What Issues do Teachers of ELLs Face?

Teaching is universally a rewarding but challenging job. For ELL teachers, a unique set of challenges present themselves. Students with Diverse Abilities and Needs A current ELL classroom in the U.S. can contain students of varying countries of origin, English speaking and writing abilities, and cultural identities. An ELL teacher has to assess, get to know, teach, and support all … Read More

The Oral Traditions of Hispanics

Hispanic culture is known to have strong oral traditions, expressed through storytelling, lyric poetry, riddles, jokes, folk prayers and incantations, songs, and many other formats. Samuel G. Armistead, author of Pan-Hispanic Oral Tradition, defines oral tradition as “any manifestation of folk culture that includes the use of language. Creativity, ongoing evolution, and chronological depth are also essential factors.” The University … Read More

The Seal of Biliteracy Initiative

The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given to bilingual students upon high school graduation. The Seal of Biliteracy Initiative began in California and has now been adopted in 17 states, with more in progress. The national Seal of Biliteracy site states that: “The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given by a school, school district, or county office of … Read More

Defining Acculturation and Assimilation

Acculturation and Assimilation A March 2016 report from the Child Trends Hispanic Institute has found that students of Hispanic descent scored higher on national reading proficiency tests than their non-Hispanic peers in Miami-Dade county in Florida. Across the country, reading scores of fourth and eighth graders were consistently higher by half a grade all the way up to four grade … Read More

Middle / High Parent Involvement for College Awareness

There are many ways for parents to be involved with kids in Preschool and Elementary grades, but what about when kids are in middle school and high school at the very time in their lives when their developmental age is naturally pushing their parents away? In the middle and high school years, students may be seeking more autonomy from their … Read More

Title III Programs in New Mexico

Title III Programs in New Mexico New Mexico Public Education Department has provided a comprehensive guide for the implementation and policies regarding Title III Programs and state-funded bilingual multicultural education programs in New Mexico. In summary, The Title III English Language Acquisition Act provides funds to local districts to implement language acquisition programs to ensure English Language Learners and immigrant … Read More