Importance of

Engaging MLL
Students’
Families
By: Antonina Urman
Instructor: Keethai Tharmaseelan
Course: Teaching English Language Learners
Specialist, Summer 2023
 Agenda

1 2 3 4 5
Introduction Why is family Videos – Strategies to Summary
engagement Experience involve and Brochure
critical? Shared support ELL
families
Importance of
2 Engaging MLL 2023
Students’ Families
 Introduction
According to TDSB website, More than 50% of
students in the TDSB speak a language other than
English at home. Students whose first language or
preferred language is other than English or a
significantly different dialect of English are often
referred to as English Language Learners (ELL).
While some ELLs are born in Canada, many arrive in
Canada at various stages in their lives. They have
diverse backgrounds and school experiences with a
variety of strengths and needs.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

3
 Introduction
While much research, effort, and strategizing is
dedicated to supporting MLL and ELL students,
many educators are still unsure about the best
ways of involving and engaging families of our
newcomer students. Due to many factors
explored below, ELL families oftentimes do not
take active role in school activities, and do not
communicate with the teachers and
administration as much as other parents.

4
The
Goals of this Presentation

2. Identify the best

1. Investigate the
strategies to
impact parental
engage and
involvement plays
support families of
in ELL student
ELL and MLL
success
students
 “
Parental involvement and empowerment are often an
overlooked and underappreciated
aspect of an English Learner’s education which holds
tremendous benefit to a student when
taking place effectively. By empowering families and giving
them an opportunity to have a voice
in their student’s education it can support the closure of an
equity gap that is present in today’s
education.

”
Empowering English Learner Families Through Parental Involvement
David Saldana
School of Education, California State University San Marcos
EDAD 698C: Master’s Culminating Experience
Dr. Josie Jackson
August 6, 2021

Importance of Engaging
6 2023
MLL Students’ Families
 What does the research say?​
“The findings revealed
Studies “Pape (1999) stresses that
families which had been
conducted by De La Cruz “schools that work well with ​
empowered by having
(2008) and Englund, families have improved
strong and frequent
teacher morale and higher
Egeland, and Collins (200 communication, developed
ratings of teachers by
8), parents”
a solid relationship with
found family to be the mo their teacher and were
st involved in their child’s
crucial education could be
predicted to have students
element in student
with higher learner
success. Although these outcomes.”
parents did not have man Empowering English Learner Families Through
Parental Involvement
y David Saldana, Dr. Josie Jackson
2021
educational experiences, t This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC
hey
Importance of Engaging
emphasized
7
the importan MLL Students’ Families
2023
 What does the research say?
Gettinger and Guetschow
Karther and Lowden (1998) associate parental
(1997)identify involvement with
student achievement increases in children’s
gains, increased achievement test scores
parent self- and grades;higher school
confidence and attendance rates; lower
satisfaction with dropout rates; and
schools, and overall improvement in student
school improvement motivation, attitudes,
as benefits of classroom behavior, and
parental self-esteem.
involvement.
Importance of Engaging
8 2023
MLL Students’ Families
Parents who are
involved in school
activities such as
attending parent-
teacher conferences,
monitoring their
children’s progress,
and helping with
homework are more
likely to have children
performing well
academically (Bogen-
Schneider 1997).
“Parent Involvement” vs. “Parent Engagement”
“Parent involvement, … starts with the school: “The ideas and energy come from the
schools and government mandates. Schools try to ‘sell’ their ideas to parents. School staff
and public institutions might feel they know what the problems are and how to fix them,
and determine the criteria to use in evaluating success.””

