Reaching Out to Latino Families of English Language Learners

How can teachers of Latino English language learners actively engage their students' families in helping ELLs succeed in school? In this powerful book, David Campos, Rocio Delgado, and Mary Esther Soto Huerta provide guidance and resources to help teachers communicate and collaborate with the families of Latino ELLs. Reaching Out to Latino Families of English Language Learners includes practical tips and tools, including reproducible form letters in English and Spanish, that can help teachers solicit valuable information about students from their families, extend families' knowledge of how U.S. schools operate, and provide families with ideas for helping students with their schoolwork at home. In addition, the authors * Offer information on aspects of Latino culture relevant to student learning; * Provide lists of websites and books on Latino culture and of Latino-themed children's books for use with students; and * Outline a framework that educators can use to create a "campus task force" for engaging Latino families in student learning. The more families of Latino ELLs learn about the curriculum, policies, and procedures of their children's schools, the more comfortable they will be collaborating with teachers. Likewise, the more educators learn about their students' backgrounds, the better able they will be to help them in the classroom. This complete resource will enable educators to work diligently and harmoniously with students' families in the service of what really matters: the academic success of Latino students. David Campos is the coauthor of the book Practical Ideas That Really Work for English Language Learners. He has been an educator for over 15 years, and is currently an Associate Professor of Education at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. Rocio Delgado has worked as a community educator, parent advisor, early intervention program assistant, and bilingual teacher in Mexico. She is currently an Assistant Professor and Special Education Program Director at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Mary Esther Soto Huerta is an Assistant Professor of Culture, Literacy, and Language at Texas State University–San Marcos, where she teaches courses in bilingual education, ESL, and reading in the College of Education.