Interaction between ELL Families and the Schools
Family involvement in the English Language Learners is very important in the teaching and learning process. This will go a long way into helping the learner deal with the challenges that come with learning a language other than their first language. Parent involvement is so good because the parents will take part in helping out there children where necessary. It will be different if a learner does not get support outside of the learning environment. Parents and siblings are, therefore, encouraged to use English in the home setting or any other place that is outside of the classroom (Shatz & Wilkinson 2010). Of course, some parents may not feel that they are good enough in their English skills but it is better that they try. Parent participation is key in the success of their children who are learning the English language in so many ways.
One very important thing that they may try to do in this case is to encourage bilingualism and home language use. Parents should be highly encouraged to use their native languages at home. When learners hear fluent language, rich in vocabulary spoken at home, it becomes a lot easier to relate it to the learning of a second language and therefore draw comparisons and differences between the two. This in the long run helps them widen their scope and learn English easily. When learners are a lot more literate in their first language, it becomes very easy to introduce and teach a concept because they can relate it to something they already know from their first language. Parents are, therefore, encouraged to use their native language at home especially when it comes to interacting and communicating with their children. Parents serve as the first teachers of their children if they use grammatically wrong language in the home; their children may copy it and often think that they are right, when the truth is they are wrong (Rojas 2007). They are, therefore, encouraged to use their first language and may be a little bit of the English Language as this will go a long way in helping their children learn English.
It is also advisable that these parents engage community resources to help their children cope with the English language learning process. Learning goes beyond the classroom and home environment. There are activities that the parents and children can engage in an effort to make learning easier. One of them is the use of community resources such as the libraries. Libraries are very good because these children can take time off their home environments to go and get books that they can use in learning (Li & Edwards 2010). These are the books that they can borrow and use alongside the materials they are provided with at school. Parents can also be involved in social activities, in their neighborhoods and even churches. They can encourage their children to participate in activities that necessitate interaction with other children thereby providing good environments from where they can learn.
It is also good to improve individual, school and home partnerships with ELL families. This will go a long way in enhancing good communication between the school and parents or caregivers. This can be done by encouraging the parents and the school to exchange daily notes about the learners. These are notes that the school and the parents can write telling each other how the learners are doing both at home and school. This can help improve communication between the school and the parents in an effort to find better ways of attending to and helping these learners. Also, the school and parents can use online updating on the learners’ homework assignments so that the parents can take part in their children’s assessment (Li & Edwards 2010). Aside from this, teachers can provide the parents with a wealth of information about how their children can be helped.
ELL families should, therefore, be fully involved in the learning process of their children so as to help them where they can. Learning goes beyond the school and classroom, and it is imperative that the family is involved; if at all the objectives of learning English language can be achieved. The home should be made conducive in an effort to address some of the problems that these children may encounter while away. The parents and families, therefore, need to work hand in hand with the schools where their children learn. The schools should encourage parent participation as there are parents who do not see this as important. School and family partnerships, when done properly, will help ease the problems that learners encounter.
References
Li, G. & Edwards, P. A. (2010).Best Practices in ELL Instruction. New York: Guilford Press
Rojas, V. P. (2007).Strategies for Success with English Language Learners. Alexandria: ASCD
Shatz, M. & Wilkinson, L. C. (2010).The Education of English Language Learners: Research to Practice. New York: Guilford Press.
