Supports for Families

Office Hours:

Please note office hours are intended to provide real-time technical assistance to educators, caregivers, parents, and students. Technical assistance is not legal advice. Specific questions concerning a student’s special education program or the laws relating to the provision of services in a child’s IEP (Individualized Educational Program) should be directed to ConsultLine at 800-879-2301.

 

Date/Time:  By appointment only.  Please email Englishlearners@pattan.net to set up targeted technical assistance (flexible based upon need through multiple modes: Email, phone, Zoom, Twitter)
 

Translation and Interpretation Services:

Under IDEA and Civil Rights Act of 1964, translation and interpretation services must be provided to families in their preferred language and mode of communication. In Pennsylvania, the top five languages other than English are Spanish (60.8%), Mandarin Chinese (4.7%), Arabic (2.23%), Nepali (3.7%), and Vietnamese (2.4%). To support that endeavor, families and schools can consider the use of Microsoft Translator or Google Translate as additional supports. Knowing that those tools will not be providing perfect translation/interpretation, these tools should not be used for any IEP-related communications. A qualified interpreter and/or translator should be used in these legal matters.

Microsoft Translator:  Microsoft Translator helps bridge communication gaps by supporting accessible classroom learning with live captioning, cross-language understanding, and even multilingual casual conversations to help with student integration.  Download the app Select your platform to download directly from the app store.  Android  iOSWindows  desktop

Google Translate (Translate.google.com):  Google's free service instantly translates words, phrases, and web pages between English and over 100 other languages

Talking Points
Helps educators meaningfully connect with families and students through multilingual text messages.
 

Resources

• HUNE is a not for profit organization that provides free bilingual English and Spanish training, technical assistance and individual assistance to families of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and to professionals who work with children.
• HUNE's Andy's Café is going Virtual! Every Wednesday at noon, starting April 1 thru June 17. Information sharing session: where to find Educational Resources and more in SPANISH! Register: tinyurl.com/andyscafe 
  HUNE COVID-19 Resources in English and Spanish
  HUNE Family, Educators and Student Resources in English and Spanish
• Center for Applied Linguistics and the Embassy of Mexico / Online Access to Authentic Spanish Language Educational Materials
  The Center for Applied Linguistics in collaboration with the Embassy of Mexico announces the free release of hundreds of online, authentic Spanish language educational materials for language teachers across the United States, including digital textbooks, movies, videos, etc.               La Embajada de México, en colaboración con el Center for Applied Linguistics, anuncia el lanzamiento gratuito de cientos de materiales educativos auténticos en español en línea para profesores de idiomas en todo los Estados Unidos, incluidos libros de texto digitales, películas, videos, etc.
• Colorin Colorado / Coronavirus: Multilingual Resource for Schools - It's important that schools share accurate information about coronavirus with all school staff and families, including families of English learners. These resources include multilingual fact sheets and infographics.
• Colorin Colorado / How to Read an E-Book With Your Child
• Colorin Colorado / School Responses to COVID-19: ELL/Immigrant Considerations 
• Immigrant Connections / English Learner Family Engagement During Coronavirus
  Offers resources that we can offer EL/immigrant parents to support them in working with their children at home. The following resources (video clips, articles, etc.) are for non-English speaking parents to help them think through how they might support their child’s learning at home over the coming weeks.
• Larry Ferlazzo Edublog / 7 Tips for Parents Supporting Remote Learning English version and Spanish version 
• Microsoft Immersive Reader - Immersive Reader is a free tool that uses proven techniques to improve reading for people regardless of their age or ability.  Enable students with learning differences such as Dyslexia using text decoding solutions and help build confidence for emerging readers through features like Line Focus and Picture Dictionary.
• National Center for Families Learning / 30 Days for Families Learning Together / Aprendizaje en familia - NCFL’s guide to 30 Days of Families Learning Together provides a month’s worth of family literacy activities and practices designed to inspire family memories rooted in imagining, playing, and learning together. 
• ReadWorks:  ReadWorks is here to support educators and families facing the unprecedented challenge of remote learning due to COVID-19. Remote learning resources for educators and families.
• Reading Rockets / Reading Tips for Parents (in Spanish, French, Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Korean, Portuguese, Russian (preschool to grade 3), Tagalog, and Vietnamese)
• USAID, John Hopkins School of Public Health and Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska / Managing Anxiety and Stress During COVID-19
  An animated video that clearly shows how to manage stress and anxiety during the pandemic. Contact information to the U.S. Suicide Prevention Hotline is provided. The short video is available in English, Spanish and 16 other languages.  
• WIDA Early Years / Learning Language Every Day: Activities for Families booklet is available free online in English  and Español.  It can be downloaded and printed to help children keep learning at home.  Appropriate for children between the ages of two and seven, the activities in the booklet encourage kids to practice and improve their language skills by talking about topics in their immediate environment.
• WIDA Family Connections Through Home Languages / WIDA Conexiones familiares a través de lenguajes en el hogar 
  To help educators promote the importance of home language with the students and families they serve, WIDA has developed a visual resource in English and Spanish.