Immigrating to the United States is an exciting time for many families. For those who have school-aged children, helping the foreign students to adjust to the new schools becomes a priority. There are several ways that parents and other trusted adults can help these kids.
Take a tour of the school before the child’s first day. This gives them a chance to learn where their classes are and to see how things work at the school. If possible, introduce them to the teacher they will have and any other staff members they may deal with on a regular basis.
Discuss the possible accommodations your children will need with the administrators. This might be things like being able to get materials printed out so that the child can go through them slowly. Kids who aren’t fully proficient in English might benefit from this since they would be able to go through and look up the translations of words they aren’t familiar with.
Check up on the child after they’ve been in class a few days. Ask them if they are having any specific challenges. This is your chance to find out what accommodations they might need that you didn’t ask for before.
You might also consider hiring a tutor for the child. If you do this, try to find one who is bilingual, so they can help the student in the most efficient manner possible. It might not be possible to get a tutor for every subject, so you may have to focus on the one that your child is having the most difficulties with.
As time progresses after you arrive in the U.S., the child’s adjustment will likely become easier. Be sure that you continue to provide as much support as possible throughout their time in school here.
