The Benefits of Online Teacher Training

Professional Development is crucial in the academic world.  It is one of the most effective approaches that school districts can invest in to make sure that their teachers have access to the most up-to-date information and techniques for providing quality instruction to their students.  Professional Development is essential to ensure that teachers have adequate knowledge regarding the various cultures and … Read More

Family Reading Circles and the Home-School Connection

Reading Circles became popular in the school setting during the 1980s.  They started out as student-led discussion groups that functioned similarly to book clubs and served a significant role in the improvement of literacy and language skills.  Fast-forward to today, and the traditional Reading Circle has taken on a new life.  Reading Circles are now known as Family Reading Circles … Read More

Back to School Staff Training: Family Engagement with ELLs

Family engagement is one of the most important factors in the pursuit of academic success. That is why it is essential for school staff and teachers to be prepared for working with English Language Learners (ELLs) so that they can better address and encourage family engagement among their ELL students and their families. The Latino Family Literacy Project offers workshops … Read More

3 Steps to LCAP Training for Parents as Leaders

The Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) is a section in the new Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) in the state of California. The LCAP is a three-year, district-level plan that describes specific goals and actions that school districts will take in order to achieve set goals. The LCAP requires that all school districts address the needs of English Language Learners (ELLs) … Read More

Teaching Social & Emotional Language to Young Kids

Social and emotional language is important to the health, development, and learning skills of young kids. Children that are happier and know how to express themselves tend to participate in class and have higher academic abilities than their peers (Hyson 2004; Kostelnik et al. 2015). Teachers can promote social and emotional well-being in their students by teaching them the proper language … Read More

A Checklist for Family Engagement with English Learners

Activities Does the program offering bring parents together at the school level? Does the offering include parents who speak languages other than English? Are parents able to speak, read, and write in their own language? Do parents relate and care deeply about the subject matter? Home School Connection Are the program activities easy to navigate? Does the program offer a … Read More

Family Engagement Requirements for Schools

Family engagement is a crucial aspect of the educational institution and academic success. For that reason, educators and school administrators stress the benefits of schools, families, and the community working together to benefit their districts’ students. When families are engaged in their children’s educational endeavors, they are helping to create a community that is conducive to learning. The U.S. Department of Education … Read More

An Overview of the ELA Standards Grade K-3

English Language Arts & Literacy Standards are part of the Common Core in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects. These standards were created to prepare students for success in academics, careers, and life by the time they graduate from high school. ELA standards range from K-12 grades, but this article presents ELA standards from grades K-3, which define what students should … Read More

What Research Says About Family Engagement

Educators have long held the belief that family engagement plays a significant role in the academic success of English Learners (ELs).  Additionally, EL students perform better academically and socially when their teachers and/or school leadership take time to form a strong, positive, and communicative relationship with their families.  Here are some studies that examine the integral role of family engagement … Read More

Reaching out to Hispanic Parents for Family Literacy at Schools

Parental engagement is a crucial aspect of academic success – even more so with English Learners (ELs) where there are two languages spoken at home.  As a way to address federal and state goals, various laws have been put in place that provide funds to help school districts with high poverty levels, which tend to have high numbers of EL … Read More