Academic Vocabulary and Parental Involvement with English Learners

A child’s success in grade school and beyond depends on the vocabulary he or she builds in their early years. The bigger the vocabulary, the better the success in school, which will eventually help the student go farther in life. The younger you can introduce kids to vocabulary, the better!

There is one proven way to make sure children have this essential tool and that is reading. The most effective way to build vocabulary is through reading, combined with comprehension and vocabulary development.

Parents can help their children just by reading to them at home. But not all parents know the importance of reading with their children or how to help their children comprehend what they’re reading or understand what the words mean. According to research, the positive relationship between a home literacy environment and children’s reading knowledge and skills held true regardless of the family’s economic status. We know that parents need to be actively involved in the reading process. Unfortunately, not all parents know how to read a book from cover to cover. If parents were not read to as children, they may not know how wonderful reading together is and how fun it can be!

Providing parents with classes and coaching them on how to read at home is crucial to ensure that their child will develop a love for reading, while increasing their vocabulary and comprehension skills. Equally important is providing parents with culturally relevant books that are engaging and meaningful to them and to their children. When parents attend The Latino Family Literacy Project at their school, we know that they are well prepared to enjoy reading with their kids. They develop a regular reading routine at home for school success in addition to English language skills.

Schools can help parents by registering staff for a workshop with The Latino Family Literacy Project. The training is for teachers and staff who will work with Spanish-speaking families in building a regular family reading routine, strong vocabulary and English language skills. Each class with parents also helps them to belong to the school community in a whole new way.