5 Little-Known Signs Your Student’s Parent is Illiterate
Teachers highly depend on parent’s ability to read in English and/or the native language in order to communicate. From translated flyers stuffed into students’ backpacks, to fully-loaded apps like Class Dojo, school-home communication is deeply rooted in parents’ assumed literacy in any language.
But as the saying goes, to assume all parents are literate is to make…a very big ass(umption) that can greatly diminish a teacher’s return on investment in student and family engagement.
Illiteracy is Real in the U.S.
Over 36 million adults across the U.S. read below a 5th grade level. This large and diverse swath of working-age adults, are considered functionally illiterate in English: “i.e., unable to successfully determine the meaning of sentences, read relatively short texts to locate a single piece of information, or complete simple forms” (OECD 2013).
At best, functionally illiterate adults who are parents of school-aged children struggle with the same basic reading skills teachers aim to develop in youngsters by 3rd grade: comparing and contrasting, paraphrasing, and making low-level inferences.
This statistic is foreboding for teachers of ELLs, but general education teachers beware. Although the parents of our 5 million English Language Learner (ELL) student population make up a portion of that number, according to the NCES, more functionally illiterate adults are native-born and U.S. schooled, than are not.
Percentage of low-skilled adults age 16 to 65, by nativity status and race/ethnicity: 2012 and 2014
As is the trend with other social systems like health care, foreign-born adults are statistically over-represented among low-skill readers who account for 34% of the low literacy population, but make up just 15% of the total adult population.
American citizens born on U.S. soil, however, comprise two-thirds or up to 66% of adults with low levels of English literacy skills nationwide. In fact “White and Hispanic adults make up the largest percentage of U.S. adults with low levels of English literacy, 35 percent and 34 percent respectively.” Marinate on that jarring statistic for a bit.
This means that a White classroom parent is slightly more likely to be functionally illiterate than any other classroom parent! But if you work at Title I schools like I have for the past 14 years, you’d never believe that to be true.
What Teachers Don’t Know
So how can you tell if a parent can read and understand your communications? There are 5 tell tale signs of an illiterate or functionally illiterate parent with which I am very familiar, but new and even veteran teachers are often faintly aloof.
A lack of awareness of these signs may lead teachers to wrongly assume that a parent is disengaged because “they don’t value education where they are from” or “they just plain don’t care.” These are two phrases I have heard uttered just one too many times from uninformed (and often jaded) colleagues in the past decade.
Teachers need to know that illiteracy carries a heavy stigma, so understand that parents may fear being “found out”, thus they avoid interactions with the school all together.
Teachers aren’t always clued into the signs of illiterate parents, who need special accommodations for school-home communication and engagement.
In addition to their illiteracy “secret’, some undocumented parents may be intimidated by the possibilities of being reported by school administrators whom they perceived to be the long arm of the law, which explains why they decline participation in campus-based activities.
Our understanding of the stigma’s of illiteracy is not new, it’s just not widespread nor a focal point of teacher education. Nearly 30 years ago, Hal Berder captured the stigma of illiteracy in just 2 sentences, “Illiterate people are stigmatized by myths such as failed lives, poor self-concept, and the equation of poverty with illiteracy. Illiterate people respond to stigma by "passing" and "covering."
The poem, The Illiterate by William Meredith and a recent NPR broadcast demystify the pain of living with the guilt of illiteracy and everyday workarounds adults devise at home and in the workplace to compensate for and conceal their inability to read. These paired texts make for a great ELA Lesson!
Consequences of Parental Illiteracy
As the daughter of illiterate immigrant parents and as a veteran educator, I speak from hard-learned experiences. All parents are not equally literate, engaged or capable of supporting their child’s schooling. That being said, all parents want to be involved, but many just don’t know how.
Children of adults who are illiterate, also suffer from missed formal and informal learning opportunities.
According to family literacy research, children of limited literacy parents are “more likely to get poor grades, display behavioral problems, have high absentee rates, repeat school years, or drop out”.
behavioral problems, have high absentee rates, repeat school years, or drop out".
Growing up, my parents could neither read nor write in English or their native language, Haitian Creole. Looking back I believe the lack of teacher initiated communication was in part because we (my 5 siblings and I) were English proficient, capable and good students.
However, lackluster teacher initiated communication is mostly due to teachers’ perceived low self efficacy, due to language barriers. Teachers often underestimate their ability to reach out to limited English proficient parents and are anxious that they will not be understood.
Also, schools are under-resourced, thus certified language interpreters are a scarce commodity, rarely available in minority languages. If they do speak the native language, school translators and bilingual tutors do not have the bandwidth in their packed schedules to make timely connections with parents, one of the many reasons EchoED was launched this summer.
Without further adieu, I give you the 5 signs of an illiterate parent based on my childhood memories and over 14 years of teacher-parent interactions in low-income schools.
Caveat, please note that these are signs and generalizations drawn from personal experience, NOT hard and fast rules. Proceed with compassion.
1. X Marks the Spot
I only ever recall my parents knowing how to sign their names, on pay checks, on medical forms, in large print on cargo they'd ship in containers to Haiti. Nothing else. My mom has been seen jotting down the occasional phone number, but that’s the extent of the writing I’ve ever seen modeled by my parents my entire 38 years of living.
My father, Stephen recalls learning how to write his full name in his mid-30’s while working in agricultural fields in Belle Glade, Florida. A compatriot and fellow farm worker took him under his wings and patiently taught him how to hold a pen and scribble his name, very likely the only two words my dad has ever written. Before that fateful day in the fields, my father only signed with an X.
Signature by mark is common among people with low or no formal schooling.
Nowadays, his only use of the X is when one of his adult children writes one in at the start of the signature line. This strategy helps our aging father focus his eyes and concentrate his manipulation of the pen to ensure he signs his full name in the right spot. It’s by no means an a beautiful signature, but it’s legible, authentic and valid, and that’s what counts.
If you send home a permission slip or some other document requiring parent signature and it returns with a simple “X” on the signature line, then it is very likely that the signer is illiterate (or has a disability that limits their ability to append their name).
While you should accept the document as signed and executed, you may have questions about it’s validity. According to Investopedia, in order for the X signature to be valid, it must be witnessed. States have varying rules about the validity and the number of witnesses needed to notarize what they call “signature by mark”.
If you have questions about the validity of a parent signature by mark, send a quick email to your school district’s legal counsel asking him/her to advise.
2. You’ve been “Ghosted“
In college my parents were super supportive! They were the epitome of the involved parent, buying groceries, driving up to USF for visits, attending my home track and field meets.
Side note, my parents were always chauffeured by one sibling or the other to visit me in Tampa. They have a real and legitimate fear that a car accident or other event would force a road closure. Given that they can't read to determine an alternate route to their destination, my parents only ever drove locally and stuck to the routes they knew, avoiding detours all their lives.
From about 2nd grade to my junior year in high school they were ghosts, mere apparitions who appeared on campus only if there were legal ramification or severe social backlash for not doing so.
Since I was like never in trouble and I did not have any special education plan (i.e. IEP or EP) that required their yearly consultation, for 10 years of my schooling they were only ever obligated to attend my senior night events. The 99’-00’ school year, mom and dad made three flash appearances for volleyball, basketball and track and field senior nights.
Teachers may be “ghosted” by illiterate parents who fear being found out, so they avoid direct communication and are rarely seen on campus.
Only my teachers present those evenings would catch a rare glimpse of my ghostly parents as they walked (or perhaps levitated) to center court and mid-field elbows locked in mine.
The phrase to ghost someone lends itself well to what many teachers experience from absentee or no-show parents.
