Parent Engagement Case Study

Parent Engagement Marisela is one of my third grade students. She was born prematurely and is a native Spanish speaker who has a hard time retaining information and needs a great deal of teacher redirection to complete a task. Marisela becomes frustrated when a new concept is introduced and can refuse to participate without one on one teacher or bilingual aide support. Today, I am meeting with Marisela’s parents because they have asked, “What can we do at home to help Marisela succeed?” At the start of the meeting we need to make sure that we all introduce ourselves, as I have not meet Marisela’s father and we have a new interpreter for the school. In the meeting, there are three main points that we need to touch on that is most important
to Marisela’s success. First is ensuring that the school staff and teacher (myself) and Marisela’s parents develop a partnership. Second is that we all realize that we all need to support Marisela academically. Lastly is how to support Marisela’s learning at home, which is the topic we will spend our time on today. This topic can be broken down into three main points, positive attitude, encourage reading, and home work help with Marisela. Demonstrating a positive attitude about education is a must!
“Parents must first understand and believe in the importance of English language skills. Children are adept at picking up on parental attitudes. If children realize the adults in their lives don't think learning English is important, they will be less likely to approach the subject with a positive attitude” (How Parents Help Their ESL Children Learn English, 2015). What we as parents say and do in normal life shapes our children’s attitudes toward school, learning, and their confidence in ability to learning. As parents we must model a positive value of education and how we use it in our daily lives. In addition, showing interest in our children’s education can spark enthusiasm and lead them to an understanding that learning can be enjoyable as well as rewarding, and well worth the
effort. The next main point is encouraging our children to read. Reading is one way that parents can support their child’s learning of language skills. There are many different ways in which we, as parents, can assist in this effort. One tool is storytelling which can be a natural activity; by telling stories, parents develop the children’s vocabulary, and oral language skills. At the same time parents can encourage children to add to the stories or to make up ones on their own. Another tool is books that we read with our students which can be with or without words (picture books); these books can be a way for parents and children to sit and talk about the stories. This allows the children to see how stories progress, make predictions, or how the story will end, and also learn to enjoy reading. Another way to increase vocabulary and oral language skills are to say rhymes and sing songs that as parents may have heard as a child. The last tool is to visit the public library where we can check out books, books with read along CDs for free for a set amount of time and then return them for other great reading books (What if my students' parents speak only Spanish and don't know how to read?, 2015). The last main topic is helping with homework, although this may be a difficult task.
Parents have many ways they can help with homework: direct method, keeping tabs, and provide good work space. The direct method is when parents teach numbers, letters, practice reading or help with a project. Keeping tabs or asking your student if they have any homework and making sure to set aside time for it to be completed, is another way parents can assist with homework. For these to be successful, communication between the teacher and the parents is key. Besides allowing for time for homework, parents must also provide a defined place to study that is quiet. “The best way that parents can help at home is to discuss with their child, in their own language, the work in progress” (More advice about teaching ESL students (FAQ),
n.d.).