“Parent engagement, however, begins with the parents: “Ideas are elicited from parents by school staff in the
context of
developing trusting relationships. They emerge from parent/community needs and priorities. More parent energy
drives the
efforts .” This approach is more sustainable than asking your busy staff to plan numerous parent activities, take on
extra
responsibilities, and dig even deeper into their energy reserves . In addition, the more parents have the opportunity
to
shape activities and programs that help their families, the more invested they will be in seeing those efforts
succeed.”
“Building Parent Engagement in Schools”, Larry Ferlazzo and Lorie Hammond
https://books.google.ca/books?id=CFZbT-FvZu0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=building+parent+engagement+in+schools&hl=en&ei=KQ9ETrWnJ6fh0QHg7dS3CA&sa=X&oi=
book_result&ct=result&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
9 Importance of Engaging 20XX
MLL Students’ Families
 Barriers to Engagement of ELL Parents
Researchers have identified several barriers to parental involvement,
including:
• feelings of inadequacy and failure;
• a poor sense of self-worth;
• negative attitudes toward or bad experiences with schools;
• suspicion or anger that schools are not treating them or their children
equally;
• cultural or language barriers;
• economic, emotional, or time constraints;
• parents’ inflexible work schedules;
• logistical problems such as lack of childcare or transportation
Importance of Engaging
• 10
(Floyd 1998; Gettinger andGuetschow 1998; Wheeler 1992). MLL Students’ Families 2023
Reflection and
Discussion time! 1. On your sticky notes write 3
questions related to the topics
covered in this PPP so far.
2. In groups of four compare your
sticky notes and pile the ones that
ask the same question on top of

Sticky each other.

3. Have a discussion about 2 most
frequently asked questions

Note Pile 4. Share your findings with the rest of

the audience.

Up #1
 Videos about Engaging ELL
Families

12 2023
Reflection and
Discussion Write down two new ideas and
Time! one questions you have after
watching the videos.
Discuss these with your elbow-
partners
 Some of the questions your newcomer families might ask you
See https://settlement.org/ontario/education/#ESL for more Q&A

Does it cost anything for Can I talk to my child's

How do I enroll my teacher?
my child to attend school
child in school? What are parent-teacher
in Ontario?
Interviews?

Who does what in

What does a student
Ontario's public
need to graduate from
education system?
high school?
 Areas to focus on when creating a plan to engage ELL families

3. Create a welcoming 5. Show that you value

1. Learn about your families’ native languages
environment for families
ELL population

4. Make a personal
2. Integrate cultural
connection with
traditions of your
families
ELL families
throughout the school
 Areas to focus on when creating a plan to engage ELL families

8. Look for ways that 10. Build partnerships

6. Find ways to ELL parents can help with the local community
communicate with ELL with children’s and organizations
parents schoolwork and
volunteer at school

9. Consider alternative schedules, locations,

7. Provide
opportunities for
parents to learn more
about important
topics and skills
and kinds of events. Meeting families in other
settings such as community centers or
churches can provide an informal way to start
building a relationship, especially if ELL
parents feel shy or nervous about going to the
school.
Reflection and
Discussion time! 1. In groups of 4 pick one area from
the last two slides.
2. On your sticky notes write 2 related
strategies that you can implement in
your class/school .
3. Compare your sticky notes and pile

Sticky the ones that suggest the same

strategies on top of each other.
4. Share 2 most popular strategies with

Note Pile the rest of the audience.

Up #2
 It Takes a
Village!
Talk with colleagues who already have
relationships with your students, such as
bilingual staff, ESL teachers, counselors,
or teachers from previous years. Ask
them what they know about students’
culture, language, academics, and social-
emotional learning. Discuss students’
strengths and needs, particularly around
learning and thinking differences.

18
 Start with your ELL/bilingual educators. These individuals are an important resource
whose experience working with ELL students and families can benefit the entire school
community — and they will appreciate the opportunity to share their expertise!

Make your classroom walls family-friendly. Start by hanging a multilingual

welcome sign. Put up maps from students’ home countries and photos that reflect the
students in your class.

Strategies and Learn a new word or phrase in a family’s home language that may help students and

examples their families feel welcome in your classroom .

Learn about students’ strengths, talents, and interests. Ask students to complete
a questionnaire about their interests. Or they can cut out pictures from magazines to
make collages about themselves .

