Building Strong Parent-Teacher Partnership | Getting Involved in the Your Child’s Language Learning Experience

Building Strong Parent-Teacher Partnership

Communication with school is essential and talking to your child’s language teacher is equally important! Get in touch with your child’s world language teacher and ask about things you can do to reinforce the learning that is taking place in the classroom. Your child’s language teacher will be more than happy to know about your involvement and will offer copies of the curriculum, links to web sites, homework requirements, additional worksheets etc.

  • Get a copy of the curriculum/syllabus/program of study
  • Ask about ways you can get involved in the language classroom (cooking demonstration for example)
  • Attend open school nights/meetings
  • Join your school PTA

Here are some additional links for parents who are not sure about how to build a strong parent-teacher partnership.

What is your child learning in their language class?
Visit The Office of Bilingual Education of the New York State Department of Education
Programs can be found under publications.

Getting Involved in the Your Child’s Language Learning Experience

As a parent and language partner, your involvement in your school’s language program can be a fun and very rewarding experience. It helps build a strong partnership between the school, the community, and you as a language partner! Your voice and involvement in the world language programs can go a long way!

Here is a list of things you can start doing in your community to advocate for and support world language instruction:

  • Encourage your school to begin world language study as early as possible. Studies show that the earlier you start, the more likely you are to achieve fluency. Inquire about Foreign Language in the Elementary School (FLES) programs. Contact the National Network for Early Language Learning, NNELL, for more information. http://www.nnell.org
  • Help in identifying world language resources in your community.
  • Participate in and/or organize local and regional events where language and cultural diversity are celebrated. Help sponsor those events in your child’s school.
  • Cultural celebrations are an important component of the world language classroom; find out how you can contribute and be a part of it!
  • Encourage programs and extra-curricular clubs, such as National Honor Society and language clubs, which will highlight student success in world languages for the community, school and families.
  • Tips to Advocate for a Foreign Language Program in Your Child’s Elementary School
    Julie Hoffman, Multicultural Kid Blogs, August 2017

If you would like to know more about how to get involved in your child’s learning of a world language, please ask!