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

LANGUAGE & LITERACY BLOG

At Home, Dual Language, Families,

BILINGUAL CHILDREN: SUMMER TRAVEL ACTIVITIES

Summer is a wonderful time of year to travel: Children are out of school and the warm days beacon for lazy hours at the beach or walks through cool forests. Whether we are traveling by land, air or sea, we can make bilingualism part of every bilingual child’s summertime adventures. Both parents and teachers can engage bilingual children in fun travel activities, whether it is during a bus ride with a summer class or as a family on the way to visit............. CONTINUE READING
At Home, Community Support, Schools,

BILINGUAL CHILDREN & SUMMER LITERACY PROGRAMS

Summertime is upon us! The school year is coming to an end and our favorite summer activities are right around the corner: Running barefoot through sprinklers, savoring a neon-colored snow cone and sitting in the shade of a favorite tree with a good book. What could be better? Even though school is letting out, children can strengthen their literacy skills with summertime literacy programs, available through local libraries, community centers, schools, bookstores and even online. Bilingual children, in particular, can significantly improve............. CONTINUE READING
Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Families,

BILINGUAL CHILDREN: BENEFITS OF LEARNING TO READ IN THE HOME LANGUAGE

We only learn how to read once. This is true for all of us: monolingual, bilingual or multilingual. Once we figure out how literacy works, it is with us forever. The best part about bilingual children learning to read is that once they figure it out in one language, they can transfer their literacy to their other language(s)! It is a feat that can be mastered in leaps and bounds in any of a number of languages once the process is underway. As............. CONTINUE READING
Dual Language, Libraries, Schools,

BILINGUAL STORYTIME: 5 DIFFERENT TYPES

Nowadays many libraries and bookstores are delighting their patrons with storytimes. Children love the magic of a good book that is brought to life through the skills of a good presenter. It is an opportunity for children to travel to new places that have never been explored and to experience adventures that have never been undertaken. The elements of a successful storytime are essential: A book with a great storyline, captivating pictures and an energetic presenter who is willing to act out............. CONTINUE READING
Classroom, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs,

BILINGUAL BOOKS IN BILINGUAL CLASSROOMS

Picture this: A classroom bustling with students engaged in a variety of activities. On one side of the room, the teacher mingles with a group of students who are working on a collage. It is spread out across a wide table and students are discussing, in English and Spanish, where to place the different items. The teacher meanders by, a student asks for some advice in English, and a short discussion takes place. A few minutes later the same teacher approaches a............. CONTINUE READING
Classroom, ELLs / DLLs,

SPRINGTIME LANGUAGE LEARNING ACTIVITIES: SCAVENGER AND TREASURE HUNTS

Flowers are beginning to blossom in and the talk of eggs, bunnies and little yellow chicks is underway. It must be springtime! Students are excited and invigorated by the changing season, so it is a perfect time of year to incorporate activities that match the energetic mood of your classroom. Even though many of your students may not celebrate Easter, they are sure to notice the supermarket shelves lined with plastic eggs and chocolate bunnies. One activity from Easter that is sure............. CONTINUE READING
At Home, Families,

TEACHING CHILDREN LANGUAGES: BENEFITS & STRATEGIES

The benefits of bilingualism has been a hot topic in recent years. Magazines, newspapers and blogs extol the fascinating ways in which the bilingual brain effortlessly manipulates more than one language at a time, working more effectively and efficiently than a monolingual one on specific types of tasks. Thanks to their brain’s more robust executive control system (which comes from switching off the language that is not needed), bilinguals are believed to have better skills in tuning out distractions, which means that............. CONTINUE READING
Families, Schools,

$300 BILINGUAL BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Language Lizard is giving away $300 worth of bilingual book gift certificates! There are four different ways to qualify for this giveaway so make sure to go to Language Lizard’s BILINGUAL BOOK GIVEAWAY page and find out how you can enter. It is easy! With books in over 40 different languages, you are sure to find something perfect for your children, your students and/or your school! So enter today! Good luck!   .......... CONTINUE READING
Classroom, ELLs / DLLs,

USING MUSIC TO HELP CHILDREN LEARN LANGUAGES

Children love music and singing. There is something magical about words being set to a melody that make children perk up and join in. Since most children’s songs consist of catchy beats and poetry-infused lyrics, it is a perfect combination of rhythm, rhyme and fun. An added benefit to children’s songs is that they are often easy to learn. The short, repetitive sentences lend themselves to easy memorization and retention. What better way to learn words in context than to sing them............. CONTINUE READING
Classroom, ELLs / DLLs,

HOW TO HELP STUDENTS SURVIVE CULTURE SHOCK

By Colleen Miller Photo credit: vasta Have you noticed that about halfway into the school year, new ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students, who once seemed excited and energized, seem to hit a wall? Students who once were bright-eyed and cheerful come to school looking listless and detached. More than just the mid-year doldrums, they may be in the crisis stage of the powerful phenomenon of culture shock. What is culture shock? In the 1950s, a diplomat named Karl Oberg first used the............. CONTINUE READING
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