Ghosting, which has its origins in the dating world means that 1/2 of the relationship duo absconds and is missing in action. They cut off all communication without any warning or explanation out of fear of conflict. This article from the New York Times explains the psychology and pain of ghosting.
As it applies to parent involvement in schools, ghosting looks different, but hurts all the same. Parents may ghost you by making a cameo appearance at open house and then you never hear from or see them again.
Some parents are available by phone, they are in agreement and pledge their support, but the teacher’s requests go unanswered. Other parents may be physically present, they smile, gesture and nod, but remain on the sidelines with very little to say.
Either way, an apparition of a parent may be an illiterate or limited English proficient parent who feels judged by the world so they keep a low profile.
3. Designated Proxy
Speaking of ghosts, when you think of a proxy, think the 1990 film Ghost, where murder victim Sam, is stuck in limbo, and unable to communicate with the love of his life, Molly. Sam accosts spiritual medium, Oda Mae Brown and posses her body to do some sleuthing and relay urgent messages in the physical realm.
In the hit movie, Oda Mae resigned herself to being Sam’s proxy or host. In my life, my eldest sister Jojoj, was designated our proxy by default of birth order. Though she was only 7 years my senior, with my parents’ knowledge, she signed all permission slips and made most of the educational decision for the six of us.
As the first to leave home for college, Jojo even accompanied me to my freshman orientation, because mom and dad had to work. She did a stellar job filling in the gap where my parents were not able. But Jojo will be the first to tell you, it’s a heavy burden to bear.
Educational proxies can be trusted sources of knowledge for navigating the complex U.S. school system.
Proxy is a fancy term for a legal representative. However, in the case of limited literacy parents, the proxy is more likely to be a close family member who is more fluent in the English language or more familiar with the education system than the parent or legal guardian.
Proxy designation is common place in immigrant communities, however the act itself is less formalized than say, assigning power of attorney.
Proxies often accompany legal guardians to school meetings and may give the appearance of a mere translator. However, proxies can be trusted sources of knowledge for navigating the complex U.S. school system.
Proxies may login to the parent portal to monitor student progress. Proxies may also attend disciplinary or academic meetings and even pick up sick students when the school nurse beckons.
A good proxy should act more as a liaison who translates, transcribes and relays messages to the parent. While the proxy may offer his/her opinion and make recommendations they should always keep the parent in the loop and seek the parent’s final stamp of approval.
4. Forged Autographs
If you could access my school district’s archives and search the microfiche for my student files dating between 1988 to 2000, you’d never find any documents that actually had my parents authentic signature.
I gather that after my initial kindergarten enrollment at Avalon Elementary School, my parents never actually signed another document for the duration of my schooling. All docs were forged! Because my parents’ signatures were in print, not cursive and elementary in development, it was quite easy to fake.
Before you send a youth relations deputy to my home, know that 1. In Florida, my home state, the statue of limitations on forgery expired 17 years ago and 2. All forgeries were made with the quasi-consent of my parents who won’t be bringing civil suit anytime soon.
In the Octavien household, there was the unspoken understanding that we kids take part in any and all activities that we deemed educationally “good”. So, we signed documents to opt in or opt out of activities and course that we deemed beneficial and told our parents in passing.
If you’re a fan of crime TV shows you know that handwriting analysis is a real thing. Teachers by way of the sheer volume of handwritten assignments they grade, are handwriting analysts.
Children emboldened by their parents’ illiteracy and unawareness may take it upon themselves to make educational decisions without parent consent.
By the first report card we become very familiar with students’ handwriting, especially the two extremes, the student that boasts the most elegant calligraphy and the one that cannot decipher their own illegible chicken-scratch.
On two different occasions I’ve had students ask to go to their locker to retrieve a permission slip and signed syllabus that were due, only for them to return with the document signed with a very similar penmanship to their own. When confronted, they confessed.
If you’ve ever had a student forge their parent’s signature or even suspected a forgery, you may be dealing with a parent who is illiterate.
