TESOL International Association

Writing Team
Deborah J. Short, Lead Writer
Helene Becker
Nancy Cloud
Andrea B. Hellman
Linda New Levine
FOREWORD BY JIM CUMMINS
This book has a
companion website. Go to
www.the6principles.org/K-12
for additional resources.
 ©2018 by TESOL International Association. All rights reserved. Not for distribution.

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ISBN 978-1-945351-30-3
Library of Congress Control Number 2017964569

Recommended citation:
TESOL International Association (TESOL). (2018). The 6 principles for exemplary teaching of English
learners: Grades K–12. Alexandria, VA: Author.

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 Conducting Home Visits
• Learn all you can about the cultures of your families and the communities in which they
live. Be sensitive to the cultural norms and behavioral expectations that make home-school
interactions successful and comfortable. Family liaisons who work in your school’s or district’s
English learner programs are an invaluable resource for this purpose.
• Conduct interviews or surveys in your families’ home languages when the families first enroll
their child in your school. Be sure to ask questions carefully, so that you learn accurate and
detailed information about your families. Be mindful of the fact that norms of disclosure vary
across cultures, making some questions feel inappropriate or too personal to some groups
while not to others. Avoid asking questions that families will view as intrusive, and, before you
begin, make sure that parents know the purpose of your questions and what you intend to do
with the information.
• Inquire about the language or languages in which families would like to receive information
from the school and whether they would prefer to receive information orally or in writing.
Find out their preferred communication mode—printed material, phone, text message, or
email. Try to determine the literacy level of parents by inquiring about the level of education
that they were able to complete, so that you can be sure you are communicating effectively
with your families.
• Learn the names of family members and how to pronounce them accurately.
• Learn about parents’ expectations for their child’s schooling, the expectations that parents
have for teachers and the school, and the culturally determined roles that parents typically
play in their child’s education. Share this information so that all school personnel understand
the many traditional roles that parents play in the education of their children from a cross-
cultural perspective.
• Ask the parents to list or orally identify some strengths and interests that their child has, and
pass this information on to the child’s teacher(s).
• Find out ways in which the school can support families, and vice versa, and the types of
community resources that parents may find valuable.
Sources: Gonzalez, Moll, & Amanti, 2005; Louie & Knuth, 2016; Stepanek & Raphael, 2010