ELL Support and Programs in North Carolina

With an approximate ELL enrollment of 6.2% among grades K-12, North Carolina has 102,311 English Language Learners in the state public school system as of years 2012-2013. 83.6% of ELL students in North Carolina speak Spanish, with Arabic, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Hmong rounding out the five most common languages spoken throughout the state. North Carolina is among the member states … Read More

The Power of Story

We all like to tell stories. We learn how to do it from a very young age, and this ability is unlocked by hearing others do it first. It’s a skill that is best acquired through literacy. Reading inspires our imagination, transporting us to worlds old and new, far and near. It enables us to visit any time period and … 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

ELL Support and Programs in Nevada

With an approximate ELL enrollment of 17.4% among grades K-12, Nevada has 77,559 English Language Learners in the state public school system as of years 2012-2013. 79.5% of ELL students in Nevada speak Spanish, with Tagalog, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Amharic making up the majority of the common languages spoken throughout the state. The following is a list of useful resources … Read More

How Can Parents Help Kids Maintain Their Home Language and Learn English too?

Research shows that continuing to use home languages alongside their new language acquisition will make the process of learning English faster and easier. One of the first steps you can take is to embrace and celebrate your child’s bilingualism as a strength that will serve them well throughout their lives in our increasingly diverse and multicultural world. Here are two … Read More

California Adopts New Curriculum Framework for English Learners

The California State Department of Education has adopted a new curriculum framework for English Learners in California, where one quarter of its students are English Learners. California is the first state to combine English language arts and English language development into a curriculum. This video, featured in the Common Core Channel, provides an overview of the English Language Arts/English Language … Read More

Spanish Leads Among United States’ English Language Learners

Spanish leads the nation as the top language spoken at home by United States’ English Language Learners. In a fact sheet recently published by the Migration Policy Institute outlining the top languages spoken by United States’ English Language Learners, 71% of ELLs speak Spanish at home followed by Chinese at 4%.   The fact sheet further notes that Spanish predominates … Read More

Family Engagement with Hispanic Parents

Family Engagement with Hispanic Parents We review research on parent involvement on an ongoing basis. In reviewing the research, major educational studies, and overviews of the evidence, it is clear that parent involvement works and is a powerful determinant in whether or not a child succeeds in school. The overwhelming research also concludes that the collaboration between parents and schools … Read More

Teacher workshops for working with English learners

Lectura Books offers award-winning books and parent programs and provides teacher workshops for working with English learners. Parents are an important piece of the puzzle in our education system but many schools still struggle with how to work with parents, and especially with Spanish-speaking parents. Working with parents can be particularly rewarding when you fully understand the challenges, interests, and … Read More

English Learners in the United States – a Breakdown

The Spanish language is the second most spoken language in the United States after English. There are more Spanish speakers in the U.S. than there are speakers of Chinese, French, German, Italian, Hawaiian, and the Native American languages combined. And analysis of the 2011 American Community Survey by the Pew Research Center found that a record 37.6 million people ages … Read More