It’s not just the act of student forgery itself that is a tell tale sign that their parent may be illiterate, it’s the fact that the student was so emboldened to do so.
It is true for low educated and immigrant households that parents are subject to eroding parental authority. Because they depend on the more literate child to read for them and fill out school and non-school related paperwork, parents with limited literacy are at risk of losing several types of power which they normally exercise over their households.
Parents may not only lack the language and academic skills necessary to help with homework, but are impeded by their limited English, their feelings of shame due to their awareness of their own limited educations, and the demanding schedules of the low-wage, low-skill jobs.
In these complex scenarios, a power struggle ensues. The child may take it upon himself to make educational decisions without parent knowledge or consent, which includes autographing school documents.
5. Like Parent Like Child
My own mother, though limited literate, was very astute to the need to create a literacy rich environment even though neither she nor my father could read.
She’d purchase books for us at yard sales and Goodwill. Occasionally, she’d give us money to buy books when the Scholastic Book Fair came to school.
Growing up, we had several sets of Encyclopedia Britannica’’s, the precursors to Google and Wikipedia. While the hardcover volumes were always missing one letter or the other, these books were the primers for the depth of knowledge, love of trivia and academic inquisitiveness that we share today.
I note that my experience may not be the norm for other kids growing up in illiterate parent households. Homes where adult caregivers are not literate may spawn students who themselves are limited literate or lack pre-literacy skills. According to Proliteracy, “Children of parents with low literacy skills have a 72 percent chance of being at the lowest reading levels themselves.”
This is especially true for the older child or one-child households where their interactions are limited to adults who cannot read. These children may lack models of adults reading for leisure or business.
Homes where adult caregivers are not literate may spawn children who themselves are limited literate or lack pre-literacy skills, proving that old saying.
Parents who are illiterate have strong desires for their children to learn to read, but often do not know how to teach and encourage a passion for reading. While a child may be able to learn to read and write on their own before age 5, (a syndrome known as hyperlexia), the child may lack access to age appropriate books and a public library, thus stymieing their progress.
Proceed with Compassion
When seeking to understand a parent's lack of involvement be both cautious and compassionate. Use close observation and deductive logic (start with all 5 signs and cross off those that do not apply) before drawing a conclusion that a parent is illiterate.
If you learn that a parent is indeed illiterate, work with colleagues and your school leadership team to develop strategies for how to best openly and frequently communicate with the parent and support the child with home learning.
Never “confront” a parent about their reality. Remember, illiteracy is socially stigmatizing and the term "illiterate" if used condescendingly can be derogatory or pejorative in tone.
Other words such as functionally illiterate, semi-literate, pre-literate, limited literate are often used interchangeably (though their definitions vary slightly) to describe people of similar realities, that is people hiding in plain sight.
Conversation is King
Until the fateful day the parent reveals their illiteracy status to you, your go-to engagement strategy should be voice-to-voice communication (i.e. in-person and phone calls) to ensure that you both are understood. For parents who are also limited English proficient, an interpreter can help bridge language and culture.
When starting the conversation with the parent, show genuine concern. You can say something like, “ I noticed that you have not been able to attend parent meetings lately. Is there any way I can help?” or ask "What is your preferred method of communication?"
With the right combination of compassion, empathy and noticing statements, a parent may privately divulge their secret to you.
At times the student unwittingly lets the teacher in on their parent's secret. If a student tells you in confidence that their parent or caregiver cannot read, do not out your source. Again, carefully ease into conversations (best done in-person) with the adult and remain future focused on how helping the parent will help the child be more successful.
Managing Communication Preferences
It's unreasonable to ask teachers, to convert and share all written communications by voice. Though conversations should be the dominant form of communication, don't do away with text-based communications all together. Text messages, social media posts, emails and flyers still have a place in the flow of school-home communication.
