The Vital Importance of Parental Involvement
Immigrant parents are the teacher's biggest ally. Generally, they are interested
in their child, respectful and supportive in disciplinary matters.
1. These parents are often the invisible force. If they work long hours,
they have no time for school events and fundraisers, but the parental
influence on student motivation is huge. Even if parents have not had the
opportunity to go to school, most stress the importance of education to
their children on a daily basis.
2. Parental respect for teachers has its advantages and disadvantages.
They respect your decisions when it comes to discipline. However, their
respect for you reduces parental input at conferences, IEP meetings, etc.,
especially if they are less educated than you. They are nervous attending
meetings full of professionals. Draw them out; ask them to describe their
child and their hopes for their child's future. The answers may surprise
you!
3. Do not use a child to translate or interpret for you if the parent's English
skills are limited. The school should provide someone to translate--a staff
member or screened volunteer. This is required for IEP conferences. If
no one is available to translate for an informal meeting, ask the child or
parent if another adult in the family or a neighbor can help.
4. Calling home is the most effective form of discipline. You will see
quick results. Consider taking conversational Spanish classes at COD or
the Illinois Resource Center's Mexico program.
5. Notes home are not effective if the parent's reading level is low. Notes
are often lost, forgotten, or discarded with fundraising forms. Put a big
star on important papers you send home.
6. Use a smiley/sad face chart to inform parents about daily behavior
issues. Have them sign and return it nightly. They will discuss the
behavior with the child.
7. Call or mail home good news about the student occasionally!
8. Encourage parents to speak the native language at home. The larger
the student's vocabulary in their native language, the larger their
vocabulary will be in English. If they don't know "liberty" in L1, they won't
know "liberty" in English.
Barbara Linek University of Illinois Extension
Ways to Involve Parents in Learning
1. Have students interview their parents about their life growing up in their native land.
Because of work schedules, give them a full week to complete the interview.
Students and parents can make a simple picture book together with the answers,
contrasting their life here with their homeland. (Compare school buildings, favorite
activities, lunches, discipline techniques, sports, apparel, transportation, teachers,
etc.)
2. Older students may benefit from interviewing their parents about their first job or their
grandparents' work experience. A further discussion of their dreams, lost and
realized, may be revealing.
3. Invite parents to come to school and observe your class. They may be very
surprised at what the students' daily routine is like. It will help them understand why
their child comes home tired at the end of the day.
4. Schedule a meeting with the parents of a new immigrant student shortly after
enrollment. This is a valuable opportunity to ask about any special needs the
student may have, how long they have lived in this country, how often they move,
what type of student they were in their native country, what ESL or bilingual classes
were provided by the previous U.S. school, strengths and weaknesses, difficulties
siblings have had in school, if the student wears glasses, future academic plans, etc.
Also ask the parent if you may have their cell phone number.
5. Invite parents to tell a story to the class related to the subject you are studying. They
bring a new perspective to old subjects such as "snakes" when they lived where
snakes were a daily threat. How did they keep their children safe from snakes when
they were sleeping?
6. Ask parents to chaperone field trips. First find out if younger siblings may come
along. Plan on meeting with chaperones in advance to discuss school rules.
Arrange more chaperones than required in case of last-minute cancellations due to
work schedule changes.
7. Include parents of high schoolers in academic counseling, choosing courses and
determining a career goal. Explain test results to them in terms they can understand.
Is their child showing talent in one area? Are uneven results a cause for concern?
Are ACT preparation classes needed before retaking the exam?
8. Organize workshops for high school students and their parents to discuss postsecondary educational opportunities, the outlook for various careers, and financial
aid throughout the high school years. It is not possible to educate immigrant families
about the whole college/financial aid process in one evening. The idea of their child
going away to school is particularly difficult for some cultures. Discussion with
parents who have been through the process will help. Alternatives to college need to
be outlined as well: union apprenticeships, vocational schools, entrepreneurship,
etc. Keep in mind that undocumented students are not eligible for government
financial aid. They are eligible for some scholarships. Most colleges are helpful.
Barbara Linek University of Illinois Extension