Book Reviews, Classroom, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Schools, Teacher Resources,

FROM HICCUPS TO TUK-TUKS: OUR SELECTION OF CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE BILINGUAL CHILDREN’S BOOKS

October 1, 2013

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photo credits: Farah Aria @ flickr. com, Anir Pandit @ flickr. com, Jensen Chua @ flickr. com Picture this: you’ve recently moved to a new country where you are just learning the language, and you are feeling a bit overwhelmed and lost. One day, a colleague approaches you with something she thinks will remind you of home. It’s a book in English, and it’s all about “American culture”! Excited (and homesick), you open the book and read a sweet story all about............. CONTINUE READING

Book Reviews, Classroom, Dual Language, Families, Libraries,

HOW BIG IS YOUR DADDY? BOOK REVIEW OF MY DADDY IS A GIANT

June 30, 2013

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www.languagelizard.com Book Review: My Daddy is a Giant Written by Carl Norac Illustrated by Ingrid Godon Ages 1-5 Available in paperback and hard cover, depending on the language Review by Maureen Pugh The first thing I noticed about My Daddy is a Giant was its dimensions (8 ½ inches wide by 12 inches tall) and its sturdy cover and quality binding. The vertical format and large pages provide an ample backdrop for the illustrator to portray a little boy and his playful, larger-than-life father. The simple, yet boldly-drawn illustrations............. CONTINUE READING

Classroom, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Families, Schools, Teacher Resources,

BILINGUAL BOOKS OPEN UP A WORLD OF COMMUNICATION AND CONFIDENCE

June 18, 2013

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Our last blog posting focused on how teachers can use bilingual books to create preschool links to the K-12 Common Core Standards, specifically in listening and reading (click on the link if you missed this piece). In this article, we will focus on another key area in which bilingual books can help in the preschool to kindergarten transition: interpersonal skills. Reading seems like such a solitary activity;............. CONTINUE READING

Classroom, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Families, Schools,

NO KIDDING! BILINGUAL BOOKS HELP PREPARE DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS FOR KINDERGARTEN, SAYS NEW CECER-DLL REPORT

June 4, 2013

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    photo credit: woodleywonderworks @ flickr.com A scary new building.  Big kid chairs.  A terrifying new teacher whose smile may or may not be genuine.  Swarms of giant children rampaging around an unfamiliar playground.  And my daddy’s just gone off and left me… The first day of kindergarten is tough! …Now imagine how much tougher it is for dual language learners (DLLs), lost in an aural fog of language they don’t understand.  Not to mention that they will now be expected to meet a whole............. CONTINUE READING

Classroom, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Schools, Teacher Resources,

USING THE ARTS TO TEACH BILINGUAL CHILDREN

May 23, 2013

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  by Lizzie Davey Because language learning is a creative process, it makes sense to incorporate the arts when teaching languages, especially to children, who are very visual. Using different art mediums, such as music, visual arts, and film connects the left brain (the creative side) to the right (the logical side). This can speed up learning because as new information is being collected, it is being “pattern matched” to what is already stored in the brain. For example, a child may hear the word............. CONTINUE READING

Classroom, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Schools,

WHAT’S THE REAL HOME LANGUAGE STORY? MAKING YOUR HEAD START CLASSROOM WELCOMING FOR MULTILINGUAL KIDS

May 3, 2013

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  photo credit: meadowsaffron at flickr.com Every Head Start teacher has the privilege and responsibility to make his or her children feel valued and comfortable from day one in the classroom.   Enrollment form information can help with this: knowing all you can about a student’s background will help you to help them get used to their new school.  Sometimes, it’s not easy to be sure you are getting the most accurate information.  Many families who speak a language other than English or have another............. CONTINUE READING

At Home, Classroom, Families,

WORLD FOLKTALES AND FABLES: EFFECTIVE TEACHING TOOLS EDUCATE & ENTERTAIN CHILDREN

March 22, 2013

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Reading world folktales and fables is not only a wonderful way to entertain and bond with children, it is also an effective way to educate them. The stories in classic folklore offer both social lessons as well as an opportunity to teach about cultures and languages. World Folktales and Fables week is celebrated the third week of each March, so be sure to enjoy a good folktale in your classroom or home! Children love folktales and fables. With their simple characters and............. CONTINUE READING

Classroom, ELLs / DLLs,

BILINGUAL STUDENTS: THE BENEFITS OF NARRATION

January 29, 2013

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As we mentioned in our previous post, Bilingual Students: Using Holiday Celebrations to Promote Language Development in Multicultural Classrooms, bilingual students often have a lot to say right after they return from their winter holidays. They are eager to share activities that they engaged in with family and friends and to talk about the gifts that they may have received. However, once the excitement of returning back to school has worn off, it can be more challenging to............. CONTINUE READING

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Classroom, ELLs / DLLs,

BILINGUAL STUDENTS: USING HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS TO PROMOTE LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT IN MULTICULTURAL CLASSROOMS

January 10, 2013

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Now that the New Year has arrived and school is back in full swing, students are sure to be filled brimming with enthusiastic stories of what they did during their winter holiday. Ice skating in the park, opening gifts at the fireplace, lighting candles in beautifully wrought candelabras are just a few  activities that children might share with an overjoyed twinkle in their eye. How could they not?! As we all know first-hand, getting students to engage in conversations works best when............. CONTINUE READING

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Classroom, ELLs / DLLs,

TEACHING THANKFULNESS IN BILINGUAL CLASSROOMS

November 19, 2012

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What a perfect time of year to focus on gratitude, appreciation and thankfulness! Having family and friends to share our lives with, food on the table, clean water to drink and a roof over our heads is something that adults and children alike can take time to reflect on during this holiday season. In bilingual classrooms, the topic of thankfulness can involve language learning as well as cultural sharing. Not only do we say “thank you” with different words, the way we............. CONTINUE READING

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