Abstract
The purpose of this research was to provide some opportunities to four Korean families of English-language learners (ELLs) and their children's teachers to share their literacy practices and resources in support of children's literacy development. Their shared support was constructed at three abstract levels: home-school relations, cultural bridges, and literacy resources. A constructivist grounded theory-based approach to data generation was employed, using a wide variety of data collection methods, such as questionnaires, interviews, observations, photography, and video recording. Grounded analysis, content analysis, and narrative analysis were performed on the data. The study found that the families and teachers did their best to support their ELL children within their own experiences and beliefs. In addition, the activity of reading a classroom storybook at home could bridge the isolation and separation between their own practices, improving synergy. Lastly, based on the findings, a home-school connections model was proposed.
TopTheoretical Framework
Home-School Connections
A funds of knowledge approach (Moll et al., 1992) was the basis of this study. “Funds of knowledge” is defined as “historically accumulated and culturally developed bodies of knowledge and skills essential for household or individual functioning” (p. 133). Moll and his colleagues aimed to recognize and incorporate into teaching practices the strengths, knowledge, and skills that families offered children in their learning and development. It was appropriate to adopt this positive, strength-based perspective toward ELL families into our research, rather than a deficit perspective.
In parallel with this, we designed our research to examine the term, “home-school connections.” Connections itself implies a two-way interaction, in which both formal and informal involvement practices between home and school are considered (Miller, 2019). This fit into our aim of creating opportunities to share each other’s cultural and linguistic resources.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Home Language: Refers to the primary language used in ELL homes or the parents’ native language.
Home-School Connections: Is similar to family engagement and family involvement, but with an emphasis more on the two-way interaction between home and school and includes informal and formal forms of involvement.
Strength-Based Perspective: Focuses on the positive attributes of a person or a group.
Deficit Perspective: Identifies problems and focusses on the weaknesses of a person or a group.
Literacy: Refers to a social practice that is developed in the process of cultural and social interaction from a sociocultural perspective
ELL: Is an acronym for English Language Learners, and specifically focusses on those individuals who are in the process of acquiring English as their second language.
Fund of Knowledge: Refers to the strengths and resources as well as the skills and knowledge that families possess to incorporate into their students’ school curriculum.