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Supporting English Learner Families

Inclusive School Communication Practices

Supporting EnglishLearner FamiliesInclusive School Communication Practices
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¿Qué tal? 你好 . Привет. Bonjour. السلام عليكم. Hujambo.

English Language Learners are the fastest growing student population group. How do we ensure that ELL students, and by extension their families, feel welcome, appreciated for their origin culture, and included in the goings-on at school? This template aims to help you do just that!

Celebrate Families' Home Languages

The Importance of Supporting a Student's Home Language
We often think a child's home language might hurt their English development. Research shows this isn't true—read this interesting article to learn more!

Use Smore's Translation Feature (Pro, Premium & Team accounts only)

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1) Press Publish Newsletter

And then look for the little subheading, "Preview Newsletter." Press that!
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2) Press the Translate button

And then you will see the drop down menu.
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3) Choose your language!

You can send the newsletter in as many languages as you want, or cue families for how to translate a newsletter that arrives in English.
In Addition to Smore, Try These 10 Strategies
Using Smore's translation features is a great start to communicating with families in their home languages. Why not take it a step further? This article details simple strategies to ensure that your school keeps ELL families in the loop.

Make Sure Students & Families Feel Comfortable

Welcoming Families of Different Languages
How do we shift our practices to work with parents who are from a different culture or background? This post from Scholastic offers some great tips. It's geared toward early childhood, but is easily adaptable to any age.

Listen to a Principal Share How He Uses Smore's Translation Feature to Build School Culture

- YouTube

Use Smore's Translation Feature for Many Types of Updates

  • Create a Report Card or Parent Conference Template
  • Send out Save-the-Date & Event Flyers
  • Have the Guidance Counselor create an IEP Template
  • Send a Weekly Principal Update
  • Send Classroom Updates
  • Create a template for athletic schedules/try-outs/practices/games/forms
  • Look for ways that families might not be able to access information due to a language barrier, and use Smore flexibly to accommodate those needs.
Smore Templates
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