Immigrant Parents Involving Teachers: A Parent Mentors Program for Enhancing the Instructional Capacity of Teachers of English Language Learners

• In Event: 14.044 - Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: 14.044-28 - Enhancing Skills of Adult English Language Learners

Abstract

Low-income and limited English language immigrant families have been characterized as having internal deficits that impact children’s school learning. Since parental involvement in schools has been associated with positive academic outcomes for students, teacher skills and knowledge for engaging parents in their children’s learning is an important area of interest. This growing national interest motivated the authors to examine the role parent involvement can play in teacher professional development. Using a case study of a parent mentors’ training program, the authors examined parents’ perceptions of involvement in education of their children at home. Findings indicate that critical, creative, dialogical spaces can yield more active re-framing of parental involvement pushing us beyond previously conceptualized notions of student learning and parent involvement

Authors

• Kalyani Rai, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

• Sheryl Gotts, Family Leadership Academy