Category Archives: ELL/ESL and Bilingual Books

Educator Resources, ELL/ESL and Bilingual Books, Interviews with Authors and Illustrators

Watch Now: Foster Multilingual Learners Through Story: In Conversation with Lee & Low Authors

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Thank you to all who joined the “Foster Multilingual Learners Through Story: In Conversation with Lee & Low Authors” panel on November 8, 2022. The NYC Department of Education hosted this panel as part of their Beyond Access Forum.

Click here to register and watch on demand! It’s FREE and open to everyone.

In this webinar, the panelists discussed how high-quality bilingual and dual language picture books celebrate the voices and cultures of young readers’ lived experiences and affirm and validate a child’s identity. Hear from Ying-Hwa Hu (Ten Blocks to the Big Wok); Claudia Guadalupe Martínez (Still Dreaming / Seguimos soñando); and Xelena González (Where Wonder Grows and Donde las maravillas crecen) as they discuss their books, their role as storytellers, and their hope for the future of bilingual and dual language children’s literature.

Purchase the books from the webinar here:

Ten Blocks to the Big Wok
Still Dreaming / Seguimos soñando
Where Wonder Grows and Donde las maravillas crecen

Additional recommended resources:

Recursos en español para educadores y familias
Authentic Spanish Books List
10 Reasons To Celebrate Bilingual Books
Dual Language Learners Deserve Research-Backed Resources

Diversity, Race, and Representation, Educator Resources, ELL/ESL and Bilingual Books, Guest Blogger Post, Interviews with Authors and Illustrators

On the Fluidity of the Border and Repatriation: A Guest Post by Claudia Guadalupe Martínez

In this guest post, author Claudia Guadalupe Martínez reflects on the universal story of coming and going across a border while emphasizing the forgotten history of Mexican Repatriation. Still Dreaming / Seguimos soñando is available wherever books are sold.

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Educator Resources, ELL/ESL and Bilingual Books, Writer Resources

NEW RESOURCE: Summer of the Mariposas Reading Journal

By: Michelle Fuentes, Literacy Specialist at Lee & Low Books

The Lee & Low Books literacy team is thrilled to share the Summer of the Mariposas Reading Journal, a new and exclusive tool for educators created in honor of the 10th anniversary of Summer of the Mariposas (also available in Spanish as El verano de las mariposas). This journal was made by educators for educators and in collaboration with bestselling and award-winning author, Guadalupe García McCall. The journal is designed to be flexible and adaptable for all teaching needs, with a special emphasis on student creativity.

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Book Lists by Topic, Diversity, ELL/ESL and Bilingual Books

Read the World: Celebrating Translated Works

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Translated works are a wonderful way to share a diversity of stories and experiences across language barriers. Here at Lee & Low Books, we have several translated titles to celebrate, including the recently published When You Get to the Other Side by Mariana Osorio Gumá, translated by Cecilia Weddell.

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Diversity, Educator Resources, ELL/ESL and Bilingual Books

¿Dónde encontramos textos diversos en español y cómo podemos evaluar su calidad?

Por Michelle Fuentes, Literacy Specialist, y Katie Potter, Senior Literacy Manager

Nuestro enfoque en Lee & Low Books es publicar historias contemporáneas y relevantes sobre experiencias y personas diversas. Para nosotros es importante proteger la autenticidad cultural de todos los aspectos del libro (incluyendo el texto, arte, lenguaje, sintaxis, traducciones, etc). Encontrar textos de calidad y auténticos puede ser difícil, y por eso nuestro equipo en Lee & Low hemos construido una lista de recursos para encontrar textos diversos en Español.

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Educator Resources, ELL/ESL and Bilingual Books

Dual Language Learners Deserve Research-Backed Resources

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With more districts and states requiring equity in quality of materials and many are making more funding available, educators serving Dual Language Learners and English Language Learners have incredible opportunities this school year to get students back on track or help students build on the progress they have made.

For a school year like no other, educators, librarians, and caregivers are looking to research findings to find the best strategies in meeting the needs of their incoming Dual Language Learners.

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Activities and Events, Educator Resources, ELL/ESL and Bilingual Books

Free Upcoming Webinar: AIR’s New Language and Literacy Program for Preschoolers (COLLTS)

Join the Center for English Learners at the American Institutes for Research® for a webinar on Cultivating Oral Language and Literacy Talent in Students (COLLTS), an evidence-based, research-backed, and classroom-tested language and literacy program for preschoolers. The event will be held on Thursday, September 16th at 4:00 PM ET.

Cultivating Oral Language and Literacy Talent in Students (COLLTS) is designed to help teachers support language and literacy development for young dual language learners. An intervention study found that children who participated in COLLTS showed significantly larger gains in oral language than children who did not participate in the program.

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Educator Resources, ELL/ESL and Bilingual Books

Learn More about COLLTS PreK Curriculum from the American Institutes for Research

Lee & Low Books is the exclusive publisher of the American Institutes for Research preschool curriculum, Cultivating Oral Language and Literacy Talents in Students (COLLTS). Today we’re sharing frequently asked questions about the curriculum.

Is COLLTS only for dual language learners?

No! The Center for English Learners at the American Institutes for Research designed the COLLTS PreK curriculum to meet the needs of dual language learners and English learners in any PreK setting. All children can benefit from COLLTS.

Are the books included in the kits?

Book bundles are sold separately because PreK settings vary widely in how many staff at different sites want to have the mentor text to share with students. You may customize number of copies for English here and Spanish here.

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Educator Resources, ELL/ESL and Bilingual Books

NEW Professional Development from American Institutes for Research

With the release of the new COLLTS curriculum for PRE-K, professional developers from The Center for English Learners at the American Institutes for Research (AIR) are available to come to your district or school to prepare your early childhood education teachers and/or coaches to implement the COLLTS program.

AIR offers half-day or full-day training sessions to prepare teachers, coaches, and other staff to implement the COLLTS program. Follow-up coaching is also available.

The AIR and Bebop Books team work closely with districts and schools to provide customized support that prepares instructional staff to meet the demands of high academic standards for English learners.

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Book News, Educator Resources, ELL/ESL and Bilingual Books

Introducing COLLTS, a New PreK Dual Language Curriculum from the American Institutes for Research

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The Center for English Learners at the American Institutes for Research (AIR) released its newest curriculum for Preschool learners!

Cultivating Oral Language and Literacy Talents in Students (COLLTS) is an early childhood curriculum available exclusively from Bebop Books, an imprint of Lee & Low Books. Through the use of interactive reading with outstanding children’s literature and nonfiction, this NEW PreK curriculum targets:

  • foundational and pre-reading skills
  • oral language proficiency
  • background and conceptual knowledge

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