1. Parent Engagement May 4, 2011 Gaye Horne Spring Institute ghorne@springinstitute.org

2. Background: National  The top ten home languages spoken by students learning English in 2001 were Spanish, Vietnamese, Hmong, Chinese (Cantonese), Korean, Haitian Creole, Arabic, Russian, Tagalog, Navajo. Nearly 400 home languages are spoken by students in the United States. (U.S. Department of Education, 2000,2001)

3. Background: National  In 1979, there were 6 million language-minority students; by 1999, this number had more than doubled to 14 million.  In 2004, 3.4 million U.S. children ages five to seventeen spoke little or no English. (American Educational Research Association 2004)

4. Background: National  Language-minority children are not faring well in US schools. Out of 41 states reporting only 18.7 % of English Language Learners scored above the state established norm for reading comprehension. (Kindler, 2002)  Language-minority students who cannot read and write proficiently in English cannot participate fully in American schools, workplaces or society. (August, 2006)

5. Second Language Acquisition "Acquisition requires meaningful interaction in the target language - natural communication - in which speakers are concerned not with the form of their utterances but with the messages they are conveying and understanding." Stephen Krashen

6. So what does all that research actually mean? Integrated nature of language and cognition:  Language does not develop in isolation  Language is connected to all developmental domains— physical, social, emotional and cognitive (Academy for Educational Development, 2005)

7. Second Language Acquisition Strategies  Second language acquisition is a process that involves the whole child  The stronger the skills in the first language the easier it is to learn the second language  Children have the capacity to learn more than one language

8. Strength vs. Deficit  Staff training is key: understanding diversity is the first step in creating a welcoming environment  Getting to know families is critical  Connecting with the child opens a pathway to connecting with the parent

9. Building Relationships Adult modeling is the most important way that children learn and develop beginning language and literacy skills. (Hart and Risely, 2003)

10. Building Relationships Factors that influence language and literacy development:  Adults attitude and beliefs  Children’s motivation for reading  Adult’s behavior with children  Adult’s own reading and literacy ability levels (Snow, Burns, Griffin, 1998 p.138)

11. Empowerment vs. Enabling  Help parents understand how important their role is in the language development of their child  Help parents understand the importance of the home language

12. Maintaining the Home Language Has a positive influence on children’s futures:  Academic ability  Cognitive development  Cultural identity  Ties with immediate and extended family  Ability to thrive in a global, multilingual world (Garcia, 2003; Wong- Fillmore, 1996)

13. Supporting Families  Build on what families already do  Integrate their interests, skills, and talents  Provide information on the importance of maintaining the home language  Build on their cultural practices and resources  Avoid using children as interpreters

14. Supporting Families— continued… How can you involve families?  Use songs, rhymes, poems parents can use at home to build phonological awareness  Use materials in native language  Invite parents to share their culture

15. Empowering vs. Enabling  Provide learning opportunities parents can easily replicate  Most importantly…help parents gain the skills they need to increase their child’s learning through information, modeling and support

16. Setting Family Goals  Begin with parents’ goals and interests for their child  Provide opportunities to “check in” on progress  Make sure the plan is flexible

17. Resources Academy for Educational Development, (2005) Making a difference: a framework for supporting first and second language development in preschool children of migrant farm workers. August, D. (2006) Developing literacy in second-language learners: Report of the national literacy panel on language-minority children and youth. Garcia, E. (1994). Understanding and meeting the challenge of student cultural diversity. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Hart, B., Risely, T., (1996). Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of young American children, Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing, 1996. Head Start Focus Group Report, (2002) English language learners focus group report. Head Start Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Kindler, A. L. (2002). Survey of the states’ limited English proficient students and available educational programs and services. 2000-2001 summary report. Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition. Snow, C.E., Burns, M. S., Griffin, S., (Eds). (1998 p.138). Preventing reading failure in young children. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

18. Together we can create great programs for children and families!

19. Contact Information Gaye Horne Program Manager Spring Institute ghorne@springinsitute.org