The program views parents as important collaborators in promoting children's development; a variety of activities include parents as decision makers and participants; and parents are provided opportunities for learning how to become more effective collaborators.
Parents often feel more comfortable as classroom participants if there is a specific role they can play, instead of a general invitation to "come visit us!" At first, parents might be invited to work with children at the playdough table, help supervise outdoor activities, prepare craft materials, participate in a potluck, or bring a book or cooking experience to share in their home language. Family members, another parent, or other community members can serve as translator. At parent meetings, with translations as needed, parents can be encouraged to collaborate on decisions regarding the school program. In ideal situations, a community liaison will support the school staff by actively encouraging parent participation in the school program and in leadership opportunities.
If parents don't speak English at home, doesn't that keep children from learning English well?
No, research shows that children can effectively become bilingual by using one language in one place (like home) and a second language from a second source (like school). Using more English at home may give children more experience in hearing and speaking English, but the home language may be lost before it is sufficiently developed to proficiency. Using another language at home will not keep children from learning English well. Home language proficiency actually provides a stronger foundation to support the acquisition of English.
Should we encourage parents of DLL children to speak or learn English or to get their children to speak English at home?
Educators and psychologists used to advise immigrant parents to speak English to their children and to discourage bilingualism. We have a lot of research showing the important influence of bilingualism on children's thinking and further language development. So, it makes sense to encourage parents to speak the home language at home and try to assure that their children can grow up bilingually. It is best to tell parents to talk to their child in the language they are most fluent and comfortable in. Young children need the family's effort to continue with the home language. Parents should be encouraged to read to their child in the home language, or both languages if they can read in both. They should also be encouraged to share rich oral traditions in the home language.
Music CDs in the home or both languages can help too. Singing is a great way to reinforce the home language, introduce a second language, and it can be lots of fun! Videotapes and DVDs are available in many languages. These multimedia resources often teach children about numbers, letters, colors, and basic vocabulary.
Should I worry if my child is difficult to understand when s/he speaks in either language?
The problem can be mild or severe. Hearing problems can affect speech production, as a child reproduces the sounds s/he can hear. The child's hearing should be checked by a pediatrician and/or hearing specialist to rule out a medical problem. Insight can be gained by consulting with the parents to see if they also perceive a problem, in comparison to older siblings' language production when they were at the same age.
In any case, a comprehensive evaluation by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is critical to identifying and improving language and speech problems. The person conducting the assessment should be bilingual to be able to determine the areas of difficulty for the child.
How do we deal with cultural differences of parents in our program?
When cultural differences exist, school readiness efforts cannot just entail teaching parents how to better prepare their children for school. Parents must be seen as partners -- and invited as such -- to inform educators about the types of culturally responsive early care and education that will truly meet their needs and those of their children. Without this two-way exchange, valuable keys to children's school success are lost. Immigrant parents are particularly vulnerable to experts' judgments because they need information about how things are done in a foreign language and because their own cultural ways are often devalued. If not treated respectfully, parents lose a sense of their own power and competence -- and school readiness efforts remain unbalanced and one-sided.
What resources are available to help us teach parents how to converse with their children and ask open-ended questions?
Parents and teachers may want to refer to Bloom's Taxonomy to formulate open-ended questions and elicit interaction. (see http://www.scu.edu/provost/ugst/core2009/pdf/upload/Bloom-LOs-to-assessment.pdf). Examples might include:
