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

NEWCOMER TOOLKIT: SUPPORTING NEW IMMIGRANT STUDENTS

July 20, 2016

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In the past, we’ve written about online resources that can help educators trying to accommodate an increasingly diverse student population, as well as tips to make the critical first days of school go more smoothly for bilingual students in your classroom. Today, we take a look at the US Department of Education’s recently updated, detailed Newcomer Toolkit, designed to help educators (teachers, principals and school staff) working with foreign-born students who have recently arrived in the US. In addition to............. CONTINUE READING

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WHY YOUR CHILDREN SHOULD LEARN A LESS COMMONLY TAUGHT LANGUAGE

May 20, 2016

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by guest blogger Susan Cazenavette Herrick Siu More than 300 distinct languages other than English are now spoken in the United States. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, those with the most native speakers in this country are Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, French, Vietnamese, German, and Korean (all with numbers of speakers in the millions), followed by Russian, Arabic, and Italian. Other languages with large numbers of speakers (in no particular order) include Portuguese, French Creole, Yiddish, Greek, Polish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Navajo,............. CONTINUE READING

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SUPPORTING ORAL LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CLASSROOM & AT HOME

May 11, 2016

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The process of language development in children is an amazing one, and full of so much complexity. Here, we offer 5 fun activity ideas that can help the oral language development of the kids in your home or classroom. Oral Language and Literacy So much of language is learned in the early years of life, simply by listening to and interacting with those around us. As time goes by, our oral language skills improve through practice and formal instruction. Oral language is............. CONTINUE READING

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NEPALI LANGUAGE & NEPALI BOOKS: FACTS, FIGURES AND RESOURCES

February 29, 2016

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Today’s spotlight language is Nepali. Below, we offer background and interesting facts about the language, as well as information to help you find Nepali books. Where is it spoken? Nepali is the official language of Nepal, a country in South Asia. It is also spoken in Bhutan, Burma (Republic of the Union of Myanmar), and India. There are about 17 million Nepali speakers around the world. How Many People Speak Nepali in the US? There are relatively large Nepalese communities in New York,............. CONTINUE READING

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

PROMOTING DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION & INCLUSIVENESS USING INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGY AND BILINGUAL AUDIO BOOKS

February 22, 2016

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If a classroom were a puzzle, the students in it would be its pieces. Each piece would have its own shape, or learning style; its own size, or level of readiness. Teachers are trying to reach every student in an effective way with a finite amount of resources. More educators are looking to differentiated instruction and inclusiveness to help them achieve these goals. New technology, like the PENpal Audio Recorder Pen, along with interactive bilingual literacy sets, are helping teachers customize............. CONTINUE READING

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Classroom, Community Support, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Libraries, Schools, Teaching Resources,

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR STUDENT IMMIGRANTS, REFUGEES

February 1, 2016

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The number of immigrant and refugee children has increased over the past decade, and is now the fastest-growing segment in the US youth population. These students face many challenges when adapting to a new life in the US: culture shock, making friends, and learning a new language, just to name a few.  All too often, schools lack the resources to research the best ways to help these students, and miss out on methods developed by other districts............. CONTINUE READING

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PENPAL AUDIO RECORDER PEN: TAP & LISTEN TO BILINGUAL BOOKS & RECORDABLE LABELS

January 20, 2016

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Language Lizard is proud to announce the PENpal Audio Recorder Pen… The pen that’s bringing sound to paper! What is PENpal? An award-winning digital audio “pen” that promotes reading, speaking and listening for a diverse student population.  PENpal supports dIfferentiated instruction and inclusiveness. Listen to content in many languages by simply touching the pen to interactive books, charts, labels and other learning resources.   Record your own narrative, music or sound effects with Recordable Labels. What can you do with PENpal and Recordable Labels? Download hundreds............. CONTINUE READING

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

10 WAYS MAINSTREAM TEACHERS CAN ACCOMMODATE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS (ELLS) IN THE CLASSROOM

December 23, 2015

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Teachers and parents of bilingual children face many challenges. Whether it’s creating a sense of community in a diverse classroom, or finding creative ways to use multicultural resources, helping a student learn a new language requires a multi-faceted approach. Because of a nationwide shortage of bilingual teachers, many ELL students are placed in mainstream classrooms with limited bilingual assistance. Those students can be successful when given the necessary support. The 10 tips and strategies below can help mainstream............. CONTINUE READING

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15+ GAMES TO ENGAGE KIDS IN LANGUAGE LEARNING

December 14, 2015

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This article by Breeana D. from takelessons.com is full of fun games that will get kids excited about learning a new language. Although it focuses on Spanish, these ideas can easily be adapted to any language! Learning Spanish can be difficult, especially for kids. From complex grammar rules to difficult vocabulary words, there are a lot of tough concepts kids must learn. While difficult, learning Spanish is well worth the time and effort. After all, learning a second language greatly increases a child’s cognitive abilities, improves his or............. CONTINUE READING

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HOLIDAYS & FOOD: CELEBRATE WITH A DISCOUNT ON BILINGUAL CHILDREN’S BOOKS

November 13, 2015

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Think of any holiday celebrated in any part of the world, and there is sure to be at least one traditional dish associated with it. Thanksgiving turkey, curry on Boxing Day, or rice cakes for Chinese New Year… Food is the cornerstone of any celebration. In an article that explores the relationship between food and culture, writer Amy S. Choi says, “Food feeds the soul. To the extent that we all eat............. CONTINUE READING

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