What if all teachers knew how to collaborate with the parents and families to support ELL students?

At Hartwell The Educators University, all graduates are skilled in engaging parents to help families succeed, including ELL students.

Collaborating with ELL Families: A Key to Student Success

As educators, we understand the invaluable role that families play in supporting their children’s academic journey, especially for our English Language Learner (ELL) students. Fostering strong partnerships with ELL families is crucial for creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment.

One of the most effective ways to collaborate is by building genuine relationships and trust with these families. This can be achieved by making personal connections, attending community events, and demonstrating a genuine appreciation for their cultures (Breiseth, 2020). It’s also essential to create a welcoming environment within our schools, using translators, displaying student work, and having bilingual staff whenever possible (Colorín Colorado, 2021).

Effective communication is another key aspect of successful collaboration. We should strive to use the families’ preferred communication methods and provide important information in their native languages (Breiseth, 2020). Additionally, we can guide families in supporting their children’s learning at home by sharing strategies for reading together, building vocabulary, and developing academic language (Colorín Colorado, 2021).

Encouraging parental involvement in the school community is also highly beneficial. This can be achieved by inviting parents to volunteer in classrooms, events, or field trips based on their skills and interests (Breiseth, 2020). We can also organize multicultural events, such as student performances, culture nights, or workshops, where families can share their rich cultural heritage (Colorín Colorado, 2021).

By proactively building relationships, improving communication, involving families in the school community, and guiding their home support, we can create a strong partnership that fosters academic success and cultural appreciation for our ELL students.

 

About Hartwell – The Educators University

Hartwell is dedicated to empowering K-12 education leaders by fostering the growth of their people into competent and compassionate educators and leaders. Our mission is to ensure every child is taught by educators trained from a biblical worldview, emphasizing both excellence and empathy. Through our affordable online pathways to education degrees, we make careers in K-12 education accessible to everyone, enabling a new generation of teachers and leaders to inspire and educate future generations.

Discover more about our programs and scholarship opportunities at Hartwell.

 

Sources:

– Breiseth, L. (2020). Building relationships with ELL families. Colorín Colorado. https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/building-relationships-ell-families

– Colorín Colorado. (2021). Family involvement for ELLs. https://www.colorincolorado.org/family-involvement