Immigrant Parent Engagement in Canadian K–12 Schools: A Critical Integrative Review of Home Practices, School–Family Communication, and Support for English Language Learner

Abstract

This critical integrative literature review examines immigrant parent engagement in Canadian K– 12 schools across three connected dimensions: home-based practices, school–family communication, and support for English language learners. The review combines Canadian empirical and policy research with selected international studies on multilingual family engagement, home literacy, interpretation, and digital communication. The final synthesis draws on 51 substantive sources; four additional sources informed the review methodology. Findings indicate that immigrant parents support learning through expectations, homework routines, multilingual explanation, reading, tutoring, advocacy, resource selection, and communication with educators. These practices may remain invisible when schools equate engagement with attendance or English-dominant participation. Language confidence, employment, technology, settlement demands, system knowledge, and institutional invitations interact to shape engagement. Across the reviewed evidence, communication described as responsive is reciprocal, multilingual, multimodal, relational, and connected to meaningful parent influence. The review concludes that schools can work toward more inclusive partnerships by recognizing family knowledge, providing competent language access, preserving digital and non-digital communication options, and preparing educators to share responsibility for equitable collaboration.