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Article about the benefits of Bilingual classrooms

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Article about the benefits of Bilingual classrooms

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This highlights the good that can come from bilingual instruction.

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Scott Dual Language Magnet School provides pre-K through fifth-grade students with a comprehensive education in both English and Spanish (including math, science, reading and social studies). According to principal Sarah Lucero, the program has grown from 32 preschool students in 2009 to 72 students this year: "Every year we've been able to stay at full capacity. We usually have a wait list on application day." Given the advantages of an early bilingual education, this high level of enrollment isn't surprising.

Scott students are immersed in a bilingual environment every day, and this provides a range of cognitive and social benefits that they wouldn't get in any other educational setting. The classes are split 50/50 between native English and Spanish speakers, and the teachers "speak only in the designated language and communicate using a range of engaging strategies to promote student understanding and language development." This organic exposure to a second language is intended to mirror the way students learned their native language, and it generally produces better results than traditional courses.

According to the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition at the University of Minnesota, students in immersive language programs "approach native-like levels in second-language listening comprehension and reading by the end of elementary school, although they are distinguishable from native speakers in speaking and writing." Lucero explains how the immersive environment at Scott helps students learn at all times: "It's been amazing to watch these kids become bilingual whose native language is English, and they come to school here and learn Spanish just from being in the school environment."

Despite the common misconception that learning a second language will invariably harm a student's capacity in his or her native tongue, a considerable body of research suggests that bilingualism has positive effects on academic performance and cognitive abilities. For example, American University's Jennifer Steele conducted a randomized, four-year study of dual-language students in Portland, Ore., and she found that their reading skills (in English) were a full grade level above their peers by the time they finished middle school. While this could be due to confounding variables (perhaps these students were more academically inclined to begin with), Steele points to the fact that the students' math and science scores remained roughly comparable to their peers. This suggests that their "metalinguistic awareness" has improved as a result of their bilingual education.

A 2004 study conducted by York University researchers Ellen Bialystok and Michelle Martin-Rhee suggested more general cognitive advantages to bilingualism. Monolingual and bilingual preschoolers were asked to do tasks that required cognitive flexibility - such as sorting shapes of different colors - and the bilingual students performed better. Bilingualism provides plenty of other benefits as well - it's a skill that's becoming more and more valuable in an increasingly globalized economy, it allows students to forge personal and professional relationships with millions of people around the world, it opens up new cultures and experiences.

Scott has more open slots than usual this year, and it's accepting applications on Thursday. Parents who want their children to be more dynamic speakers and thinkers should consider applying.

Members of The Capital-Journal's editorial advisory board are Zach Ahrens, Matt Johnson, Ray Beers Jr., Laura Burton, Garry Cushinberry, Mike Hall, Jessica Hosman, Jessica Lucas, Veronica Padilla and John Stauffer.

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Editorial: The benefits of bilingual education

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Scott Dual Language Magnet School provides pre-K through fifth-grade students with a comprehensive education in both English and Spanish (including math, science, reading and social studies). Accordi...

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this highlights the major aspects of krashens theory

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this is an article about games to help with language learning

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The best way to learn a new language is to make it fun. The more you enjoy what you're doing, the more likely you'll retain information. Many popular games can be played or adapted to help you become familiar with a new language, whether it's , or .

There are language learning games for all ages. We've created printables to help get you started on your language learning journey.

Free language learning games

1. Charades

Charades is a pantomime game you can play using just your face and body. Body movements and facial expressions provide clues for players to guess what you're trying to say. It can be a word, phrase, movie title, person's name - practically anything. You can adapt charades to require players to answer in the language you're learning, which can help you build your vocabulary.

2. Bingo

Download the bingo activity sheets for free

You can use the popular game of Bingo by using cards in the language you're learning. We've created English, Spanish and French variations. Each language includes cards in multiple themes like clothing and animals.

To make it more challenging, the Bingo caller can say words in English and the people playing have to identify the term in the language they're learning. For instance, the word "napkin" in English would be matched with "serviette" in French.

3. Pictionary

Pictionary is similar to charades, except clues are drawn. Write down people, places, animals, objects, and events in the language you and your group want to learn.

The group should be split into teams. When it's time to play, a player on each team will get a few seconds to look at the word and begin to draw. The object is to draw the item quickly and accurately so that the players on your team can guess what you're drawing before the other team does. Flashcards can be written and guesses made in the language you're learning.

4. Matching game

Cut out the cards from each printable page and match the English word to its translation.

If you want to play with a twist, go on a scavenger hunt for the items listed on the cards and label each item you find with the proper word.

You could also use these cards to play memory. Place each card facedown on a table. When it's your turn, turn two faceup. If the cards faceup are not matching words, turn them back over and let the next person go. The goal is to remember where each card is. If you turn over matching cards, you get to keep the pair.

