Article Summaries

Best Practices in Working with Linguistically Diverse Families

main goal: promote family involvement and student success

1. incorporating funds of knowledge 
1. examples: resiliency, strong work ethic, cooking or taking care of siblings
2. important to find a way to connect school life to home life 
3. important to break stereotypes and know what kind of home life students are coming from 
2. practicing culturally relevant teaching 
1. important to incorporate students lives in the classroom 
2. discrepancies can land ELL students in remedial or special education 
3. important to reject deficit views and be aware of cultural bias 
4. best practices is to involve families in projects focused on cultural diversity and inclusiveness
3. fostering effective communication 
1. important for families to understand how the U.S. school system works
2. communicate discipline plans, attendance policies, and ways to support children's learning at home.  
4. extending and accepting assistance 
1. important to emphasize how important it is o maintain more than one language 
2. collaborate with community 
3. make available resources known

• major increase in English-Language Learners 
• 2004-2005 5.1 million
• studies show that parent involvement lead to academic success, problem is that this is hard for linguistically diverse families

Intercultural Conversations 

• Important to have intercultural competence 
• Author believed people viewed her background as a deficit 
• begin the conversation by asking questions found in this article
• "building global self-awareness and cultural responsiveness through increased intercultural learning experiences, such as student teaching abroad opportunities, influence personal and professional growth and facilitates meaningful transformations." 
• important to have conversation about similarities and differences so you as the teacher know how to meet students needs.