Parent Support and Resources

How do I support my bilingual child?

  • Read to your child in his or her home/primary language and/or English. Research shows that reading to your child in your home/primary language will help support English literacy skills.
  • Tell stories to your child in your home/primary language. Talk about your own childhood or things you remember from the past.
  • Show your child that you value your home/primary language. Speak to him or her in that language even if he or she responds in English.
  • Get a library card for your child, go to the library, and borrow books in English or in your home/primary language, if available.
  • Be sure to attend parent-teacher conferences scheduled by your school.
  • Schedule an individual meeting with your child’s teacher to learn about specific ways that you can help your child succeed.
  • Schedule time every day for your child to do homework and, if possible, provide a quiet place, free from distractions, where he or she can work.

What are my rights as a Parent of a bilingual student?

An informed, empowered community of parents, guardians and other persons in parental relation is critical to ensuring that English Language Learners (ELLs) are well served. The New York State Education Department’s Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages (OBEWL) has created an English Language Learner Parents’ Bill of Rights which summarizes critical rights concerning educational access and programming for ELLs and their parents. These key rights are summarized in an easy to reference one page format and have been translated into thirty-one languages.

NYS ELL Parent Website and Hotline Team
c/o NYS Statewide Language RBERN at NYU Metro Center
726 Broadway – 5th Floor
New York, NY 10003
ELL Parent Hotline #: (800) 469-8224
nysparenthotline@nyu.edu

What other resources are available to me as a parent of a bilingual or English Language Learner student in Rochester, New York?

What about services for English Language Learners at other Rochester schools?

Other public schools such as charter schools and private and parochial schools each follow their own separate registration and enrollment in language services process. Ensure you stay in touch with the school throughout the process.

Provided by the National Parents Union.