How Can You Support Your Child’s Bilingual Education at Home?

As parents of bilingual children, figuring out the best way to raise our children to provide as much balance as possible for our children’s language development is one of the hardest hurdles. The decisions we make for our children have both immediate and lasting impacts that seem daunting. So how can we as parents, and teachers, best support our children on their bilingual journeys especially for those of us whose home languages differ from the language used at school? In October 2024, I asked CGK Sky (5-year-olds) and elementary parents and families to share the ways they support their children’s language development in both their home language and English. The purpose of my questions was a part of my Master’s research on bilingual development and education. With the research, I set out to answer two questions: How does family encouragement of home language literacy affect student proficiency in English at school? Does student proficiency in English differ depending on how much parents encourage literacy in their home language and English at home?

Research Findings

A questionnaire was sent to families asking how often their child spent reading independently at home, how often a family member reads to their child, the availability of books in the home, and how often parents read for their own pleasure in the presence of their child in both English and their home language. The information provided from 21 CGK families with students between Sky and Grade 5 was used and compared to the grades in the English Language Arts (ELA) standards on the first term report cards and progress reports. Although not a large enough size to be statistically significant, the findings still showed interesting results and trends.

More time spent encouraging English language activities in the home may lead to better ELA grades at school.

This may seem obvious, but students who read independently, are read to by a family member, and whose parents read for pleasure in English, are more likely to meet ELA standards consistently. Other studies have found that more involvement in literacy building at home leads to better school outcomes [1]. One of the highest indicators of school success for English language learners is high oral proficiency prior to starting kindergarten [2]. Reading, singing, and playing in English with our children before they start going to school may allow them to benefit more wholly from English language instruction.

Although higher involvement in home language activities may not equate to improved ELA grades, it may buffer against low grades.

In this study, there did not appear to be any link between encouraging reading activities in the students' home language and high performance in ELA. However, it is important to note that long term studies have found that home language literacy skills have a positive impact on English language acquisition after about 8 years of schooling in English [2]. A majority of the students in this study were younger than 8 years old, and thus, it may be too early to see the impacts of home language literacy skills on their ELA performance.

Reading in the presence of your child may have the most significant impact on your child’s school performance no matter what language.

Modeling reading was shown to have the most significant impact out of any of the other home reading activities. Of those CGK parents and family members who spent time each week reading for their own benefit in front of their children in English, their students were more likely to consistently meet ELA standards for their grade level. Likewise, they were also far less likely to “not yet” or “rarely” meet ELA standards than those students whose parents did not read in front of their children in English. Parents who read in Japanese in front of their children also saw their students see slightly better overall ELA grades and were likewise buffered from poor performance in English language arts.

Implications for Families and Educators

Families, educators, or any professionals who work with bilingual children need to show empathy and understanding of the bilingual language acquisition process. Progress in English will be slower or less obvious when families use multiple languages or exclusively use their home language in the home. This study only addressed the effects of home language and English home literacy on English Language Arts outcomes, and not subject specific achievement, where English language learners might find more motivation. More research on the long term effects of home literacy activities is essential for the support of our bilingual students, but this study gives us a small picture of where we might begin to focus our energies.

Similarly, it is good for parents and professionals to remember that the goal of bilingual education is not only to communicate and succeed in English, but our children’s capacities for communication and success in their home languages as well. Families who engage in literacy activities in their homes are improving their students’ literacy skills overall and should not be discouraged from enjoying their home language with their children. Based on the outcomes of this study, suggestions for families who do not feel as confident in English but who still want to support their child’s English education might include modeling a positive relationship with reading in their home language to encourage a love of reading in their children.

In conclusion, I would like to thank all the CGK families who participated in the study, as well as the CGK management and administrators who supported the study and encouraged this research for the benefit of the students and families. By working together as educators and families, we can increase our children’s chances of success on their bilingual or multilingual journeys!