Bilingual Books: The Secret Recipe for Family Literacy with Hispanics

Literacy begins in the home. Parents who begin to read to their children from a very young age make great strides in the child’s educational and social evolution later on. Reading to a child promotes successful outcomes for literacy even before they start their first day of kindergarten. This is true for families of all languages, backgrounds and cultures. For … Read More

English Learner Resources and Support in Georgia

With an approximate ELL enrollment of 5.5% among grades K-12, Georgia has 94,034 English Language Learners in the state public school system as of years 2012-2013. 78.2% of ELL students in Georgia speak Spanish, followed by Vietnamese, Korean, and Chinese representing the most common languages spoken by the families of these students. The following is a list of useful resources … Read More

A School Library Can Support ELL Families

Libraries have historically been multi-faceted organizations which offer not only books and media, but access to community programs and cultural experiences. There is now a growing trend in public schools in which school librarians, classroom teachers, and ELL teachers are using the library as a meeting and activity venue for ELL families. It can be challenging for ELL parents and … Read More

Three Traits of a Good Children’s Book

Children’s books quite literally come in all shapes and sizes, as well as all tones of voice, types of plots, and levels of vocabulary. The questions of what makes one book more important, popular, or simply better than another is widely debated—but here are three characteristics that many good children’s books possess. 1. An Interesting, Relatable Story The story in … Read More

What is Multicultural Literature and Why the Importance?

Children are like small sponges. They absorb everything. Books can have the most significant impact on a child’s mind as it allows them to unleash the full power of their imagination. Reading is among the most enduring influences on shaping a child’s social conscience and world view; therefore, it is essential that a child has access to literature that presents … Read More

Barriers to Education for Hispanics in the United States

Hispanics make up the single largest population of immigrants currently living in the United States, with a majority of that group aged 25-62 born outside of the United States. A new public education system can be tough to navigate and newcomers are often at a disadvantage when compared to their U.S born peers of both Hispanic and non-Hispanic descent. From … Read More

Common Practices and Values of the Top 6 High Schools

A research team from the Stanford Graduate School of Education released a study last month outlining the common practices and values of the top 6 high schools responsible for having an exemplary record of graduated and career-ready ELLs. The researchers profiled 7 key elements shared by all schools that contributed to their ELL success: Passionate, strategic, mission-driven leadership. Principals, assistant principals, … Read More

Avoiding the Obstacles to Parent Involvement

Avoiding the Obstacles to Parent Involvement – Helpful Resources When it comes to providing a good Parent Involvement program at your school, you may be faced with many obstacles. To start with, which languages are spoken at your school by the parents of the children who attend your school? There may be many languages, so where do you start? Here … Read More

The Secret Lives of Bilingual Books on Huff Post

As published on Huffington Post March 31, 2015 Many Americans are familiar with well-known mainstream children’s books such as the Dr. Seuss series, Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are. But what about Americans who come from another culture, speak another language or are bilingual? What children’s books are there for them and their families? This group, until recently, … Read More

Bilingual Books for EL Students

One of the challenges that English Learners face today is that students may not have the resources to have books at home, or parents may not fully understand the importance of having books in the home, or even how to read with their children. Research about Second Language Acquisition Theory demonstrates the importance of fostering home language, for strong first … Read More