The Latino Family Literacy Project provides workshops and webinars for school teachers and school staff for Parent Involvement. Staff will learn how to provide a culturally relevant model for parent involvement, family reading and vocabulary development.

The following is a list of useful resources and programs for ELL students living in New Mexico.

State of New Mexico Informational Resources:

• New Mexico Public Education Department: http://ped.state.nm.us/ped/index.html
• ELL Support Page: http://ped.state.nm.us/ped/Bilingual_index.html
• WIDA English Language Development Standards: https://www.wida.us/standards/eld.aspx
• WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment) is an organization comprised of a number of different states throughout the country dedicated to raising the standards of bilingual education policies and monitoring the progress and development of ELL’s in the United States.
• New Mexico State Board Learning Standards Assessments: http://ped.state.nm.us/AssessmentAccountability/AssessmentEvaluation/index.html
• Title III Information: http://www.ncela.us/t3sis/NewMexico.php
• New Mexico English Proficiency Assessment Standards: http://ped.state.nm.us/AssessmentAccountability/AssessmentEvaluation/index.html

Educational Programs and Learning Resources:

• The New Mexico Association for Bilingual Education – The NMABE is an advocacy organization dedicated to promoting bilingual education for grades K-12 throughout the state. They focus on professional development, linguistic diversity, and increased resources for bilingual programs as well as research application and dissemination: http://nmabe.net/
• New Mexico Education Association – The New Mexico affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers which works to advocate for and establish a standard of success and excellence in public schools within the United States: http://www.nea.org/home/49832.htm
• Lectura Books – Publishers of award-winning English and Spanish language development books for infants to teenagers, including the 2014 Moonbeam Award Winner for Best Children’s Book, (Spanish) Boy Zorro and the Bully.
• Lectura Books Professional Development Workshops – Training workshops designed to assist teachers, aides, and parental coordinators with implementing aspects of the Latino Family Literacy Project, which meets compliance with Title I and Title III Parent involvement initiatives: https://www.latinoliteracy.com/workshops/
• Family Phonics Workbooks: An English vocabulary program for parents and children learning English, taught using a simple method to teach parents strong English vocabulary and proper pronunciation through the use of phonics: https://www.lecturabooks.com/family-phonics-workbooks/

If you liked this blog, visit out our Facebook and Twitter page. We frequently post updated and relevant information related to ELLs.

The post ELL Student Resources and Support in New Mexico appeared first on The Latino Family Literacy Project.

The following is a list of useful resources and programs for ELL students living in Virginia.

State of Virginia Informational Resources:

• Virginia Department of Education: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/
• ELL Support Page: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/esl/index.shtml
• WIDA English Language Development Standards: https://www.wida.us/standards/eld.aspx
• WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment) is an organization comprised of a number of various states designed to establish and implement bilingual education policies, in addition to the regular monitoring of progress and development of ELL’s in the United States.
• Virginia Proficiency Learning Standards Proficiency Examination Program: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/test_administration/index.shtml
•  Title III Information: http://www.ncela.us/t3sis/Virginia.php

Educational Programs and Learning Resources:

• Virginia State Education Association – Regional affiliate of the National Education Association, the biggest education lobby in the United States, tasked with promoting legislation to support teachers and educators and make new funding resources available to the education profession: http://www.nea.org/home/49818.htm
• Virginia Parent Information Resource Center – PEATC (Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center) – A federal program designed for promoting successful teaching partnerships between parents, teachers, and school administrations to improve the educational structure for children in grades K-12 from all backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities and/or disabilities: http://www.nationalpirc.org/directory/VA.html
• Lectura Books Professional Development Workshops – Training workshops designed to assist educators and school administrations with implementing aspects of the Latino Family Literacy Project, which meets compliance with Title I and Title III Parent involvement initiatives: https://www.latinoliteracy.com/workshops/
• Latino Family Literacy Project School and District Staff Development Workshops – Teaching workshops designed for helping parents and teachers alike to help Spanish-speaking children learn English to build their literacy and vocabulary skills, while instructing school districts how to work with Spanish-speaking families in order for their children to excel academically: https://www.lecturabooks.com/professional-development/
• https://www.lecturabooks.com/product/house-literacy-elementary-collection” target=”_blank”>The House of Literacy Book Set – Available in Pre-School and Elementary levels, these collections contain of books are designed to help parents of ELLs read to their children in Spanish while providing an opportunity towards improving English language vocabulary skills. These sets encourage parental involvement in the English Language education of their children: https://www.lecturabooks.com/product/house-of-literacy-preschool-collection/

If you liked this blog, visit out our Facebook and Twitter page. We frequently post updated and relevant information related to ELLs.

