Family engagement is a critical part of education, and engaging with parents or guardians of English learners offers unique challenges and opportunities.

Today’s post will examine some of them.

Families Are Offering Their Expertise

Caroline Sweet is a dual-language instructional coach at an elementary school in Austin, Texas. During her 20 years in public education, Caroline has focused on serving culturally and linguistically diverse populations and fostering reading and writing classrooms that encourage all students to share their stories:

“Todavía tengo todos los libros que usted me dio, maestra,” she tells me as we hug and reconnect. It’s been a few years since her daughter was in my class and since we sat at a kidney table in the hallway, four mothers and myself, books in hand. She’s kept all the books I gave her.

We would meet weekly for six weeks in a row. I would step out of my classroom as my young student-teacher briefly took over, preparing for her own future classroom. And in the wide hallway of our school, the mothers would read books with me.

I had carefully selected picture books that I thought might connect to the experiences of these mothers, their children, their families. We had pencils and sticky notes laid out on our table, ready to prepare our books to be read at home with the children.

This was not a workshop to “teach” families how to read with their children at home; there are many of those. We approached this group knowing that families already have language and literacy practices in the home. This group of mothers had all immigrated within the last two decades, all speaking of hope for a better education and opportunities for their children. As with many immigrant families, education was a high priority.

We had three goals as we read and annotated our books to read later with the children.

• Show the children that we can find our personal experiences represented in literature.
• Position these mothers as the experts of Spanish in their homes.
• Connect more deeply with their children through a shared literacy experience.

They made notes in their books of words they wanted to clarify in Spanish for their young bilingual learners, moments where they wanted to pause and share an anecdote from their own lives, and questions they wanted to ask their children to hear their thinking.

And as we read Duncan Tonatiuh’s Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote, a story of undocumented border crossing, a mother touched the book with the palm of her hand and said, “This is my story.” Another mother whispered, “Mine, too.”

In this moment, I don’t need to speak. I’m simply grateful to listen as these mothers grapple with this complex topic, how to explain this part of their story to their young children, and how the book will help them tell their story.

I’m tempted to tell other educators to make no assumptions regarding the families and caregivers of their multilingual students. But that’s not accurate. I actually do want you to make assumptions.

That caregivers and families care deeply about the education of their child. That they have language and literacy practices in the home that are enriching. That they offer support to their children in ways that you might not know. Unless you listen deeply with the purpose of finding out more about their lives and all the ways they love their children.

And when you come from a place of “collective care” and “love,” we begin to eliminate the barriers that might have existed between school and home. You’ll realize that families are not waiting to receive your expertise; they’re offering theirs. So lean in and listen.

Book List:

Tomás y la señora de la biblioteca by Pat Mora
Los remedios de mi Tata by Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford
Mango, Abuela y yo by Meg Medina
Las huellas secretas by Julia Alvarez
Dos conejos blancos by Jairo Buitrago and Rafael Yockteng
Xochitl, la niña de las flores by Jorge Argueta
Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote by Duncan Tonatiuh

‘Intentional Strategies’ Are Needed

Altagracia (Grace) Delgado is the director of Texas initiatives for the English Learners Success Forum. With over 30 years of experience in education, she has served as a teacher, instructional coach, and both campus and central-office administrator across Texas:

Engaging families of English learners requires intentional strategies that are culturally responsive, relationship-driven, and rooted in the belief that families are essential partners in student success.

Establishing authentic relationships can be achieved through home visits or community walks, where school staff engage with families in familiar settings, demonstrating a genuine interest in their lives. Many districts have also created multilingual welcome centers or hired cultural liaisons who serve as bridges between families and schools, helping families navigate enrollment, transportation, academic supports, and community resources. These efforts signal to families that their language and culture are not just accepted but also valued.

Another key strategy is ensuring consistent, two-way communication in families’ preferred languages. Language should never be a barrier to family engagement. Schools that utilize multilingual communication apps like TalkingPoints, Remind, or ClassDojo enable staff to communicate directly with families in real time and in a way that respects their linguistic preferences.

In addition to digital tools, providing interpreters for meetings, conferences, and events ensures equitable access to important information. Just as critical is the tone and purpose of communication. For example, schools that regularly share positive news, celebrations, and student successes help foster a welcoming and affirming climate that builds trust over time.

Culturally responsive events have also proved effective in encouraging family engagement. Family nights that center around language and culture, such as international potlucks, cultural showcases, or multilingual storytelling nights, provide opportunities for families to see themselves reflected in the school environment.

Beyond celebrations, offering practical workshops tailored to the needs of immigrant and multilingual families can be particularly impactful. Sessions on how to understand report cards, prepare for parent-teacher conferences, navigate high school graduation requirements, or apply for college and financial aid empower families to become active participants in their children’s academic journeys. Offering these events at flexible times, including evenings and weekends, shows respect for working families’ schedules and increases accessibility.

Another successful strategy involves leveraging partnerships with trusted community organizations, cultural centers, and faith-based institutions. These organizations often already have strong, trusting relationships with families and can help schools extend their reach and credibility. Collaborating to host events, distribute information, or co-facilitate workshops can deepen community trust and provide additional layers of support for families.

Finally, one of the most empowering approaches is involving families as co-educators and decisionmakers. Inviting parents to share their stories, language, or cultural knowledge in classrooms validates their expertise and fosters a sense of belonging. Establishing multilingual family advisory councils gives EL families a voice in shaping school policies and programming, helping to ensure that decisions reflect the needs and aspirations of the communities they serve.

When schools invest in meaningful engagement with EL families, they lay the groundwork for stronger academic outcomes and a more inclusive, affirming school community for all.

‘Listening, Honoring, and Adapting’

Angel Martinez Sanchez has been a teacher in the Norwich public schools in Connecticut:

Family engagement begins with relationship, not requirements. One successful strategy I’ve used is creating informal, low-stakes points of contact early in the year—welcoming postcards, bilingual voice notes, or “positive start” phone calls. These build trust before any challenges arise and let families know they’re seen as partners, not just recipients of information.

Another strategy is offering flexible, culturally responsive options for involvement: inviting parents to share a song, story, or tradition from their home culture or providing translation in the family’s preferred mode (text, call, video, WhatsApp). I’ve also found success hosting family literacy nights where we model strategies and affirm the home language as a bridge—not a barrier—to learning.

Ultimately, I think that the shift comes when families no longer feel like visitors to the school space but co-authors in their child’s story. And that takes listening, honoring, and adapting, not just inviting.

I’ve also learned the value of creating spaces where families can be seen as experts—not just in culture but in their child. When we invite their insights on interests, challenges, and dreams, we build a bridge that honors both school knowledge and home wisdom. Engagement deepens when families feel their voice matters beyond logistics. Families don’t need perfect language or polished presentations—they need presence, respect, and repeated reassurance that their child matters to us as a whole person.

Thanks to Caroline, Grace, and Angel for contributing their thoughts.

Responses today answered this question:

What successful strategies have you used to encourage engagement from families of English learners?

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at lferlazzo@epe.org. When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on X at @Larryferlazzo or on Bluesky at @larryferlazzo.bsky.social

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