Meeting the Needs of Hispanic Immigrants

1. Meeting the Needs of Hispanic Immigrants Carl Chambers EDUC 0500 Dr. Hartman, Fall 2002 December 5, 2002

2. Recognizing the Challenges • Lessen the intimidation factor. • Remove the language barrier. • Realize that some parents will lack a formal education. • Recognize that economic survival is a primary concern for many immigrant families. • Validate parents strengths. • Recognize that Hispanic families bring with them a rich social context. • Familiarize families with your school’s procedures and organization.

3. Lessening the Intimidation Factor • The teacher should give parents of new immigrant students and allow them to express their concerns about their child’s assimilation into the culture. • Lessons embracing their native cultures as they relate to the new culture that the students could bring home are essential.

4. Removing the Language Barrier • The students native language should be used as a base for the acquisition of their new language. Use the students existing knowledge. • Have members of the staff who speak Spanish communicate at intervals during the day to keep the student from becoming frustrated and overwhelmed.

5. Realize that some parents will lack a formal education. • Parents who have had limited schooling themselves will generally have difficulty helping their children with homework. • It is important to note that some parents may not be literate in their native language. • Group activities where students can begin to work with native students in a cooperative and nurturing environment.

6. Realize that economic survival is a primary concern for many immigrant families • Economic and time constraints may limit the parents of immigrant students to attend school conferences and parent meetings. • Keep in mind that a parents inability to attend meetings may signal financial difficulties for the family.

7. Validate parents strengths • Encourage Hispanic parents to work with their children in their native language. • By reading with them and reinforcing verbal skills, parents will help their children build a strong foundation for second-language learning.

8. Recognize that Hispanic families bring with them a rich social context. • Rather than trying to “acculturate” them validate and encourage them to share their own cultures and backgrounds. • Search for areas of expertise that parents can demonstrate at meetings, in class lessons, and at assemblies.

9. Familiarize families with your schools procedures and organization. • Provide a video or tour of the school in their language to assist them in this effort. • Hold parent meetings by grade level to clarify any differences between your school and schools in their home country. • Provide an opportunity for the parents to ask questions, express concerns, and obtain answers.

10. Recommendations and Lesson Ideas • Have your bilingual students do an inquiry based lesson on their native country to involve the parents. • Give students an assignment that helps their parents translate text in English. • Have the students do their genealogy charts. • Have a bilingual show and tell in class.

11. References: • Holman, L.J. (1997). Meeting the Needs of Hispanic Immigrants. April, Educational Leadership. May, 34-37