Among the many European countries, 70% of adults are bilingual, or know at least two languages. In the United States, the number of bilingual adults lags far behind at only 13%. There are many reasons for such a large gap in the number of bilingual individuals, but a primary reason trickles down to elementary students….
According to an NEA Policy Brief, by 2025 nearly 25 percent of students in public schools will be English Language Learners, the fastest-growing student population group. With such a dramatic increase, it is imperative that the educational community understands and adequately addresses the struggles of ELL students, and ensures that ELL teachers receive the best training possible. ELL students…
We check our phones upwards of 50 times per day — but when our kids play around with them, we get nervous. Are screens ruining childhood? Not according to children’s media expert Sara DeWitt. In a talk that may make you feel a bit less guilty about handing a tablet to a child while you…
Language proficiency is critical for the success of emergent bilinguals. Western Heights School District in Oklahoma City recognized the importance of providing intentional support and tools to enable their EBs to grow faster and do better on the WIDA test. In pursuit of this objective, the district implemented the Little Sponges® language development program in the…
In today’s increasingly multicultural society, classrooms are becoming more diverse, with emergent bilingual students representing a significant portion of the student population. These students, who are learning English as a second language while simultaneously developing their native language skills, face unique challenges in their language acquisition journey. One critical aspect of language development is comprehension,…
When it comes to academic tests, young emergent bilinguals have two challenges to overcome! The language barrier is only half of the challenge. Since most tests are now conducted online, technology skills are very important even in Kindergarten. However, many children who are starting school lack these skills for various reasons. Some attended a Pre-K…
One of the most effective ways to facilitate language learning is by providing Comprehensible Input (CI). CI is an instructional approach in which teachers provide input that allows language learners to understand most, but not necessarily all of the language input. In this blog post, we will explore the importance of CI in language learning for…
Many teachers and school administrators are already thinking about how to help their young language learners continue to develop their language skills during the summer break. Summer school programs for multilingual learners are gaining momentum. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of summer school programs for young language learners. 1. Consistency and…
In this article, we recommend five specific and measurable actions you can implement to take your DLL/ELL program to the next level in 2023 1) Build background knowledge. The best way to teach new content and skills is by activating and building on students’ prior interests and background knowledge before instruction. Students absorb and remember new…