ELL Families: Translation Matters

Building Inclusive School Communication Practices

¿Qué tal? 你好 . Привет. Bonjour. السلام عليكم. Hujambo.

English Language Learners are the fastest growing student population group. How do we ensure that ELL students, and by extension their families, feel welcome, appreciated for their origin culture, and included in the goings-on at school? This template aims to help you do just that!

Communicate in Families' Home Languages

The Importance of Supporting a Student's Home Language

Our tendency is to understand a child's home language as potentially detrimental to their language development in English. Research says otherwise -- read this fascinating article to learn more!

To Connect with Parents, Start by Speaking Their Language. Literally. | EdNavigator

If you're a parent, communicating with schools and keeping tabs on how your child is doing can be like trying to understand a foreign language. Report cards look different than they used to, it isn't always easy to tell which homework assignments are due when, and there are enough acronyms for alphabet soup.

ednavigator.org

Use Smore's Translation Feature (Pro, Premium & Team accounts only)

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1) Press Publish Newsletter

And then look for the little subheading, "Preview Newsletter." Press that!

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2) Press the Translate button

And then you will see the drop down menu.

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3) Choose your language!

You can't send the newsletter in another language, but this is a great way to take screenshots in another language.

How Your Readers Will Access Translation

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Open Email

Scroll all the way to the right for the translate button.

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Classic Editor

If you're not using the new editor, and the translate button doesn't appear, click "view in browser."

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Press the Translate Button

And choose a language. The next template they open will automatically translate to their chosen language.

In Addition to Smore, Try These 10 Strategies

Using Smore's translation features is a great start to communicating with families in their home languages. Why not take it a step further? This article details simple strategies to ensure that your school keeps ELL families in the loop.

Make Sure Students & Families Feel Comfortable

Welcoming Families of Different Languages

How do we shift our practices to work with parents who are from a different culture or background? This post from Scholastic offers some great tips. It's geared toward early childhood, but is easily adaptable to any age.

Supporting ELLs in the Mainstream Classroom: Making Students Comfortable

Learning a new language is an overwhelming experience for anyone - especially if you are supposed to be learning in that new language at the same time! Here are some ideas for helping students feel more comfortable in the mainstream classroom.

colorincolorado.org

Listen to a Principal Share How He Uses Smore's Translation Feature to Build School Culture

Use Smore's Translation Feature for Many Types of Updates

Create a Report Card or Parent Conference Template
Send out Save-the-Date & Event Flyers
Have the Guidance Counselor create an IEP Template
Send a Weekly Principal Update
Send Classroom Updates
Create a template for athletic schedules/try-outs/practices/games/forms
Look for ways that families might not be able to access information due to a language barrier, and use Smore flexibly to accommodate those needs.

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Smore ❤️ Families from Around the World

Do you have an idea for a template that would be helpful for you or your school? Reach out to our Resident Educator, Kara, at the email address below.

Email: kara@smore.com
Website: www.smore.com
Facebook: facebook.com/smorepages
Twitter: @smorenewsletter

ELL Families: Translation Matters

Building Inclusive School Communication Practices

¿Qué tal? 你好 . Привет. Bonjour. السلام عليكم. Hujambo.