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Classroom, Dual Language, Libraries, Schools,

3 STEPS TO BUILD A LENDING LIBRARY IN YOUR CLASSROOM

Have you ever considered creating a lending library in your classroom? They can be an especially great resource for bilingual students and their families. When students see books in their home languages, it can be comforting and a source of pride, and can encourage acceptance of diversity in all of your students. A classroom lending library can inspire a love of reading in students, and increase parental involvement. In the past, we’ve written posts about the increasing need for multicultural............. CONTINUE READING
Classroom, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Schools, Teacher Resources,

NEWCOMER TOOLKIT: SUPPORTING NEW IMMIGRANT STUDENTS

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
At Home, Community Support, Families, Libraries, Schools,

TEACHING TOLERANCE IN TURBULENT TIMES

It may feel like every time you turn on the TV or check your Facebook or Twitter feed, you are inundated with news of yet another violent tragedy in some part of the world. Terrorist attacks and political upheaval seem to be the norm now, not the exception. We are all asking ourselves what can be done to stop the endless stream of violence. A crucial step is one that is closest to us: one of the most important, immediate ways to create a............. CONTINUE READING
At Home, Classroom, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Families, Schools,

WHY YOUR CHILDREN SHOULD LEARN A LESS COMMONLY TAUGHT LANGUAGE

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
At Home, Classroom, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Libraries, Schools, Teacher Resources,

SUPPORTING ORAL LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CLASSROOM & AT HOME

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
At Home, Classroom, Community Support, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Language Spotlight, Libraries, Schools,

NEPALI LANGUAGE & NEPALI BOOKS: FACTS, FIGURES AND RESOURCES

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

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

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

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR STUDENT IMMIGRANTS, REFUGEES

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
At Home, Classroom, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Families, Libraries, Schools, Teacher Resources,

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

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

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

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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