References

https://www.lecturabooks.com/product/house-literacy-elementary-collection/

http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/states-and-districts-highest-number-and-share-english-language-learners

http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/top-languages-spoken-english-language-learners-nationally-and-state

The post English Learner Programs and Resources in Virginia appeared first on The Latino Family Literacy Project.

State of Florida Informational Resources:

• Florida Department of Education: http://www.fldoe.org/default.asp
• ELL Support Page: http://www.fldoe.org/aala/
• English Language Development Standards: https://www.wida.us/standards/eld.aspx
• Florida ELL Database Handbook: http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7587/urlt/0064430-1314-ell-databaseprogramhandbook.pdf
• Title III Information: http://www.ncela.us/t3sis/Florida.php
• Florida English Proficiency Assessment Standards: https://www.wida.us/assessment/ACCESS/

Educational Programs and Learning Resources:

• Central Florida TESOL – One of two Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages(TESOL) organizations in the state, dedicated to the advocacy and development of policies supporting equal opportunities for English Language Learners: http://www.centralfloridatesol.org/
• Sunshine State TESOL – The second advocacy group supporting educators in the development and implementation of language policy: http://sstesol.org/
• Florida Education Association – The Florida affiliate of the nationwide American Federation of Teachers which works to establish a standard for success and excellence for public schools throughout the state: https://feaweb.org/
• Family Phonics Workbooks: An English vocabulary program for parents and children learning English that uses a simple method to teach parents strong English vocabulary and proper pronunciation through the use of phonics: https://www.lecturabooks.com/family-phonics-workbooks/
• The Latino Family Literacy Project – A program that teaches parents how to read with their children, through developing routine reading habits that promote learning of English vocabulary together as a family outside the classroom. https://www.lecturabooks.com/parent-programs/
• The Latino Family Literacy Project Webinar Training: https://www.latinoliteracy.com/webinars/

If your school could benefit from ELL resources, Lectura Books offers award-winning bilingual books that can be used as a great teaching tool for English leaners.

If you liked this blog, visit out our Facebook and Twitter page. We frequently post updated and relevant information related to ELLs.

References

http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/states-and-districts-highest-number-and-share-english-language-learners

http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/top-languages-spoken-english-language-learners-nationally-and-state

The post Helpful Resources for English Learners in Florida appeared first on The Latino Family Literacy Project.

The over 5 million ELLs in the U.S. live in every state. The Migration Policy Institute also states that one out of four children in California is an ELL student, and that California holds the highest number of ELL students out of any state, at 1.5 million. Other states with high ELL concentrations include Texas, New York, Arizona, Florida, and Illinois. States in the Midwest and Southeast have seen exponential growth in their ELL populations in the past ten years, including Indiana, South Carolina, Delaware, Ohio, Tennessee, Alabama, Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia, and Kentucky. While it has been and continues to be most common for ELLs to attend urban school systems, rural and suburban areas are serving more and more ELL students. According to Colorín Colorado, “Growth of immigrant populations can be tied to any number of factors. In the Midwest, for example, industries such as meat-processing plants have served as a catalyst for rapid increases in local communities.”

The ELL population growth trends are easily viewable in this Education Week Report, which shows a helpful map of where ELLs live with percentages for each state. It also shows that ELLs who speak Spanish as their native or home language make up 76.5 percent of the U.S. ELL population, with Arabic and Chinese next, both at 2.2 percent. It can take a student, on average, five to seven years to learn academic English. This rapidly growing ELL population calls for researched, creative, compassionate, and thorough responses from our nations’ educational curriculum and culture.

