The need for educators to be conversant on how the different cultures and languages influence parental involvement is increasingly being acknowledged the world over. Among the Latino families in the US, for example, the parent's role construct has been found to influence involvement activities. Research has also suggested that linguistically diverse families are less involved at school. The jargon that schools use to communicate to parents is particularly said to affect the family-teacher relationships. Therefore, this chapter examines both cultural and linguistic capital with the focus being on strengthening family-teacher relationships. It also delves into the parental involvement education programmes that are meant to enhance such relationships. In particular, it is argued that, for the programmes to be effective, they should be culturally sensitive and acknowledge the linguistic differences. Furthermore, they should be offered in the form of professional development for both the families as well as school staff.
Types of Parental Involvement in Education, Socio-Economic Status of the Family and Students’ Academic Results
