especially if they don't speak the language, have their kids perform and they will be there.