The Latino Family Literacy Project provides proven, cost-effective parent involvement programs and Webinar training for teachers to provide meaningful programs for English Learners.

The post Where are All the English Learners? appeared first on The Latino Family Literacy Project.

State of Washington Informational Resources:

• State of Washington Office of the Superintendent: http://www.k12.wa.us/
• State of Washington Migrant and Bilingual Education Office: http://www.k12.wa.us/Migrantbilingual/default.aspx
• ELL Assessment and Testing: http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/StateTesting/MSP.aspx
• Washington English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards: http://www.k12.wa.us/MigrantBilingual/ELD.aspx
• Title III Information: http://www.ncela.us/t3sis/Washington.php

Educational Programs and Learning Resources:

• Washington State Parent Information Resource Center – This site provides parents with resources, training and education for families of at-risk children, and statewide information distribution: http://www.nationalpirc.org/directory/WA.html
• Transitional Bilingual Instructional Program (TBIP) – A component of Washington’s Basic Education Act, the TBIP is designed for developing language proficiency standards and resources for ELLs : http://www.k12.wa.us/MigrantBilingual/BilingualProgram.aspx
• Washington Association for the Education of Speakers of Other Languages (WAESOL) – State of Washington organization of educational professionals to promote and implement ESL instruction and research policies for ELLs in grades K-12 in the public school system: http://waesol.org/
• The Latino Family Literacy Project Professional Development Workshops: Both in-person and online workshops that comply with Title I and III Parent Involvement initiatives. Trains teachers and school staff to implement English proficiency programs for ELL families: https://www.lecturabooks.com/workshops/
• Family Phonics Workbooks: An English vocabulary program for parents and children learning English that uses a simple method to teach parents strong English vocabulary and proper pronunciation through the use of phonics: https://www.lecturabooks.com/family-phonics-workbooks/
• The House of Literacy Book Sets – Available in Pre-School and Elementary levels, these collections contain a set of six books each, designed to help parents of ELLs read to their children in Spanish while providing an outlet through which to practice and improve English vocabulary as well. These sets encourage parental involvement in the English Language education of their children: https://www.lecturabooks.com/product/house-of-literacy-preschool-collection/ or https://www.lecturabooks.com/product/house-literacy-elementary-collection/

If your school could benefit from an ELL program, Lectura Books offers award-winning bilingual books that can be used as a great teaching tool for English Leaners.

If you liked this blog, check out our Facebook and Twitter page to stay updated. We frequently post relevant information related to ELLs.

References

http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/states-and-districts-highest-number-and-share-english-language-learners

http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/top-languages-spoken-english-language-learners-nationally-and-state

The post Links and Resources for English Language Learners in Washington appeared first on The Latino Family Literacy Project.

Successful parental engagement for ELL students starts with getting the parents actively involved. Unfortunately, this can be a much tougher obstacle to navigate than one might expect. There are a variety of hindrances in the path to engagement with parents of ELL’s, most of them rooted in a reluctance on the part of parents to connect with teachers due to language or cultural barriers. Others may decline to participate due to their legal status, afraid to come to the school out of concern for being undocumented. The route towards effective, open communication takes initiative on the part of educators and school personnel to invite these parents into the fold and provide a welcoming environment for them to comfortably engage in the learning process of their children. Many of them may not have a very clear grasp of the English language, so they already feel at a disadvantage.

This is why it’s so important for schools to find ways to get parents of ELL’s to become further engaged with the class curriculum, not just by way of parent/teacher conferences and formal meetings, but instead through routine, casual interactions. Designing a framework to achieve this comes through creating opportunities for parents and children to work together to further not just the student’s grasp of the lessons in English, but to encourage the parent to engage in working towards improving their own understanding of the language. Hispanic parents reading with their children in their native tongue can prove just as beneficial as practicing the use of English together, in and out of the classroom setting. The goal here is to discourage parents from thinking that the home and the classroom are both very separate places, but instead foster a routine that makes education a collaborative effort on the part of parents and teachers alike.

Lectura books provides award-winning bilingual books that are a great tool for teaching English Learner students. The multicultural stories of each book help to engage the parents of ELL students. This encourages more reading and speaking of English at home.

