Are you looking for ideas to use during your upcoming Dual Language Night? I have compiled a list of wonderful ideas that you could incorporate in your bilingual school. Remember you do not have to use all of them. Pick what works best for your and your community!
Before we begin with the amazing list of Dual Language Night Ideas, let’s discuss why? Why should you have a DLN? So many reasons! It is a wonderful opportunity for parents to learn about everything the program has to offer. It also has the potential of creating pride in your students about being bilingual. This is the time for you and your kids to show off!! (If you haven’t started talking to your kids about being bilingual proud, you can find several ideas and a freebie here).
Parents love seeing their kids perform, and if it’s using their second language, even more!! Kids can practice a couple songs in both languages and perform for their parents. If you are planning a school wide event, each grade level could sing something different! Make sure to showcase both languages!
Prepare games for parents to participate and spend some time with their kids. You could have stations for games like jumbo loteria, giant jenga, toma todo, baleros, connect 4, etc… Anything that will allow families connect with others and each other. These opportunities are great to build a sense of community in your school!
Research an artist with your students and have them paint (or create) something inspired by a specific art style. Display kids’ artwork during your Dual Language Night. You can set it up as a gallery for parents to walk through. You could even have kids present in the language of their choice.
Ask parents to donate a cultural dish to share with everyone. Students could talk about a specific country and bring their favorite food to represent.
Now for one of the most important parts of the night, providing valuable information of the program. There are tons of myths about being bilingual out there, so providing clear information is essential. However, be careful not to overwhelm your listeners with too much. Provide concise information (bonus points if you have a display or digital presentation for parents to follow along). Most importantly, make sure you share information in the languages your parents will need. Plan to have a translator if needed.
Special guests are a great way to make your night more fun and attractive for families! Think outside the box and invite someone who would bring excitement to your event. Several teachers on Instagram mentioned that they have invited 123 con Andrés and Latino book authors like Mrs. Cabello to come to their school! How amazing would that be?
Another option is to plan your Dual Language Night around a specific book or books. Brainstorm ideas of books that you could access in both languages and have different stations based on the same book. Some stations could work on comprehension, math, vocabulary, etc… You could even have students create an art piece or a snack based on the story. If you need ideas, I have lots of curated book lists that could help you. Start here.
Hiring a Mariachi would be an amazing way to end the night! Your guests will love listening to their beautiful music while they walk through the stations that you have prepared.
If possible, have a booth for parents to sign up as volunteers. It is the perfect opportunity for parents to learn the process to come to the school and help out or volunteer from home!
Parents need to connect to their kids’ teachers, and language could be a barrier in many cases. Taking some time to introduce the bilingual team will help parents feel safe and ask questions.
If you would like to provide families with more information about Dual Language and ideas on how to help their child at home, you can use this free trifold. It talks about benefits of the program, myths and more. Download for free HERE.
I hope these provide you with everything you need to begin planning a Dual Language Night for the families in your school.
Dual Language is amazing program!
