Cultivating Connections with Diverse Families - AMLE

Cultivating Connections with Diverse Families

  • Author: Brooke Eisenbach, Summer Clark, Amy Gooden

  • Importance of Family Involvement:

    • Families play a crucial role in students' education.

    • Discussions around community and parental involvement highlight its significance.

    • Many teachers struggle to engage culturally and linguistically diverse families.

  • Home-School Connections:

    • Strong connections are vital for the academic success of all learners.

    • The achievement gap disproportionately affects diverse populations, making engagement essential.

Understanding Families

  • Learning from Families:

    • Begin by getting to know the families in the classroom.

    • Adopt a strengths perspective to appreciate what families contribute.

    • Reflect on personal biases that affect perception of families.

  • Strategies for Engagement:

    • Questionnaires:

      • Distribute take-home or virtual questionnaires to learn about families’ goals, backgrounds, and concerns.

    • Community Activities:

      • Organize back-to-school nights with activities that promote interaction among families.

      • Engage families by reenacting classroom activities or using icebreakers.

    • Curriculum Integration:

      • Invite families to share their cultures and skills within classroom teachings.

      • Utilize activities like interviewing family members to incorporate their stories and experiences into lessons.

Communication Strategies

  • Challenges for ELLs and Students of Color:

    • These families often face barriers that hinder their involvement in education.

  • Establishing Communication:

    • Create a welcoming environment to foster trust and communication with families.

    • Encourage two-way communication to show value for parents’ input.

  • Varying Techniques:

    • Communicate in culturally and linguistically responsive ways.

    • Ask about families’ preferred languages and methods of communication.

    • Use various means such as phone calls, newsletters, home visits, and events to reach out.

Parent Education and Involvement

  • Developing Parent Education Events:

    • Educate families on supporting academic achievement.

    • Provide information about school resources, routines, and expectations.

    • Ensure availability of translators during these events.

  • Reflecting on Philosophy of Practice:

    • Infuse family engagement into teaching philosophy by analyzing current practices.

    • Consider cultural representations in the classroom materials and teaching methods.

  • Fostering Community:

    • Encourage students to value their own culture and that of others in daily classroom interactions.

    • Incorporate multicultural and anti-bias education into daily lessons, recognizing the richness of diversity in the classroom.