Parents as a Teacher Resource for English Language Learners

Elementary schools have a growing number of English Language Learners (ELLs) within classrooms, and many teachers continue to struggle supporting these learners. These students continue to face issues because of their language barriers within school settings. There is a connection gap between the teacher and the student. This inability to connect with ELL students is due to the lack of resources available for the teacher. The only way to fill this gap is connecting their home and school environment together by creating parent-teacher connections. Parents are the ones that understand the whole child, but often are left out of the learning process because of different reasons. This study looks at how teachers can use parents as resources for supporting English Language Learners (ELL) in mainstream classrooms. The research provides strategies in which teachers can engage in more meaningful parent-teacher connections that will benefit the learner. Parents are able to provide insights on students’ learning styles and provide extra needed support at home. Results indicated that communication and involvement with parents can improve ELLs opportunities for academic success in school