Involving Latino Families in Schools by Delgado Gaitan Concha;

Author:Delgado Gaitan, Concha; [Gaitan, Concha Delgado]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 1994257
Publisher: Corwin Press
Published: 2004-03-12T00:00:00+00:00

SHARING INFORMATION

In the early years of Latino children’s education, much of parent involvement is almost invisible work. A primary activity for parents is coaching children to think about their strengths and to learn how to maneuver through the elementary and secondary school. A secondary aspect of parent involvement could socialize students to think forward beyond high school to attending college. Many Latino parents are unable to provide their children with basic information or assistance about attending college because they did not have the experience themselves. Thus, by getting involved in their children’s education from the beginning of their elementary schooling, parents can learn how to socialize their children to the school’s expectations, and this can prepare them for college.

Research has shown that parents are less helpful in preparing their children to think about college and professional careers if they have lower incomes and less education or are first-generation immigrants (Andrade, 1982; Lucas, Henze, & Donato, 1990). It is not that the less educated parents have lower aspirations for their children; rather, it is that their aspirations are less likely to be backed by informed resources and knowledge of how to work the school system. By the time that Latino students reach early adolescence, they are already at high risk of dropping out of school or of not being prepared academically to attend college; they may lose interest in school, fall behind scholastically, and drop out by their first year in high school.

The early work that educators have to do in socializing Latino students through school involves counseling children to do well academically with a vision beyond elementary and secondary school. To attend college, students must have taken all of the right courses in high school, and to get into those courses, students need to have taken the right advanced classes in math and English in middle school. Before that, to get good grades in algebra and English in middle school, students need to have a strong academic foundation in the elementary grades. Therefore, from their earliest years, Latino students need to have a strong academic preparation from educators and parents. Latino parents need to learn how to coach their children for college. Educators can help parents learn ways to start early socialization of their children in elementary school and through high school, ensuring that Latino students do not end their schooling when they graduate from high school. For example, in a workshop on planning for college that was held for parents of elementary school Latino children, a mother who assisted the director in the workshop shared her experience.

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