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.

The following are some terms that you’ve no doubt heard before, but you may be unclear on the definitions that are associated with each of them. This primer should help to better delineate between the most commonly used acronyms and jargon that parents and teachers alike might find confusing.

ESL: English as a Second Language This acronym refers to students who live in an English-speaking country and are enrolled in English-language programs where they are taught how to read, write, and speak English. ESL may refer to K-12 students as well as adult learners, and ESL is often associated with special programs in which these students are enrolled to become more proficient with the language. Read more.

ELL: English Language Learner Similar to an ESL, often reserved for use with K-12 grade students, though it may easily describe anyone learning the language. The distinction between ESL and ELL is that the former commonly refers to the curriculum for instruction in which the latter is enrolled.

ESOL: English to Speakers of Other Languages An acronym that further delineates those students who are being taught the English language in an English-speaking country, yet may have prior knowledge of more than just one language. As a result, English may be the third or even fourth language they are learning.

LEP: Limited English Proficient This is a term used to define the level of ability with ESL and ELL students, and it can be applied either before or during their enrollment in an ESL program.

TESOL: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages This phrase refers to members of the teaching community who are accredited and qualified to teach English to non-English language speakers.

Standard English vs. Academic English The difference between the two forms of language describes the level of proficiency in ESL and ELL students. The first, standard (or social) English, refers to the skill of usage in everyday situations and casual settings. The second, academic English, is concerned with the level of skill required to succeed in the classroom and places a greater demand on the student to understand grammar and possess a strong vocabulary.

Pull-Out vs. Push-In ESL These are two methods of language instruction for ESL learners. “Pull-out” means that students are removed from their general education courses to receive language instruction from an ESL teacher, with the main drawback being that these students miss out on their lessons in class during this time. “Push-in” is the opposite, with an ESL instructor coming into the classroom to work with ELLs in the same fashion. This can take place while the general education teacher is giving a lesson, or it can take place after the lessons are completed.

If you are looking for bilingual resources for LCAP in California or any bilingual resources for parent engagement, Lectura Books might have what you are looking for!

The post Understanding Basic Terms and Definitions for English Learners appeared first on The Latino Family Literacy Project.