Fun Back-to-School Games

Children love participating in fun activities in the classroom. Fortunately, teachers can use games to teach language and literacy skills to strengthen the academic outcomes of their students. Games are especially helpful when working with English Language Learners (ELLs) because they make learning enjoyable and help them overcome fears or embarrassment of not knowing something. Students will be heading back to school before … Read More

Teacher Tips for Back-to-School Family Engagement

Family engagement is an important factor in the overall academic success of students. That is why it is so important to get parents and families involved with the school setting as early into the school year as possible. It is important for parents and students to feel welcome and trust teachers and other school administrators, because without that trust or camaraderie, there … Read More

Five Essential Components for Successful Dual Language Programs

Dual language programs are beginning to pop up throughout the United States, due in part to an influx of English Learners (ELs) from countries around the world.  As a result of the urgent need of dual language programs, many of these programs are created without proper planning or knowledge on how to better accommodate ELs.  Thus, issues may arise that … Read More

FREE School Training for Family Engagement

As an educator, you know the importance of family engagement.  However, with the changing demographics in the United States due to the influx of English Learners (ELs) and newly arrived immigrants, you might find it difficult to communicate with EL students and their parents.  Typically, to obtain these skills, you have to travel to a seminar and spend countless hours … Read More

Tips for reading aloud with Preschoolers

Reading aloud with preschoolers is an integral part of early-childhood development.  It is during preschool that young children begin to understand what formal education and learning are like.  That is why preschool is an ideal time period to focus on reading, as well as working on listening and comprehension skills.  Read on to learn some tips for reading aloud with … Read More

ESL or Bilingual Education in the Classroom

The United States has always been a welcoming and accommodating country for new immigrants.  For that reason, since the 1800s, our nation’s schools and teachers have strived to provide specialized education for English Learners (ELs).  These specialized programs are ESL (English As A Second Language) and bilingual education.  Since the inception of these programs questions have arisen regarding which program … Read More

Family Literacy Grants to Consider

School officials and teachers know that a lot of support for educational programs comes from grants, donations, and government funding.  Without this funding, it would be difficult, or even impossible, to provide quality education to students.  There are millions of dollars out there, all for the taking – you just need to know where to look.  Here’s a few family … Read More

How to Foster Language at Home

How to Foster Language at Home Parents, family, and caregivers play an important role in language development of children. When we teach young children how to use language we need to reinforce what they are already doing and help them feel confident when they attempt to communicate.  For most children, early language acquisition is instinctive. However, the manner in which … Read More

Family Literacy PD (Professional Development) – Why it’s Essential

Professional Development (PD) is one of the most effective strategies that school districts can utilize to ensure that they have the most qualified teachers possible to provide instruction to their students.  PD is an essential classroom component, which ensures academic success of students. Furthermore, PD is essential for teachers who serve English Language Learners (ELLs), as ELLs face unique challenges … Read More

A Strong Focus on Words in Spanish and English

Learning and retaining vocabulary is pertinent to reading comprehension and language skills in both English and Spanish.  Bilingual children are exposed to double the amount of words than monolingual children. Therefore, bilingual children are better equipped to understanding texts.  By using a variety of teaching methods to teach words in Spanish and English, it will increase bilingual children’s ability to … Read More