Happy New Year everyone! Like many teachers, I make personnel and professional resolutions each year. I try to keep them to a minimum and make them realistic. This year my professional resolution is to create and continue a Common Core Parent Awareness Campaign for parents of English Language Learners (ELLs) at my school.
Parent Resources
We know that parent education is an important part of the successful implementation of the Common Core Standards. Parents that fully understand the new requirements for their children can help their children acquire grade level standards. If those families are then given ways to help support that learning at home, we all win. With that kind of reasoning in mind, I began to assemble a list of resources in English, and Spanish that I can share with parents of ELLs. My plan is to distribute this information over the next few months. By sending home monthly âCommon Core Information Lettersâ I hope to make sure parents understand the standards that are connected with each elementary grade level and add some tools they can employ at home to help support their childâs education.
Below is a list of resources I found that are available in English and Spanish.
Who: National PTA
Where: http://pta.org/content.cfm?ItemNumber=2796
What: Grade level Parent Guides in English and Spanish
The National PTA provides a wealth of information! Click on over to this site for K-8 and High School parent guides for English language arts and mathematics (English and Spanish). They developed these guides to help parents become familiar with the expectations for student performance at each grade. The guides include âtalking to the teacherâ and activities parents can do with their children at home.
The following description is taken from their website:
Parent Guides
Two-page Parents’ Guides to Student Success (Color)
Color versions of the two-page Parent Guides
Four-page Parents’ Guides to Student Success (Black and white)
Black and white versions of the four-page Parent Guides
Four-page Parents’ Guides to Student Success (Color)
Color versions of the four-page Parent Guides
Who: Council of the Great City Schools
Where: http://www.cgcs.org/domain/36
What: Parent Letters in English and Spanish
This informative resource in English and Spanish is from the Council of the Great City Schools. The guides at this site offer parents roadmaps to the Common Core. The roadmaps cover what K-8 students learn in English Language Arts and Math. The menu on the left hand side offers these âroadmapsâ in Spanish.
Who: Education Northwest
Where: http://educationnorthwest.org/resource/1547
What: Parent information letters in English and Spanish
Education Northwest produced a series called âSpotlight on the Common Core State Standardsâ. One of the issues in that series aims to inform parents on what they need to know about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and how the standards will influence teaching and assessment.
The following description is taken from their website:
Spotlight on the Common Core State Standards – What Do Parents Need to Know? A series published by Education Northwest to keep regional stakeholders informed about the Common Core initiative.
http://educationnorthwest.org/resource/1547
| What Do Parents Need to Know? |
| ÂżQue Necesitan Saber Los Padres? |
Let me know what resources that you use to keep your parents up to date with the Common Core!
Happy Teaching!
Lori
Fun to Teach
About the Author
Lori Wolfe has taught English Language Development, bilingual 1st & 2nd grades, and as a Title I Reading and Math specialist. She also presents professional development workshops, develops curriculum and blogs. Follow her blogs at Fun To Teach ESL and Fun To Teach Math Blog for more great teaching ideas, tips, freebies and more. You can also find Fun To Teach on Facebook.