The post Home-School Connections with Parents of ELL Students appeared first on The Latino Family Literacy Project.

State of New York Informational Resources:

• New York State Education Department: http://www.nysed.gov/
• New York City Department of Education: http://schools.nyc.gov/default.htm
• ELL Support Page: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/biling/
• ELL Assessment and Testing: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/biling/bilinged/assessment.html
• ELL Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network Directory: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/biling/bilinged/betac.html
• Title III Information: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/biling/NEWTIII.html

Educational Programs and Learning Resources:

• EngageNY New York State Bilingual Common Core Initiative – This site explains all of the standards set forth by the NY State Education Department for ELL learning assessments as they relate to Common Core: https://www.engageny.org/resource/new-york-state-bilingual-common-core-initiative
• ELL Family Resources: Handbooks available in nine different languages for ELLs and their parents to better navigate the New York Public School system and start planning for college: http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/ELL/FamilyResources/hs+college+handbook.htm
• NYSTESOL – The coalition of New York education professionals and policymakers devoted to the effective development of school curriculum for ELLs of grades K-12 in public and private schools: http://www.nystesol.org/
• The Latino Family Literacy Project Webinar Training: https://www.latinoliteracy.com/webinars/
• Family Phonics Workbooks: An English vocabulary program for parents and children learning English that uses a simple method to teach parents strong English vocabulary and proper pronunciation through the use of phonics: https://www.lecturabooks.com/family-phonics-workbooks/
• The House of Literacy Book Sets – Available in Pre-School and Elementary levels, these collections contain a set of six books each, designed to help parents of ELLs read to their children in Spanish while providing an outlet through which to practice and improve English vocabulary as well. These sets encourage parental involvement in the English Language education of their children: https://www.lecturabooks.com/product/house-of-literacy-preschool-collection/ or https://www.lecturabooks.com/product/house-literacy-elementary-collection/

If your school could benefit from an ELL program, Lectura Books offers award-winning bilingual books that can be used as a great teaching tool for English Learners. If you’re interested in viewing a preview of some of the books offered by Lectura Books, visit their Youtube page.

References

http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/states-and-districts-highest-number-and-share-english-language-learners
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/top-languages-spoken-english-language-learners-nationally-and-state

The post Useful Support Resources for ELL Students in New York appeared first on The Latino Family Literacy Project.

Crawford has written in support of Krashen’s and Cummins’ theories, in that the exposure to a new language doesn’t lie within the repetition, but from the quality of the exposure, or input, that the learner is receiving. He advocates in support of immersion within that language for more successful acquisition.

But he also points out the shortcomings with policies such as No Child Left Behind in that the law doesn’t adequately address all of the challenges that second-language learners face with respect to setting goals for academic excellence that are too difficult to achieve because schools are ill-equipped to help these students reach the prescribed accomplishments. He feels that the mandates in place under the law are too “one size fits all”. While they may prove effective to native language students, they don’t take into account the difficulties second language learners face in not just understanding English, but succeeding with their studies in other topics and subjects. Crawford has argued that second language learners need particular assessments that are more in tune with their needs, but they are woefully under-served in this regard. They need unique instructional programs, alternative teaching models, comprehensive diagnosis and monitoring procedures in place to determine proper proficiency levels in a bid for greater accountability for their academic success. For these children, social and economic development could become greatly stunted and, as a result, they will fall behind in the American experience as adults.

Check out the video trailer for the popular elementary book, Letters Forever.

The post James Crawford’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition appeared first on The Latino Family Literacy Project.

The Latino Family Literacy Project helps parents to establish a family reading routine, and to build strong Spanish and English skills.

An anti-bias preschool curriculum is one that seeks to acknowledge and challenge prejudices in education and works to remove them from the teaching and learning environment. Schools using an anti-bias curriculum are acknowledging that many Western societies, though growingly diverse, continue to function with inherent inequity and racial cultural bias, and that this naturally carries over into education, which is intrinsically a sociocultural institution. Louise Derman-Sparks and Julie Olsen Edwards, authors of Anti-bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves, write that “Inequity of resources in society, and the biases we use to justify that inequity, have an enormous impact on children’s lives. The dynamics of advantage and disadvantage, deeply rooted in our history, continue to shape the degree of access children have to education, medical care, security . . .”