If the family has other children in the school system or if social migration was among the reasons for settling in the community, more than likely they have a designated proxy in-house or in the neighborhood. Immigrant families are resilient and resourceful. They exercise their social capital to identify individuals or organizations to help read and interpret school-home communications on their behalf.
Don't be surprised that an illiterate parent has a email address on file. Again, the email address may belong to the proxy who relays relevant messages to the parent.
Also, these days, smartphones require users to register email addresses for full functionality. Thus, despite being unable to read and compose emails, the parent may have an email address for the sole purpose for setting up their smart phone, but the inbox is treated more like a noreply email address that is not monitored.
Dare to Communicate
Communicating with parents can often be scary and intimidating for novice and veteran teachers alike. There’s the difficult parent, the helicopter parent that “knows it all”, the parent that thinks you’re too young or too old-school, the parent that doesn’t speak much English.
As a teacher, the worse thing you can do is to do nothing. Parents who are illiterate or limited English proficient are often blindsided by phone calls and reports about student grades and discipline.
Illiterate parents are under-informed about school events and may express that they are "always the last to know"...perhaps because they often are, due to language barriers and time poverty.
In general, parents expect their children to inform them of school happenings. But in the case of illiterate parents, they over-rely on their children to keep them informed and lack means to verify information.
When devising a communication plan to connect with illiterate parents, be bold, be strategic and be kind to yourself.
There is no such thing as a perfect plan. Manage your time and focus on sharing primarily significant events, interactions and information orally.
This includes making a variety of parent phone calls at regular frequencies to keep parents apprised of students' academic, social, and emotional strengths and needs.
Promote Family Literacy
Teaching an illiterate parent how to read is a long-game strategy. It takes between 550 and 600 hours of instruction for an adult gain literacy and numeracy skills need to become proficient readers. With so many parents personal challenges, this investment of time is not always feasible.
In the short term there are family literacy program that have the potential to benefit multiple generations living under one roof. Also known as inter-generational literacy, these programs that teach and encourage reading at home.
More comprehensive programs take a 3-pronged approach, providing adult basic education, parenting and early childhood instruction. Adult basic education programs also provide leveled reading courses and native language literacy courses.
School may already run a family literacy program during or after school. Librarians are often the best source of information on family literacy programs. The district Title I office may also provide guidance about program offerings across the district.
Prioritize Home Visits
Where it concerns limited English proficient and illiterate parents, start with caring and empathy and then schedule a no-obligation home visit (with an interpreter if needed) as soon as possible.
Educators who teach socioeconomically disadvantaged or linguistically challenged students or members of the racial minority often live in remote neighborhoods and come from White middle-class families. In this instance, teacher and student are separated both by a physical distance and psychological distance.
Home visits enable teachers to connect with parents on their territory and re-positions families as the authorities on the subject matter, their children and their lives. Home visits where the sole intent is to get to know the family, turns the tables so that the teacher is now the eager learner.
In most cultures, it is an honor to host the teacher in the home. Parents will likely oblige your request. It can be a big deal for students too, who count it as a privilege that their teacher is coming over!
Home visits can be a very powerful tool in the teacher’s toolbox, to quickly build trust and rapport and foster strong teacher-family partnerships in the name of student success.
Change Beyond the Classroom
If you’re surprised to learn that adult illiteracy in the U.S. is so pervasive, there is no shame in that. Some 41% of Americans don’t even know that adult illiteracy is an issue.
Every teacher can be a change agent in the lives of illiterate parents of school-aged children. Any small investment of time to support and communicate with school families challenged by illiteracy will yield a significant return in student achievement and help build parents' capacity for involvement.
In the most recent years there has been very little investment in adult basic education, though organizations continue to plead their case. UNESCO declared September 8th International Literacy Day to focus attention on global issues of illiteracy.
If you are so moved, consider volunteering your time to impact families in your community. You can also give locally or donate to combat illiteracy globally.
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