A parent receives a notification from the school app. The message is short: there is no lunch service tomorrow, homework must be completed by Friday, or a form needs to be signed. For many families, this may seem like a simple everyday situation. But for parents who are still learning the language of the country, and who may not feel fully confident using digital tools, this small notification can become a real barrier.
Schools increasingly communicate with families through digital platforms, apps, emails, WhatsApp messages and online forms. These tools can make communication faster, but they can also make it more difficult for parents who are not familiar with the language, the format or the digital steps required. Understanding the message is only one part of the process. Parents also need to know where to find the information, what action is expected, how to reply, and how to complete or submit documents when needed.
This is where the eMATES module “Engaging with School and Parenting Platforms” plays an important role.
The module supports adult migrant learners in developing both the language skills and the digital skills they need to interact with schools more confidently. Through practical, everyday situations, learners practice how to read school messages, understand timetables, identify homework instructions, report an absence, complete basic forms, and communicate simple information about their child.
At the first level, A1, the focus is on very simple and essential communication. Learners work with short school messages such as notices about lunch service, homework, activities or meetings. They also practise basic vocabulary related to school life, including teachers, students, families, timetables, forms, authorisations and absence notes. The A1 unit also introduces simple situations such as informing the school that a child is sick or completing a basic absence form.
But the module is not only about vocabulary. It reflects how school communication happens today: through notifications, school apps, messages and digital documents. Learners are encouraged to recognise key information, understand what is being requested, and respond in a simple but appropriate way. This helps them move from receiving information passively to taking action independently.
Across the three course levels — A1, A2 and B1 — learners gradually build confidence. At A1, they understand and produce very short messages. At A2, they begin to ask and answer simple questions, give short explanations and manage more detailed school notices. At B1, they are better prepared to write clearer messages, request meetings, explain concerns and participate more actively in their child’s school life.
The aim of this module is not only to help parents understand a message from school. It is to help them feel more secure when using the digital tools that connect them to their child’s education. A school app notification can then become something manageable: a message they can open, read, understand and respond to.
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