Family Educator Materials

The face-to-face sessions were piloted over a two-year period and the following recommendations are based on observations, facilitators' feedback and parent surveys.  They reflect what we consider to be Best Practice in this area of family education.

While much of the information presented in the PowerPoints is applicable to other dual language and immersion (DLI) contexts (one-way, development bilingual and indigenous/heritage), this program was designed for two-way DLI programs and the following suggestions are based on our experiences within that context.

1. A two-way DLI family education program should reflect the same goals that we have for our students:  two linguistically and culturally diverse groups coming together to learn with and from each other. To this end, sessions should be offered in a bilingual format.  One possibility is to alternate sessions between English and the partner language as the primary language of instruction. However, the facilitators should be prepared to move seamlessly between the two languages as the need arises, while at the same time refrain from translating word for word.
2. Facilitators must have strong language skills in both languages and be knowledgeable about DLI. Ideally there would be two facilitators, especially if the number of participants is larger than one table.  
3. For each session there is one PowerPoint presentation in English and another in the partner language. It is most effective to present with two projectors, displaying the presentations side-by-side. There is also a set of handouts in each language to accompany the PowerPoints. Thus, if the primary language used for the session is Spanish or Hmong, English-speaking parents can follow along with the PowerPoint handout, which includes the slides with corresponding speaker notes.
4. Recruitment and registration procedures should reflect cultural norms of both groups of families. We found that follow-up phone calls and person-to-person contact were more effective than emails with our Latinx and Hmong families.
5. Sessions should be scheduled at a time when most families are likely to be able to attend.
   1. We scheduled evening sessions starting with a light dinner for families, followed by a two-hour workshop. Daycare was provided and transportation was offered to families needing it.
   2. Most of our participating districts scheduled either four sessions once a week for four consecutive weeks or two sessions per week for two consecutive weeks. Families should be strongly encouraged to attend all four sessions.
6. We recommend that short surveys be distributed at the end of each session for participants to offer feedback. The surveys we used are provided.
7. We recommend that the final session end with a celebration. We offered a celebratory cake, and those participants who attended all four sessions were awarded a special certificate of achievement.