Empowering ELL Parents & Families at Home

 

Regardless of their language proficiency, level of education, or literacy, all parents may support their
children’s reading and writing skills development. Parents with limited English proficiency can
significantly contribute to their children’s education.

Having strong literacy foundations in their native language and learning to read in a second language
may benefit English language learners. Through their native language, students acquire essential literacy
and language skills that could help them become proficient readers of English.

1. Support ELL Parents:

Encouragement and support are the most important values that can be conveyed to ELL parents. They
must feel valued and welcomed to impart these virtues to their children.

✓ Practice Events for School

To raise awareness of the home language and boost home language literacy, schools should encourage
ELL parents to assist in the classroom and at school-sponsored events.

✓ Source Materials

By making resources available in various languages, you can demonstrate appreciation for all languages
and the need to preserve them.

✓ Teams Perform Better

Establish a Community Liaison program or a parent buddy system that pairs parents from similar
backgrounds at informational sessions or back-to-school gatherings.

2. Communication:

Parental advice and two-way communication should be provided by schools that successfully assist ELL
parents in navigating school problems to boost the amount of good home support for the school.
Consistent communication is the key here.

Parents can help their kids’ efforts to learn and enhance their conversational language abilities in a
variety of ways. Here are some suggestions:

✓ Storytelling

The effectiveness of oral storytelling is frequently higher than reading bedtime stories together. Parents
help their kids learn vocabulary and spoken language skills by telling stories.

Children might be encouraged by their parents to contribute to stories or to invent new ones.

✓ Sing Songs & Use Rhymes

Songs, chants, and rhymes can help children gain oral language abilities, including word stress and
intonation.

✓ Talk About Meaningful Things

Parents need to address essential things for their spoken language to develop. Parents can pose
questions to kids that call for more than a simple yes or no response, whether at the dinner table or the
grocery store.

3. Educating Parents:

Consider, as a different approach, educating parents more directly on how they might assist their
children with schoolwork and homework.

✓ Bilingual Workshops

Bilingual parent workshops should be provided by schools that cover topics of scheduling, supplies,
childcare, and even transportation.

✓ Aid with Homework

Parents who don’t speak English might feel helpless to assist their kids with their homework. They may
help their children with their homework in various ways, whether by teaching numbers and letters,
reading practice, or project assistance.
Inform parents of your class’s events and homework, and let them know how they can assist you at
home.

✓ Being Vigilant

Parents can stay in touch with their kids’ teachers to ensure their kids are completing their homework.
They might check whether their kids have any assignments and ensure they allot enough time to achieve
them.

✓ Give a Productive Workspace

Let parents realize how crucial it is for kids to have a tidy, peaceful workspace where they can read or
complete their assignments. Children with a designated study area will concentrate better, even if it is
just a simple table and chair.