Many schools face the challenge of forging partnerships with families from linguistically diverse backgrounds. Effective communication, funds of knowledge, culturally relevant teaching, and extending and accepting assistance are best practices that have been used successfully by school personnel when working with students who are identified as English-language learners. These things strengthen teacher communications with linguistically diverse families and in turn foster academic success among students who are English-language learners. This article focuses on these dispositional best practices and provides examples of how these practices are used in schools to promote academic and social success of linguistically diverse children and their families and the many teachers who support their education.
Anstrom, K., & DiCerbo, P. ( 1998). Preparing secondary education teachers to work with English language learners: English language arts [NCBE resource collection series] . Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education.
2.
Bartolomé, L., & Trueba, E. ( 2000). Beyond the politics of schools and the rhetoric of fashionable pedagogies: The significance of teacher ideology. In E. Trueba & L. Bartolomé (Eds.), Immigrant voices in search of educational equity (pp. 277-292). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
3.
Beyer, L., & Apple, M. ( 1998). The curriculum: Problems, politics, and possibilities . Albany: State University of New York Press.
4.
Cummins, J. ( 1976). The influence of bilingualism on cognitive growth: A synthesis of research findings and explanatory hypotheses. (Report No. FL 007 902-905). Ontario, Canada: The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 125311).
5.
Dorfman, D., & Fisher, A. ( 2002). Building relationships for student success school-family-community partnerships and students achievement in the Northwest. Portland, OR: Creating Communities of Learning and Excellence.
6.
Dworin, J. ( 2006). The family stories project. Reading Teacher , 59, 510-520.
7.
Ference, R., & Bell, S. ( 2004). A cross-cultural immersion in the U.S.: Changing preservice teacher attitudes toward Latino ESOL students. Equity & Excellence, 37, 343-350.
8.
Fry, R. ( 2008). The role of schools in the English language learner achievement gap. Washington, DC: Pew Hispanic Center.
9.
Gándara, P., Maxwell-Jolly, J., & Driscoll, A. ( 2005). Listening to teachers of English language learners: A survey of California teachers challenges, experiences, and professional development needs. Santa Cruz, CA: Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning.
10.
Garcia S., & Guerra, P. ( 2003). Do we truly believe "all children can learn"? Implications for comprehensive school reform. Adelante, 4, 1-5.
11.
Gonzalez, N., Moll, L., & Amanti, C. ( 2005). Funds of knowledge: Theorizing practice in households, communities and classrooms. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
12.
Hidalgo, N. ( 1998). Toward a definition of a Latino family research paradigm . International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education , 11, 103-120.
13.
Huerta-Macias, A. ( 1998). Learning for Latinos: The sociocultural perspective. In M. Gonzalez, A. Huerta-Macias, & J. Tinajero (Eds.), Educating Latino students (pp. 29-46). Lancaster, PA: Technomic.
14.
Jasis, P., & Ordoñez-Jasis, R. (2006). Convivencia to empowerment: Latino parent organizing at La Familia. High School Journal , 32, 1-13.
15.
Knight, M., Norton, N., Bentley, C., & Dixon, I. ( 2004). The power of Black and Latina/o counterstories: Urban families and college-going processes. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 35, 99-120.
16.
Liu, P. ( 2007, September/October). Working with Asian and Asian American parents of English learners. NABE News, pp. 9-11.
17.
López, G., Scribner, J., & Mahitivanichcha, K. (2001). Redefining parental involvement: Lessons from high-performing migrant-impacted schools. American Educational Research Journal, 38, 253-88.
18.
Menard-Warwick, J. ( 2007). Biliteracy and schooling in an extended family Nicaraguan family household: The sociohistorical construction of parental involvement . Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 8, 119-137.
19.
Meyer, D., Madden, D., & McGrath, D. ( 2004). English language learner students in U.S public schools: 1994 and 2000. Education Statistics Quarterly, 6, 1-3.
20.
Moll, L., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. ( 1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory Into Practice , 31, 132-141.
21.
National PTA. (1998). National standards for parent/family involvement programs. Chicago : National PTA.
22.
Olmedo, I. ( 2004). Storytelling and Latino elders: What can children learn? In E. Gregory, S. Long, & D. Volk (Eds.), Many pathways to literacy: Young children learning with siblings, grandparents, peers, and communities (pp. 76-87). New York: RoutledgeFalmer.
23.
Orfield, G., & Lee, C. (Eds.). (2004). Brown at 50: King’s dream or Plessy’s nightmare?Cambridge, MA: Harvard University, Civil Rights Project.
24.
Payan, R., & Nettles, M. ( 2008). Current state of English-language learners in the U.S. K-12 student population. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service. Retrieved October 9, 2008, from http://www.ets.org/potal/site/ets
25.
Pew Research Center. (2008). Statistical portrait of the foreign born population in the United States. Washington, DC: Pew Hispanic Center.
26.
Reis, N., Quintanar, R., & Cabral, L. (2008 , January/February). Teaching English learners: Best practices for schools and teachers. NABE News, pp. 19-22.
Shin, H., & Bruno, R. ( 2003). Language use and English-speaking ability: 2000. Census 2000 summary file 3. Retrieved July 11, 2008, from factfinder.census.gov
29.
U.S. Department of Education. (October, 2007 ). Framework for high quality English language proficiency standards and assessments. Retrieved July 5, 2008, from http://www.ed.gov
30.
Valdés, G. ( 1996). Con respeto: Bridging the distances between culturally diverse families and schools. New York: Teachers College Press.
31.
Valencia, R. ( 1997). The evolution of deficit thinking, educational thought and practice. Bristol, PA: Falmer .
32.
Velazquez, L. ( 1998). Migrant and seasonal farm workers and dropping out. In R. F. Kronick & C. Hargis (Eds.), Dropouts: Who drops out and why and the recommended action (pp. 141-152). Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas.
33.
Villenas, S. ( 2001). Latina mothers and small-town racisms: Creating narratives of dignity and moral education in North Carolina. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 32, 3-28.
34.
Zemelman, S., Daniels, H., & Hyde, A. ( 2005). Best practice: Today’s standards for teaching and learning in America’s schools (3rd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
