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There are many fantastic reasons to learn a second language, especially when that second language is Spanish!  There are an estimated 477 million people who possess native Spanish competency around the world.  Spanish is one of the most spoken second languages, and the third most commonly spoken native languages worldwide. Spanish is recognized as the official language of 20 different … Read More

Reading books to kindergarten children helps to put them on the right path to academic success.  Additionally, it also helps to open their minds to new concepts, experiences, and cultures.  During kindergarten, it is especially important to expose children to mirror and window books, which are books that they can see themselves or someone they know portrayed in the story. … Read More

Shared reading is a concept that is highly important in the classroom setting, and is an especially important factor of English Learners (ELs).  Shared reading is when students and teacher read and examine a text together. This technique requires that the text being read is visible to both the students and the teacher.  Most often, shared reading experiences occur with … Read More

Family engagement is a process that is both collaborative and strengths-based in which education professionals, families, and children build positive and goal-oriented relationships.  In order for family engagement to be integrated throughout the education system, school officials and educators need to engage families and inform them that they are essential partners in the learning and development of their children.  There … Read More

Early childhood education plays an essential role in preparing bilingual preschoolers for academic success in the future.  Preschoolers who develop foundational language and literacy skills are more likely to begin kindergarten ready to learn how to read and write. It is important for teachers to teach vocabulary to bilingual preschoolers at their level.  Bilingual preschoolers need opportunities to hear and … Read More

There are some distinct differences between bilingual and dual language programs. However, it’s often confusing as to what these differences are. Let’s take a look at what the sources say. It turns out the adjective “bilingual” is looked at in a few different ways depending on the associated words. For instance, a transitional bilingual program is where students phase out … Read More

Whether it’s on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, these top 10 hashtags in education can provide you with tremendously helpful information. In essence, they are terrific resource to help you have important conversations and learn new things in the field of education. Let’s take a look at what they’re about. The Teach Thought website lists these two hashtags as particularly useful: … Read More

Title I, Part C—Migrant Parent Programs focuses on Family literacy, which brings together children and parents in an educational environment to facilitate and nurture the learning relationship between them. Family literacy works to better the educational performance of kids by creating a learning partnership between teachers, schools and parents, says the IA Department of Education. Research has found that students … Read More

Start the school year off right! Studies show that when parents take an active role in their children’s learning process, they often perform better in school. It’s important that teachers and staff are equal partners with parents, too. The responsibility for building the partnership rests mostly with the school. Family and community engagement goals should not be a one-time thing … Read More

Research shows that the support for home language is important for the academic success of students. It bridges the home and school connection. Reading aloud at home between parents and kids is one way that parents can be involved in the school-going process with their children. Bilingual Books have been proven to help foster first and second languages where there … Read More