One Classroom, Many Learners —
Abstract of

Chapter 9
Collaborating With “Hard-to-Reach” Parents in an ELL Population: One Teacher's Exploration

Trini Lewis

Esmeralda Ramos

This chapter examines one of the most common forms of parental involvement: parent–teacher conferences. The context for this work is an urban school community where parents of ELLs historically encountered challenges for participating in their children's education. The authors demonstrate how patterns of communication between parents and teachers can promote or hinder the construction of shared knowledge about important interventions necessary to promote children's language and literacy achievement. The chapter concludes with practical suggestions for improving parent–teacher communication in urban school communities with traditionally “hard-to-reach” parents.

Lewis, T., & Ramos, E. (2009). Collaborating With “Hard-to-Reach” Parents in an ELL Population: One Teacher's Exploration. In J. Coppola, & E.V. Primas (Eds.), One Classroom, Many Learners (pp. 207-226). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.