Tag Archives: educator

How to Support Dual Language Learners in the Classroom

In this article, Lisa White, Ph.D., Researcher at the American Institutes for Research, discusses how to support dual language learners in the classroom using the research-based early childhood curriculum Cultivating Oral Language and Literacy Talents in Students (COLLTS).

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Evidence-Based Ways to Enhance and Reinforce Language, Foundational Reading, and Emergent Writing with Young Learners from COLLTS

In this article, Lauren Artzi, Rebecca Bergey, and Patricia Garcia-Arena explore ways in which educators can use the COLLTS (Cultivating Oral Language and Literacy Talent in Students) program to promote successful reading and writing skills in young learners, including dual language learners (DLLs). 

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Addressing the Overwhelming Need for an Early Childhood Program Focused on Young Dual Language Learners

Picture of el sol del verano on top of pile of COLLTS Teacher's guides

Written by Patricia Garcia-Arena, Ph.D., Principal Researcher at the American Institutes for Research, this blog post explores the need for dual language learners (DLLs) to be exposed to DLL-teaching strategies early on in childhood to promote their learning. Read on to learn how the COLLTS (Cultivating Oral Language and Literacy Talents in Students) program from the American Institutes for Research can do just that. 

According to the Migration Policy Institute, more than 11.2 million young children, or 33 percent of all U.S. children under the age of 9, are dual language learners (DLLs).

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Dual Language Learners Deserve Research-Backed Resources

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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Teaching Immigration and Migration in the Classroom: An Interview with Abeer Shinnawi of Re-Imagining Migration

In this blog post, we interviewed Abeer Shinnawi, Program Lead at Re-Imagining Migration, about exploring the topics of migration and immigration in the classroom, how children’s books can be used to guide these discussions, and how this new infographic offers guidance on curating text sets aligned to the Re-Imagining Migration Learning Arc framework. Let’s jump right in!

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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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How One Classroom Used Todos iguales/All Equal to Inspire Social Justice

Todos igualesIn this guest blog post, educator Cindy Jenson-Elliott of the Nativity Prep Academy describes how she used Todos iguales/All Equal as an inspiration for her classroom’s social justice comic book project.

Engaging Students

As a teacher in San Diego’s only free private school for resource-challenged, first-generation college-bound students, I have the privilege of working at a school focused on social justice. Most of our students are English-language learners, and their parents have come to this country seeking a better life for their children. As a staff, we look for positive stories that teach about social change that comes through individual responsibility and action.  The book Todos Iguales/All Equal: Un Corrido de Lemon Grove/A Ballad of Lemon Grove by Christy Hale, uses corridos, ballads of social justice, to tell the story of the Lemon Grove Incident. In Todos Iguales/All Equal, Mexican-American parents successfully challenged the Lemon Grove school district’s policy of segregating Mexican-American from white children in 1930. It is a powerful story not only because students’ families around our nation continue to face discrimination today, but because parents stood up for their children’s rights against a powerful system and won. Continue reading

Diverse Summer Reading Recommendations for Grades 3-5

Diverse Summer Reading List

As we continue our “For Fans Of” Summer Reading blog series, we’ll spotlight books for children in grades 3 through 5 in this post. In order to keep kids thinking critically about the books they’re reading during the summer months, it’s great to pose a few questions to engage in a conversation about books in a low-stakes discussion:

  • How were the main characters similar? How were they different?
  • What kinds of problems did the characters face in both of the books? Were any of their problems similar? Why or why not?
  • Would you recommend this book to a friend? What would you tell them about it? Why did you enjoy it?

See our Diverse Summer Reading List for the full list of titles from grades PreK to grade 8.

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