Growing up in Mexico, Dolores Mondragon was shown one way of parenting: aggression that included yelling and sometimes, hitting.

It’s a cultural trait, the 44-year-old said, that continued when her family moved to the U.S. about 30 years ago and spilled into the upbringing of her three older sons. But, now, the Skokie resident strives to find a better way to communicate — including perfecting her English — and discipline her two youngest children.

“I did the same (things) that my father did to me,” Mondragon said in a mixture of English and Spanish. “I learned that parenting was not the best way… with (my sons), I’m trying to make it different.”

Mondragon is one of several students who recently graduated from a positive parenting class at at the Niles Township Schools’ English Language Learning Parent Center in Skokie, which serves 10 different school districts in Morton Grove, Skokie, Niles, and Lincolnwood.

In the last decade, Niles Township has seen the largest influx of immigrants and refugees in the Chicagoland area, which prompted school officials to create the center in 2008, said Corrie Wallace, the center’s director. It  is funded through 10 participating school districts and a score of area organizations, such as Community Counseling Centers of Chicago, which helped create the class.

Help with English is available to those like Mondragon, who have been in the country for awhile, but stayed at home and spoke Spanish to their children, or those newer to the U.S. and trying to navigate the American school system and new teen culture.

“It’s a really tough period,” said instructor Myriam Gonzalez, who is originally from Guatemala. “You have to not only learn the language, you have to find out all about childcare, schools … and everything you need to survive.”

Throughout the eight-week course, which is now in its third year, parents talk about their childhood experiences, cultural differences, discipline strategies, and the importance of family meetings and school involvement, among many other topics. Interpreters in Russian, Vietnamese, Spanish and Assyrian are on hand and tutors sit in nearby rooms, helping the participants’ children with homework.

Parents can sign up for home visits and have their family’s communication evaluated.

On a recent night, four parents learned about eating disorders and how to look for warning signs. The group read aloud from their packets, each taking a turn to recite the text. At the end of the class, the parents received certificates, and quickly signed up for more classes on parenting and computer skills.

The course is not a designed to fix things overnight, but is a continual process with parents practicing each set of new skills. The course is usually offered once a year, but there may be two in 2011, Wallace said.

Huy Le came to the U.S. 10 years ago and has attended the class since it began. Getting his 10-year-old and 7-year-old the homework help they need is just as important as him learning English and how to be a better parent.

“Growing up in my country is more difficult and different than here,” said the 44-year-old of Skokie, as he took a break from the class to talk with his children’s tutor. “I’m happy this program is here. It helps — a lot.”

To learn more about the English Language Learning center or volunteer, click http://www.ellparentcenter.org/

jmdelgado@tribune.com