Parent Support Materials

These two videos show footage from a Dual Language fono held for Pasifika parents at their school. The presenters are Patisepa Tuafuti (video 1) and Dr. Rae Si’ilata from the University of Auckland (video 2).

The fono helped parents understand how to support their children’s learning at school, by using the Pasifika dual language books at home.

These books have been designed to help children learn to speak, read and write English well, by building on the strengths of their strongest language to do this.

Children start school with different strengths in language:

Some Pasifika children may speak their Pasifika language strongly, but their English language may not be quite so strong.
Some children may speak English well and be able to understand their heritage language but not speak it strongly.
Others may be able to speak some of their own language and some English, but not be strong in either.

When children bring these books home they are meant to be read to them by family members, in their strongest language. That could be a Pasifika language or English.

Talking about the story is also very important because it will help the child understand the meaning of the story, the words and the pictures.

Once the child has understood the story well, they will be taught to read it in English by their teacher when they take it back to school. They may bring the book home again later and read it to their family.