Their work, at the forefront of anti-bias education, seeks to reduce cultural bias and misinformation in classrooms and to help children and the adults who work with them in schools to respect each other and to respect people in general.

Anti-bias education encourages educators to examine their own biases and cultural identities so that they may have strong self-awareness and also be aware of negative messages they may inadvertently be sending to students. This process allows teachers and other staff to model having a positive cultural self-image for students and encourages adults to begin to counteract their own biases in the classroom. Children can notice differences between people early on and will notice how adults treat others, so actively teaching them to respect all people is a powerful and important choice. One of the central ways that teachers put anti-bias curriculum to work in early childhood education settings is by exploring and honoring each person’s identity and fostering acceptance of diversity in the classroom and community.

Ellen Wolpert, long term preschool director and author of Redefining the Norm: Early Childhood Anti-Bias Strategies, shares this description of the anti-bias curriculum at work with young children:

“Children make comparisons among themselves, looking at the ways they are both similar and different. They learn that different is OK. This creates the foundation for respecting and valuing differences beyond their own families and communities.”

Children who share stereotypes and biases can be engaged in conversation about the bias and presented with visual and narrative examples that contradict the bias. The site, Teaching for Change, which focuses on social justice in education, shares a wealth of anti-bias articles with activity recommendations and professional development activities covering identity development, anti-bias curriculum, language development, and family resources.

The focus in an anti-bias program is on encouraging everyone in the educational community, young and old, to learn about and explore cultural identities and to get to know one another and the world around them with an open mind. Dr. Francis Aboud, who studied prejudice amongst youth, found that “after age 9, racial attitudes tend to stay constant unless the child experiences a life-changing event.” This trend underscores the importance of the implementation of preschool anti-bias curriculum and the promotion of tolerance.

Lectura Books is one of the leading publishers of multicultural and bilingual books, focusing on publishing for Parent Involvement with Latino parents and kids.

The post How an Anti-bias Curriculum Benefits the School Community appeared first on The Latino Family Literacy Project.

State of Illinois Informational Resources:

•  Illinois State Board of Education: http://www.isbe.state.il.us/
• ELL Support Page: http://www.isbe.state.il.us/bilingual/default.htm
• WIDA English Language Development Standards – WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment) is an organization comprised of a number of different states throughout the country dedicated to raising the standards of bilingual education policies and monitoring the progress and development of ELL’s in the United States: https://www.wida.us/standards/eld.aspx
• Illinois State Board Learning Standards Assessments: http://www.isbe.net
• Title III Information: http://www.ncela.us/

Educational Programs and Learning Resources:

• Illinois Board of Education Parent Resources: http://www.isbe.state.il.us/bilingual/htmls/ellparents.htm
• ITBE (Illinois Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages: Bilingual Education) – An organization comprised of teachers, students, parents, administrators, researchers, curriculum developers, and others within the community dedicated to promoting quality bilingual education through research and instruction in the teaching of English Language Learners: http://www.itbe.org/
• Latinos Progresando – A non-profit based in Chicago dedicated to the cause of serving immigrants with low-cost legal immigration services and access to quality educational resources: http://latinospro.org/
• The Latino Family Literacy Project – A program that teaches parents how to read with their children, establish a reading routine, and promote learning of the English vocabulary together as a family. https://www.lecturabooks.com/parent-programs/
• The Latino Family Literacy Project 2016 Workshops (Illinois): https://www.latinoliteracy.com/workshops/schedule/
• Family Phonics Workbooks: An English vocabulary program for parents and children learning English that uses a simple method to teach parents strong English vocabulary and proper pronunciation through the use of phonics: https://www.lecturabooks.com/family-phonics-workbooks/

References
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/states-and-districts-highest-number-and-share-english-language-learners

http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/top-languages-spoken-english-language-learners-nationally-and-state

The post Resourceful Programs in Illinois for ELL Students appeared first on The Latino Family Literacy Project.