Many standard reading assessment approaches fail to capture the strengths and needs of students from diverse sociocultural, linguistic, and academic backgrounds. From expert authors, this book guides educators in planning and conducting meaningful, equitable assessments that empower K-5 teachers and students, inform responsive instruction, and…

How can today's teachers, whose classrooms are more culturally and linguistically diverse than ever before, ensure that their students achieve at high levels? How can they design units and lessons that support English learners in language development and content learning--simultaneously? Authors Amy Heineke and Jay McTighe provide the answers by…

Whether a second language is learned as a child, teenager, or as an adult, second language acquisition research has noted certain patterns that can help ESL/EFL teachers prepare their lessons. This book explains these issues including the three essential components of ESL/EFL students' learning: input, output, and interaction. Learn how material…

An unfortunate, yet persistent, truth in U.S. public schools is the large achievement gap existing between children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and their White, middle-class counterparts. The potential for cultural dissonance between contemporary teachers and their students necessitates that educators must persistently…

For every teacher it's different, but you know who they are for you--the students who are "hard to teach." Maybe they're reading far below grade level. Maybe they're English learners. Maybe they have diagnosed learning disabilities or behavioral issues. Maybe they're underachieving for reasons that are unknown. They have been overlooked…

This Facilitator's Guide has been prepared for presenters of the "Language Development for English Language Learners" professional development module. It accompanies the 67-slide PowerPoint presentation with speaker's notes and contains materials to help prepare for a professional development session, including activity instructions, handouts,…

Describes how a fifth-grade teacher intervened to bridge the language and cultural social divisions in her classroom. By experiencing a key math lesson entirely in Spanish, native English speakers quickly began to understand what it is like to not be able to understand. Teachers reported a profound effect of this experiment on the classroom. (ET)

Uses student essays to illustrate the linguistic variations that many basic writing students bring to the academy and then offers some insights from second language acquisition and literacy studies that may help writing specialists enhance pedagogical practice to better serve these students. (SG)

An examination of second language learning focuses on how universal cognitive processes in language learning and individual differences account for differences in language learning patterns. An introductory section gives background information suggesting that psycholinguistic factors in language learning should receive more attention for two…

Discusses providing a comfortable, challenging, and meaningful classroom environment in a multicultural environment. Argues that introducing literature in a positive, supportive fashion is of major importance for all students, but that English-as-a-second-language (ESL) learners may need extra motivation. Discusses ways to introduce literature to…

Discusses ways a high school Spanish teacher has increasingly sought opportunities to introduce her students to the customs and traditions of Mexican culture. Notes her goal as a teacher is to present the cultural event and to encourage students to look at the belief system behind it. Discusses a series of class activities involving the "Dia…

Explains how functional language instruction can be made useful for persons with moderate to severe handicaps who are also culturally and linguistically different. Explains how vocabulary and cultural information of the Spanish-speaking student can be included in functional language instruction. (RS)

Young people entering post-secondary institutions or seeking employment generally require senior high school diplomas. There are few jobs available that do not require advanced levels of many kinds of literacy and most employers will consider only those applicants who have completed senior high school, even for entry-level positions. When English…

The implications of family communication styles for teaching English as a second language (ESL) are explored. Family interaction types differ according to culture and social class. Factors in family interaction influence the way a second language is learned and the way it can best be taught. Two basic family types are distinguished: the personal…

This book is about strategies learners can use to make their language learning and practice more successful and enjoyable. It is also about how teachers can help their learners develop those strategies. By making strategies part of their courses, teachers can help prepare their learners for their future study. This practical guide gives examples…