Build stronger school-family partnerships through inclusive communication, community events & outreach. These strategies foster trust & shared purpose.

In small group settings, special educators have a powerful opportunity to individualize instruction and nurture strong student-teacher relationships. But to truly support diverse learners, especially those with special needs, it’s essential to build meaningful, inclusive partnerships with families. As we start the 25-26 school year, what better time to use these strategies to begin building those fruitful relationships!This means going beyond basic communication and embracing diverse best practices that recognize and respect the rich cultural, linguistic, and neurodiverse backgrounds of our students.Below are four excellent online resources with actionable strategies you can start using today to build stronger, more equitable family-school connections—especially when working in small groups.<h2>1. Deepen Your Cultural Awareness</h2>Strategy: Use reflective practice to examine cultural assumptions.Teacher reflection on the changing interplay of curriculum, content, and culture for each class or lesson is very important for culturally responsive teaching.Try this in your small groups:After reviewing the <a href="https://cdn.theeducationhub.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Culturally-responsive-pedagogies-Teacher-reflection-tool.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Culturally responsive pedagogies: Teacher reflection tool</a>, try to identify any cultural assumptions that may influence your communication with families. Adapt your outreach strategies (e.g., how you invite families to collaborate) based on what you learn.<h2>2. Apply an Equity-Driven Approach to Family Engagement</h2>Strategy: Use Google Forms for an equity-driven approach to family engagement.<a href="https://familieslearning.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Equity_in_Family_Engagement_Toolkit_Folder-FINAL_002.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Equity in Family Engagement Toolkit</a> provides educators with tools and strategies that promote equity and inclusion and allows all students to be seen, visible, and valued in their classrooms and schools helping educators rethink engagement as a shared responsibility. The toolkit is filled with great strategies and examples, check out pages 4-5 and 32-33 to quickly get started with lots of great suggestions!Try this in your small groups:When setting small-group goals (e.g., for reading intervention), use the “Co-Design” principle by asking families to contribute ideas for what success looks like. Consider creating a brief family input survey using Google Forms to invite feedback in families’ preferred languages.<h2>3. Colorín Colorado – Engage Multilingual Families Respectfully</h2>Strategy: Use home language and culturally responsive materials.<a href="https://www.colorincolorado.org/ell-family-engagement-resource-collection" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Colorín Colorado’s Family Engagement toolkit</a> offers ready-to-use, bilingual resources that help bridge cultural gaps. Their communication guides help educators recognize and respond to the unique experiences of multilingual families.Try this in your small groups:Download and distribute bilingual reading tips for families to support literacy development at home. Invite caregivers to small-group progress discussions using home-language letters or translators when possible.<h2>4. The Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) – Empower Families with Knowledge</h2>Strategy: Share rights-based resources and explain special education processes clearly.<a href="https://www.parentcenterhub.org/family-engagement-and-children-with-disabilities-a-resource-guide-for-educators-and-parents/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CPIR’s Family Engagement Hub</a> includes materials to help families navigate the special education system in accessible, affirming ways. Many resources are multilingual and explain IEPs, IDEA, and disability rights clearly.Try this in your small groups:Before an IEP-related small group meeting, share CPIR’s <a href="https://www.parentcenterhub.org/iep-overview/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“A Guide to the Individualized Education Program”</a> with families. Use the included visuals to help explain goals and services in parent-friendly language during meetings. When you approach family connections with an inclusive mindset, you’re not just improving communication, you’re advancing equity, honoring cultural identity, and fostering trust. In small group settings, these relationships can have an outsized impact on student success. Here’s to a great 25-26 school year ahead!<h4>Citations</h4>Center for Parent Information and Resources. (n.d.). A guide to the individualized education program (IEP). Parent Center Hub. <a href="https://www.parentcenterhub.org/iep-overview/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.parentcenterhub.org/iep-overview/</a>&nbsp;Colorín Colorado. (n.d.). Family engagement. <a href="https://www.colorincolorado.org/family-engagement" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.colorincolorado.org/family-engagement</a>&nbsp;The Education Hub. (2022, October). Culturally responsive pedagogies: Teacher reflection tool [PDF]. The Education Hub.<a href="https://cdn.theeducationhub.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Culturally-responsive-pedagogies-Teacher-reflection-tool.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://cdn.theeducationhub.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Culturally-responsive-pedagogies-Teacher-reflection-tool.pdf</a>The National Center for Families Learning. (2023, October). The Equity in Family Engagement Toolkit [PDF]. The National Center for Families Learning.<a href="https://cdn.theeducationhub.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Culturally-responsive-pedagogies-Teacher-reflection-tool.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://familieslearning.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Equity_in_Family_Engagement_Toolkit_Folder-FINAL_002.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://familieslearning.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Equity_in_Family_Engagement_Toolkit_Folder-FINAL_002.pdf</a>

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