Student populations are becoming more diverse and schools need to begin to foster an educational environment that is culturally aware enough to include all ethnic backgrounds in the classroom. Becoming more cognizant of the many cultures and ethnic groups that make up the student body will not only encourage children to seek out and learn about people and places that are foreign to them, but create an inviting and inclusive learning experience in which every child may participate to the best of his or her ability. This includes maintaining a focus on parental engagement as well, schools can go one step further in their effort towards culturally responsive teaching by developing a method for parental involvement, particularly with children who hail from families that are underserved in the community. Studies have shown that a growing percentage of Hispanic students are part of families where the parents completed only a portion of their own education. In addition, many Hispanic parents have a difficulty with access to teachers due to cultural and language difficulties that may exist. Some of them may also be wary of initiating or continuing any contact with the school due to their legal status.

Cultural awareness isn’t only about tolerance of other cultures in the classroom it also requires a knowledge of the specific backgrounds and barriers of the families of minority students. Hispanic parents decline to keep communication with teachers and school staffs for a variety of reasons and teachers should be trained in how to properly navigate these issues. A number of these families don’t feel welcome at the school, they are uncomfortable in social interactions with teachers, or believe that the school does not hold the same values as they do for the well being of their child. There’s a perception among some families that the school treats their children differently than others because they come from low-income backgrounds or live in public housing. Proper cultural awareness requires that teachers are equipped to navigate these matters successfully in order to steer the children towards positive and meaningful academic outcomes. The value of training teachers in cultural awareness is found in the effect it can have on the student body from all walks of life.

Many schools and programs offer bilingual support from teachers who have learned the language of the majority of English Language Learners in the classroom and they make a concerted effort to engage with the parents of these children in their native tongue. It’s a way to acknowledge the sensitivity of the family while also attempting to bring them into the learning process of the student in order for that child to achieve his or her goals in class.

The Latino Family Literacy Project can help your school with being more culturally aware. This award-winning program has years of experience working with teachers and culturally diverse students and parents. If you’re interested in finding more information about this program schedule a training meeting. They offer both online webinar training and in person workshops.

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Title I, Part A Funding for Parent Involvement can help you to increase Parent Involvement and to improve English vocabulary skills with the hispanic population, as a way to foster meaningful Parent Involvement opportunities.

As indicated by the Parental Involvement provisions published by The U.S. Department of Education, the Title 1, Part A, guidelines state that parent involvement in their children’s education and parent involvement at schools is critical to that process.

Parent Involvement Programs for Title I Parent Involvement by The Latino Family Literacy Project

Its provisions stress:

–Shared accountability between schools and parents for high student achievement, including expanded public school choice and supplemental educational services for eligible children in low performing schools;

–Local development of parent involvement plans with sufficient flexibility to address local needs;

–Building parents’ capacity for using effective practices to improve their own children’s academic achievement.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, Spanish-speakers are by far the largest segment of the English Learner population. The challenge in providing parent involvement programs to spanish-speaking parents may vary from school to school and may include:

1) Teachers may not understand the socioeconomic disadvantages of the parents at their school
2) Kids are learning English at a faster rate than their parents, which may create a challenge with working together on homework, or reading together if the books are only in English
3) Parents may not have strong literacy skills and may not have materials to engage them at their skill level or language skill set
4) Parents may not know what they can do to help their children with academics or reading
5) Some parents may not know what their role is at the school

The Latino Family Literacy Project can train teachers to provide Parent Involvement programs to English Learner parents at their school to fulfill the Title I, Part A funding requirements for Parent Involvement.

See what parents have to say about The Latino Family Literacy Project and share this information with your school staff.

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