Avoid asking direct, personal questions, which may make families uncomfortable.
Instead, ask open-ended questions. You could ask about a favorite food, community
activity, or how their experience with the school is going so far.
 To better understand family expectations, ask about their dreams for their child’s future.
For example, Albuquerque teacher Clara Gonzales-Espinoza
invites families to write her a letter. She asks them to share their hopes for their child, as
well as details about their child’s personality, interests, and strengths.

Ask families when and where they would like to attend events.

Create events that families can help plan and that take into account certain work shifts.

Strategies and Create a welcome DVD or a video file in multiple languages. This may even be a great
student project!

examples
Enlist a multilingual morning greeter to welcome students and families. Ensure that
your bilingual staff and volunteers are visible throughout the building.

Display a large map in the front lobby where parents can mark their native countries
with a pin.
“It is recognized that first-language
supports second-language
development. Therefore, support in
multiple languages does not put
English at risk, and actually aids in
its Supporting
development.”
English Language Learners A
practical guide for Ontario educators Grades
1 to 8
https://www.mylanguage.ca/resources.html
 Families need access to easy-to-read, jargon-free documents in their home language.
Check with your school or district to find out what documents have already been
translated and what service you could use for new documents. Also, use these steps to
translate documents and texts.

Translate a whole file in Word Translate a PDF Document

1.Select Review > Translate > Translate 1.In your browser, go to Google Translate.
Document. 2.At the top, click Documents.

2.Select your language to see the translation. 3.Choose the languages to translate to and

3.Select Translate. A copy of the translated from. ...

document will be opened in a separate 4.Click Browse your computer.

window. 5.Select the file you want to translate.

4.Select OK in the original window to close 6.Click Translate and wait for the document to

translator. finish translating.

Importance of Engaging
22 MLL Students’ Families 2023
 Summary Handout
Main Points

“Parent involvement,
… starts with the
“Parental
More than 50% of students in the involvement
TDSB speak andother
a language empowerment
Multiple areatoften
research
than English and studies
home. school.
an overlooked
point to Parent
and underappreciated
direct correlation betw
aspect of an English Learner’s education…” engagement, however,
begins with the
parents”

Researchers have
identified several
barriers to parental These barriers can be overcome
Thebywhole
the educators through
school team implementing
approach
Multiple
assures a variety
school
thatboard of studen
the MLL
and appro
comm
involvement,in ELL
families.
 Summary Handout
Useful Links and Resources

https://www.tdsb.on.ca/New-to-Ontario-Canada/Newcomer-Students-Elementary-and-High-School
https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Community/Community-Services/Succeed-as-a-Newcomer
https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Community
https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Community/Community-Services/Succeed-a

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1a0-6j7wVfc3i6TA5eNWPiSZ8KiE2j0zlpo9igegZBeA/edit#gid=0
https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/6-strategies-partnering-fam
https://settlement.org/ontario/educ

List of Settlement
Workers by school
25 Presentation title 20XX
Thank you!
Don’t forget that
you are amazing
educators!

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

 Citations:
• A Guide for Engaging ELL Families:Twenty Strategies
Printed Resources and Articles:
for School Leaders
• Dreams Beyond Labels: Case Studies of Four English Written for Colorín Colorado by Lydia Breiseth Manager,
Colorín Colorado with Kristina Robertson and Susan Lafond
Language Learners Who Are Beating the Odds
August, 2011
By: Julie Israelson
Department Chair and Social Studies Teacher Lincoln Middle
• Building Parent Engagement in Schools
School, Poudre School District
By Larry Ferlazzo, Lorie Hammond 2009
Journal of Educational Research and Innovation Spring 2012, Vol.
Copyright by Linworth Publishing
1, No. 1
________________________________________________
• 6 Strategies for Partnering With Families of English Ontario Ministry of Education and TDSB documents and
website links
Language Learners
https://www.mylanguage.ca/brochures/HoldOn_Brochure_Pri
By Lydia Breiseth (2019) nt.pdf
• Empowering English Learner Families Through Parental
Involvement
David Saldana, Dr. Josie Jackson 2021
Importance of Engaging
27 MLL Students’ Families 2023