For four years, students in NAU Yuma’s Bilingual/ESL Special-Education Training program (BEST) have planned and hosted Parent Institutes for Title I schools in their community. These institutes aim to affirm common home practices that support children’s academic language development, regardless of whether English is their primary home language.
Alma Montemayor-Sándigo, associate teaching professor in the Bilingual/ESL Education Department, said the goal of this program is to strengthen the connection between schools and students’ homes by establishing a closer relationship with parents.
“We recognize that building true partnerships with parents means embracing and valuing their unique family dynamics,” Montemayor-Sándigo said. “Mundane activities such as dinner conversations, cooking together, playing and storytelling have a great influence on children’s literacy and language development.”
The Parent Institutes are a collaborative effort involving local authors, schools and NAU Yuma BEST students. Local authors present on special topics such as the value of bilingualism, emotional regulation and family practices that support academic achievement. Following these presentations, BEST students facilitate interactive activities designed to foster meaningful conversations between parents and their children, as well as among siblings. The activities are grounded in research that shows children’s academic achievement, school engagement and motivation are connected to parent engagement at school.
For Leticia Guerrero, who graduated with a dual major in elementary and special education with an emphasis on bilingual education, being part of the Parent Institutes has been the most significant experience of her life. While working with families in the program, she learned about herself and decided to develop her academic Spanish as part of her teacher identity. She said she found a lot of value in establishing honest relationships with these families and was able to cultivate a two-way partnership with them through the program.
“My favorite part of participating in the Parent Institutes was seeing families leave happy with new things to try at home and being able to educate and play with the kids,” said Gaely Gomez, a junior majoring in special and elementary education. Because of this program, she believes she will be able to make a meaningful impact on her community and is excited about what the future will bring.
“I believe the Parent Institutes affirms the identity of our teachers as servers of multilingual students and their families, bringing new perspectives on how to serve the community in ways that honor diverse families,” Montemayor-Sándigo said. “The program also helps our students develop a sense of empowerment and advocacy as they strengthen their relationships with parents.”
Families leave the institutes with signed children’s books from participating authors, activity booklets developed by WestEd, snacks, swag and—most importantly—affirmation of their vital role within the school community. Meanwhile, NAU Yuma students walk away with a deeper sense of community and a more culturally enriched understanding of what it means to serve and collaborate with diverse families.
The program has been possible through financial support from the BEST grant and has served about 500 families in five local schools.
“Although we may not yet see the full extent of what we are doing, I believe that by planting small seeds through activities with families, we will witness their growth over time,” Gomez said.
To explore resources and view pictures from the Parent Institutes, visit https://padlet.com/almasandigo/parent-institutes-building-academic-conversations-at-home-d92eq3phawmvmbmu