Hello all
I'm forwarding this message from Bob Hodgson of Bradford College. Bob worked with us on the ESOL Effective Practice Project, and has info (and a request) about a new class he's starting up. You can contact him at [log in to unmask]
Thanks for this, Bob. I now have three (not so) little ones - and the teenager's homework is already a struggle for me!
James
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From: Robert Hodgson [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Mon 02/06/2008 13:44
To: James Simpson
Subject: FW: Family learning
Hello James, Please relay this request to members of the group.
As a result of speaking to immigrant parents in my ESOL classes I have become more and more aware of the difficulties they face in understanding what their children are learning at school. Some have even been told by their children that their presence at such events as parents' evenings are an embarrassment as they cannot converse with the teacher.
I regularly introduce relevant vocabularly and explanations of such subjects as geography, science, maths, mixed in with the education module of citizenship and this has helped some parents to do exercises at home with their children. I also ask them to bring to class samples of their child's school work to discuss with the other parents.
I recently expressed an interest in running a family learning class with ESOL parent students and their children, especially with the 3 to 5 age group. These children are already adapting to school life in the college creche and local nurseries and I suspect this may be a good stage at which to start such classes.
I would like to hear from anyone who has experience, good or bad, of this type of class and, at the suggestion of my manager, to observe a class for a week.
Thank you.
Bob Hodgson, Bradford College
So I would be grateful if you could put this one on the noticeboard and will of course let you know what the outcome is. No doubt you will soon be experiencing the joys of parents' evenings so will appreciate how trying it could be if you couldn't understand what the teachers are saying about your little one!! And how trying it is for him if you cannot help with homework!!
Thanks, Bob
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