Educators Share Tips for Connecting With Families

By Kathryn Kulie

When was the last time you reached out to a student’s family? Building these connections is a great way to support multilingual learners’ success in the classroom, and you can always add more strategies for relationship building to your toolbox!

We wanted to learn how educators are getting families involved in their students’ education, so at the 2025 WIDA Annual Conference, we asked: “How do you connect with families to help students grow?” Educators identified the following trends to support students inside and outside of the classroom.

Prioritize Inclusivity and Connection

Be proactive about connecting with families; don’t wait! Whether it’s a simple phone call to check in or a more formal, structured event, educators say that making the effort to reach out to families first will pay dividends. The goal is to create a sense of belonging and a safe space for everyone involved, not just the student. Make an effort to use students’ home languages, learn about their home cultures and encourage families to connect with educators and each other at school events.

One educator recommends following major news outlets from students’ home countries to help bond with students about current events that matter to them, like an exciting win from a national sports team or a major weather event.

Hold Events to Welcome the Community

The school is an obvious place to hold family-centered events, and many educators organize cultural days with food and activities, as well as academic days where they teach families about students’ assessment reports.

However, school grounds may feel more formal and intimidating for multilingual learners and their families. If possible, consider alternate venues that will help everyone feel more at ease, such as a local community center, park or event space in the neighborhood that families will be more familiar with.

Support the Whole Family

Offer support and resources to the whole family; don’t just focus on student success. When students see that their family members are actively engaged in school, it can motivate them, making them feel more confident to participate. Expand your approach to ensure families understand what’s going on at school and how to access important resources. Maybe they need help understanding their child’s benchmark report, or maybe they want to find resources for their own language learning journey.

The most important point is to ask families what they want rather than assume their needs or familiarity with the education system and classroom environment. Informed families can better advocate for their children’s needs.

Learn More!

To hear all of what the educators had to say about connecting with families, watch the full video.

Other ways to learn:

• WIDA’s Engaging Families and Communities webpage has a variety of resources to help you with this work.
• The WIDA Focus Bulletin: A Story of Collaboration and Transitions for Multilingual Children shows how educators, families and communities can collaborate to support multilingual learners.
• Register for this upcoming WIDA Webinar focused on centering family voices.
• Register for the 2026 WIDA Annual Conference.