The state of Arizona had 91,382 ELL students enrolled in grades K-12 during the 2012-13 academic year, making up 8.4% of the school population. Among those children, Spanish was spoken by a large majority at 70.5%, with Arabic, Navajo, Vietnamese, and Somali making up the balance of the top five languages currently spoken by non-English speaking students.
The following is a list of useful resources and programs for ELL students living in Arizona.
State of Arizona Informational Resources:
- Arizona Department of Education:
- ELL Support Page:
- English Language Development Standards:
- Arizona ELL Forms and Documents:
- Title III Information:
- Arizona English Proficiency Assessment Standards:
Educational Programs and Learning Resources:
- AZ-TESOL – The state affiliate of the nationwide organization, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), is dedicated to advocating for educators of ELL’s:
- Arizona Education Association – The Arizona affiliate of the nationwide American Federation of Teachers works to establish a standard for success and excellence for public schools throughout the state:
- The Latino Family Literacy Project – A program that teaches ELL parents how to read with their children by developing routine reading habits and promotes learning of the English vocabulary together as a family outside the classroom:
- The Latino Family Literacy Project Professional Development Workshops – Training classes to assist teachers, aides, and parent coordinators with implementing aspects of The Latino Family Literacy Project, compatible with Title I and Title III Parent involvement initiatives:
- Family Phonics Workbooks: An English vocabulary program for ELL parents and children that uses a simple method to teach parents strong English vocabulary and proper pronunciation through the use of phonics:
If your school could benefit from an ELL program, The Latino Family Literacy Project offers in-person and online training for teachers and staff. Click here for more information.
For bilingual books in Spanish and English visit our bookstore.
References
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/states-and-districts-highest-number-and-share-english-language-learners
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/top-languages-spoken-english-language-learners-nationally-and-state