By: Jamie Marrs
Consider the following scenario: Every evening, Fernando Leon helps his son 11-year-old son Samuel—who has big dreams of one day becoming a doctor—complete his homework. Together, they can fly through the math problems. They always do those first.
“Math’s easy,” explains Samuel, “And it runs in our family. It’s easy for my dad, too.”
Once finished with math, the two begin to work through the English homework. On some nights, the assignments pose significant challenges. Grammar worksheets stump Samuel. And sometimes they stump Fernando too.
It is scenarios like these that make the navigation of the public school system challenging for Spanish-speaking families. And for a child to see success, he or she must have the support of all the important stakeholders in their life. Teachers, administrators, and parents must find a way to work together to support today’s bilingual students succeed in the American school system. As they age, students ultimately hold the reins of their own education; however, there are concrete ways both parents and schools can help to steer America’s bilingual students in a direction of academic, and ultimately, lifelong success.
The first step in creating a cooperative connection between families and the school is initiating an effective communication strategy. The students’ teachers and principals are the parents’ primary contacts with the school. Teachers are responsible for the students’ daily goings on and progress, while the building principal oversees behavioral issues and schoolwide procedures. All school personnel are there to help students and parents. They should be poised, willing, and happy to meet with parents and become familiar with students’ backgrounds in order to create a working relationship. Educators can provide helpful information and general resources for parents to become familiar with the educational system, as well as any other needs that new families may have within the community. These materials are often available in the parents’ native language and can be gathered upon request. The school can support the development of this communication taking the first step and reaching out to parents, warmly inviting them in to what could be an intimidating situation, especially for parents with limited English. Ultimately, if both parties make a concerted effort, an authentic connection can be established that will set our bilingual students up for long-term success.
Once this bridge has been built, it is important to maintain regular contact through a means that is appropriate and comfortable for the students, parents, and the school. For instance, parents and teachers need to make one other aware of any behavioral or learning difficulties demonstrated by the student so that problems can be addressed consistently at school and at home. It is especially important for parents and teachers of bilingual students to be able to identify which difficulties are the result of academic rigor and which are the result of a language barrier. English language learners are often misdiagnosed as having learning disabilities, and it is important that the proper services be obtained for each student. Frequent and regular effective communication builds relationships. These relationships will help parents ensure that their children are receiving all of the services for which they are eligible.
While bilingual students are capable of great work, it will take time for their English skills to match those of their monolingual peers, so developing sound communication will help students feel nurtured and supported – both at school and at home. In their publication, Classroom Instruction that Works with English Language Learner’s Facilitator’s Guide, authors Jane D. Hill and Cynthia L. Björk illustrate that it may take upwards of five to seven years for students to reach full second language acquisition. Content teachers are expected to differentiate instruction and assessment to help students find success at their current language levels. With a supportive environment on all fronts, bilingual students will feel encouraged and confident to accept the support and face their academic challenges with confidence.
Outside of working directly with the teachers and administration, parents can also help their students by encouraging them to persevere, helping them with homework or securing a tutor or friend who can help. Parents can also work to creating a fully supportive environment at home by setting a routine time and place for homework to be done, and prioritizing education as an integral part of family life. Parents can seek out involvement for their student in an athletic, musical, or other co-curricular activities that can provide them with a natural way to make friends, to find a source of motivation, and to develop a sense of belonging. When parents support the full immersion into the school community, they undoubtedly can increase the potential for them to thrive.
Clearly, Samuel and Fernando are doing everything they can at home, and by taking advantage of the supports available to them at school – both in the classroom and the community at-large– Samuel can increase his chances for success. However, it is ultimately a positive attitude toward collaboration and education from both sides of the chalkboard that has the largest impact on student learning and success. For The Leon family, this collaboration will pave the way for Samuel to do the work to achieve the future he dreams of creating.
Jamie Marrs is a native of York and a graduate of Susquehanna University. She holds teaching certifications in English, Spanish, and Music, and is beginning her career as an elementary music teacher in the Lower Dauphin School District.