English Language Learners / Dual Language Learners / Multicultural Education Support – Language Lizard Blog

LANGUAGE & LITERACY BLOG

Holidays, Refugee and Immigrant Resources,

WORLD REFUGEE DAY – SUPPORT THOSE IN NEED

Language Lizard bilingual books used in a refugee camp World Refugee Day is coming up on June 20. Marked in over 100 countries, its goal is to raise awareness and funds to help provide refugees with shelter, food and safety. There are an estimated 60 million refugees in the world. More than half of them are children.  According to the UN, every minute 24 people become refugees who are fleeing war or persecution. Refugee children in the US face many challenges when............. CONTINUE READING
Giveaways, Holidays,

CHILDREN’S DAY: WIN A MULTICULTURAL STORIES BOOK SET!

Every June, Children’s Day is celebrated in more than 50 countries around the world. Generally, it’s a day to celebrate the happiness and growth of our children, and commit to protecting their well-being.  Language Lizard is celebrating this day by promoting children’s literacy with a giveaway of Multicultural Books! In the US, Children’s Day is the second Sunday of June. While the holiday is not widely celebrated here, there is a movement to bring more attention to the holiday, and............. CONTINUE READING
At Home, Classroom, ELLs / DLLs, Libraries, Schools,

NEW MULTILINGUAL “TALKING” CHARTS: ENGLISH, GEOGRAPHY, STEM (FOR USE WITH PENPAL RECORDER PEN)

Language Lizard is pleased to announce new multilingual “talking” charts that allow students to hear explanations of key terms in English, geography, math & science in many different languages, including English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Russian. These charts are invaluable resources for teachers who support a linguistically diverse student body. Using these charts with the PENpal Audio Recorder Pen, newcomers and English Language Learners (ELLs) can hear key terms explained in their native languages, allowing for a better understanding............. CONTINUE READING
Community Support, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs,

“IN PLAIN ENGLISH?” ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING IN THE U.S.

The US is a country of many languages. In public schools, about 10 percent (4.5 million) of all kids are English Language Learners (ELLs). Of those ELLs, Spanish is the first language of about 71 percent, but there are hundreds of different languages spoken in US schools. Any one school can have a dozen or more languages spoken by its students. Schools put different types of learning programs in place to help students transition to speaking English. One example is sheltered instruction, which combines............. CONTINUE READING
At Home, Classroom, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Teaching Resources,

USING COGNATES TO SUPPORT SECOND LANGUAGE AND LITERACY LEARNING

by guest blogger Karen Nemeth EdM Cognates are pairs of words that sound alike and have the same meaning in two different languages. They are useful first steps in learning a new language. How Do Cognates Work? In English we say “elephant” and in Spanish we say “elefante.” English and Spanish speakers can easily make the connection between these cognates to learn and remember the animal’s name. In English, we say “frog” but in Spanish we say “rana.” Frog and rana are not cognates,............. CONTINUE READING
Classroom, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Libraries, Schools,

“HELLO” & “WELCOME” IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES: MULTICULTURAL POSTERS CELEBRATE CULTURAL DIVERSITY & WELCOME NEWCOMERS

Teachers want to make children feel valued and comfortable from the day they arrive at school.  One of the first things a child or caregiver will notice when they enter a new classroom is the way it looks. Imagine if one of the first things a child sees is a poster that says “Welcome” in different languages, including their own! Or if they are greeted with “Hello” in different languages! Newcomers who do not speak English well, and............. CONTINUE READING
At Home, Classroom, Community Support, Families, Giveaways, Holidays, Libraries, Schools,

MULTICULTURAL BOOKS FOR NATIONAL READING MONTH & GIVEAWAY!

National Reading Month is a great time to try out a new multicultural book with your little ones! Celebrate with fun, diverse children’s books that introduce them to different cultures. And don’t miss out on the Multicultural Stories Giveaway we are co-sponsoring with our friends at I Teach K-2! What is National Reading Month? Every March, National Reading Month kicks off with NEA’s Read Across America, which celebrates the birthday of the beloved Dr. Seuss. All month long, organizations across............. CONTINUE READING
Classroom, Holidays, Lesson Plans, Schools, Teaching Resources,

HOLI FESTIVAL + WORLD FOLKTALES & FABLES WEEK: NEW LESSON PLANS & DISCOUNT

We’re excited to share new, free multicultural lesson plans you can use to celebrate two fun upcoming holidays: Holi “Festival of Colors” (March 13, 2017) Holi , also known as the Festival of Colors,  is a popular springtime festival celebrated in many parts of South Asia and around the world.  This festival celebrates the coming of spring and the end of winter. It is also a day to give thanks for a good harvest. It’s a time to forgive and forget, be with............. CONTINUE READING
Community Support,

5 REFUGEES MAKING AMERICA GREAT

There has been a lot of discussion and debate regarding refugees, with some people expressing concerns that letting in refugees will increase terrorism, while others fear that the recent proposed limitations imposed by an executive order have caused the US to lose its moral compass. In the midst of this conversation, it can be easy to forget the human faces behind the term “refugee.” What is a refugee? According to international refugee law, a refugee is one who seeks refuge in a foreign country............. CONTINUE READING
At Home, Classroom, Community Support, Families, Schools,

CELEBRATE DIVERSITY AND EASE ANXIETY: SUGGESTIONS FOR KIDS & ADULTS

Right now, our lives are permeated with emotionally charged discourse about political and social upheaval. When you think about how much news media, social media and personal conversations we’re exposed to, it’s very likely our kids and students are aware and possibly experiencing anxiety about what they hear and see going on in the world around them. We all may feel disheartened with the current events that are dividing us as people, and as a nation. If you’re worried that the children in............. CONTINUE READING
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