CPFMagazine Fall 2019 Issue

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Parent Involvement Leads to Student Success NOTES FROM A CPF WORKSHOP PRESENTED BY NICOLE THIBAULT AT THE CASLT LANGUAGES WITHOUT BORDERS CONFERENCE, MAY 2019 Creating a Place for All Parents Partnering with the school gives parents and educators a better insight into changes in the education system. Parents need to be seen as a vital asset to success in education and need to be respected as collaborators. Yet at times, parents feel a need to ‘speak the language of education’ for their children to succeed. This school-centric perspective centres on how parents can serve the school and support the existing, and long time, accepted school structure. Times are changing, and schools need to change too. Education specialists now speak about family-centric school practices and of embracing a philosophy and pedagogy of ‘walking alongside’ at the heart of working with, and being inclusive of, all families. This approach recognizes parents as the individuals who began their children’s education at birth and who continue to educate them throughout their lives. These teachers see themselves in a relationship accompanying the parent on this journey, and recognizing their capacity and parental knowledge of the child. This approach goes beyond the traditional ‘Meet the Teacher’ night and moves toward a more community-based approach where teachers go to homes and community centres to meet families and to learn with and from them. This can take the form of a community walk or drop in visits, but in all cases the one-way relationship becomes more reciprocal and inviting. Creating a welcoming and safe environment at the school for parents and community members to visit is a first step. From there, schools are reflecting on how to respond in culturally diverse ways, working to give parents an authentic voice. For more information on the ‘Walking Alongside’ pedagogy of working with parents and families, see the work of Debbie Pushor, PhD, Department of Curriculum Studies, University of Saskatchewan. A Strategy for Success I. School Climate – Welcoming, Connecting in the Community II. Eliminate Barriers – FSL is for ALL Students III. CPF Parent Outreach: Information, Tools, Supports Parents often feel unable to support their children’s education in French immersion because their own French skills are inadequate or non-existent. This can keep parents from enrolling their children in French immersion, or lead to unnecessary withdrawals from the program. • Parents do not need to possess French-language skills themselves in order to support children in learning FSL. • Skills developed in learning one language are transferable to the learning of others. • Students are more likely to be motivated, to earn higher grades, to have better behaviours and social skills, and to continue their education to a higher level when their parents are actively engaged in supporting their success at school. “ When schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer and like school more.” – Anne T. Henderson 14 CPF MAGAZINE FALL 2019
PARENT ENGAGEMENT MATTERS “ Influential in shaping attitudes and values, parents can help their children set goals and look to the future. Parental interest can be a significant factor in motivating students to continue their FSL studies throughout high school and into post-secondary studies. High levels of engagement by adult role models – whether parents, family or community members – in the school, highlight for students the value that is placed on learning additional languages.” – Ministry of Education, Ontario, “Parent Engagement” A Strategy for Success I. Volunteering at School / Helping from Home II. Learning at Home III. Community Outreach: people, resources, opportunities Schools must now consider new definitions for some commonly-used terms such as: n “Volunteers” to mean anyone who supports school and program goals, children’s learning in any way, at any place, and at any time – not just during the school day and at the school building. n “Homework” to include interactive, shared activities with others at home or in the community, linking school life to real life. n “Help” at home to mean encouraging, listening, praising, monitoring, sharing. • Student achievement improves when parents play an active role in their children’s education, and that good schools become even better schools when parents are involved. • Students succeed in a language-rich environment in the home: exposing them to French through television, movies, and cultural events; seeking opportunities to make connections with French-language communities. • There are considerable benefits in making French come alive through authentic French-language-experiences beyond the school (Mady & Arnott, 2010). Wherever possible, parents and community leaders can help establish, coordinate and communicate volunteer opportunities, cooperative education work placements, after-school camps, exchanges as well as local cultural initiatives including French movies and theatre. n “ Parents need to hold high aspirations and expectations for their children, and schools need to work in partnership with parents so that the home and school can share in these expectations and support learning.” COME LEARN FRENCH IN QUEBEC at The Centre linguistique du Collège de Jonquière langues-jonquiere.ca 1-800-622-0352 immersion@cegepjonquiere.ca PROGRAMS FOR EVERYONE — Youth — Adults — Customized — Online EXPERIENCE QUEBEC CULTURE IN A 100% FRENCH ENVIRONMENT 2, 3 or 5 week French immersion Including workshops & socio-cultural activities Homestays (3 meals day) CPF MAGAZINE FALL 2019 15
Page 1 and 2: FALL 2019 Magazine $6.95 • FREE F
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