All educators spend time talking with parents and families whether on a daily basis, during conference time, or at field trips or special events at school.  How do you know though, that parents and families who speak another language are understanding and really comprehending what you are saying to them?  I work in an area where we have families from many different countries, and who speak many different languages.  I have found that I will sometimes walk away from a conversation with a parent who speaks another language wondering, "Did they really understand me?  Did I really understand them?"

I have found that there are methods that work very well for communicating with parents and families who speak another language, or whose English is not very strong.  One of the best ways I have found is to keep a daily "journal."  I will get a small notebook for that child, and in the notebook, we will write what the child ate that day, what they did at school, and overall, how their day was.  Then, the parents can respond to what we write, and ask any questions they may have.  This works for my school setting, as it is a preschool classroom, however, this may not be as convenient in other school settings.  It's amazing what a quick note will do to increase the communication between the parents and the teacher.

Conference time can be challenging as well.  I have found that sending home the conference form early so that the family has time to translate the form is helpful both to the family, and to me as well.  That way, they can bring any questions they have, and they already have an idea of what the conference form is saying.

The most important thing is to be willing to talk, and to be approachable at all times.  Find out what works best for each family, and do it.  This makes the experience for the family, the child, and the teacher a successful one.

Krista Walton