5. Spaceman

This game requires at least two players. The first player thinks of a word. Then, they draw a spaceship hovering about the ground and add blank lines next to it for each letter of the selected word.

Other players guess letters, trying figure out what word player one chose. Every time they get one wrong, player one draws part of a stick figure below the spaceship. First the head, then the body, an arm, a leg, etc.

The players guess letters one by one until the puzzle is either solved or the picture of a person being taken to space is completed. If this happens, player one wins.

This game can be easily adapted by calling for words or phrases in the language you're trying to learn. It can help you learn how different words are spelled and pronounced because you have to speak the correct answer once you think you know it.

6. Name that item

This game is great for language learners working on their vocabulary. All they have to do is circle the icon associated with the word at the top of each box. Try having more advanced students label all the icons in the box and see how many of them they know!

Activities for learning a new language

You don't have to compete to learn a new language . There are plenty of non-competitive activities that can be just as much fun and just as helpful. Here are a few:

7. Introduce a friend

Two friends can interview and introduce each other in the language they are learning. Practice using phrases like "It's nice to meet you," "I'd like you to meet...," "Have you met...?" as well as identifying words such as a person's profession, where the person lives, and how you might know them.

8. Watch a movie with subtitles

Movies with subtitles can be great language-learning tools because you can hear the words spoken in the language you're learning as you read them on the screen. This helps not just with vocabulary, but with pronunciation. With modern technology, you can even rewind the movie to watch/listen to key lines you want to learn repeatedly.

Well-known movies with English subtitles include Life is Beautiful (Italian), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Mandarin), (French), and Pan's Labyrinth (Spanish).

9. Listen to music and read the lyrics

Listening to music in the language you're learning can help you master pronunciation and learn to sing in that language as well as speak. To understand what you're singing, look up the lyrics and their translations online. If you're proficient at the language, test yourself by guessing the translation and then double checking.

10. Mad Libs

Mad Libs is a word replacement game that can be played by two or more people. It's a great family game for long car rides, but it can also help you master parts of speech as you're learning a new language.

Books of Mad Libs games are available online or at stores, but you can also make up your own stories. The game creates a narrative framework, leaving some spaces open for random words. The reader calls out to other players for a specific part of speech or item to fill each blank, which can create some hilarious stories when you're done.

The game can help language learners distinguish verbs, adjectives, nouns, pronouns, proper nouns, adverbs, conjunctions, and so on. Try our worksheet or write your own.

11. Read a book of choice

Reading can help you recognize words in another language and place them in context. You may even want to read aloud to practice your pronunciation. You can select a book written for native speakers or, if that's too difficult, dive into one meant for language learners. Comic books are another option, and some books are written with side-by-side translations (parallel text) in, for example, English and Spanish.

12. Journaling practice

Language learners can work on their written language skills by writing a few sentences a day in a journal. Entries don't have to be long. Just talk about what you did during the day, how you feel, or what your goals are in the foreign language you're learning. This is a good way to practice everyday language that you'll be able to use in typical conversations.

Language learning board games

Old-fashioned board games can help you learn and practice language skills, too. You can find them at your local store, purchase them online, or even borrow them at some libraries. Below are a few examples.

13. Scrabble

This classic game rewards players for creating words from a selection of letter tiles drawn from a pouch. The more words you know, the better your score, so you're rewarded for building vocabulary. Scrabble is also available in different languages, with different letter values corresponding to their use in English, Spanish, etc.

14. Kloo

is a game designed specifically for language learners. Designed for 1-4 players ages 8 and older, it comes with a game board and hundreds of color-coded cards that help you form sentences. You can play 16 different games, including the classic version: Players score one point each for every card they play in creating sentences.

Games can be decided by reaching "home" (Paris for the French version, Madrid for the Spanish game) on the game board or accumulating an agreed-upon number of points.

Kloo also comes with language tips. It's available for French, Spanish, English, and Italian learners, and you can buy card packs or packages that come with game boards. The Spanish and French games are available for $40 each on Amazon.

15. Peaceable Kingdom Spanish Bingo

Peaceable Kingdom Spanish Bingo is a board game for people who want to learn Spanish. It's available on Amazon for $13. New rounds introduce new vocabulary items, such as articles of clothing, food, and household objects. The game comes with bingo boards and a bag containing circular tokens.

You reach into a bag and withdraw a Spanish word token with a picture of the meaning on the opposite side. If you have a match, place it on your card. You need four in a row for Bingo.

16. AGO card game

This Q&A game is a tool for learning French in a fun way. It features a 54-card deck. Each of 36 simple question cards bears a colorful picture along with a question in French, such as "Quelle est ta couleur préférée?" (What's your favorite color?), along with a prompt to answer the question by filling in the blank with the appropriate word. In addition, there are 18 action cards.

Players spend equal amounts of time asking and answering questions in random order.

is available for about $13 on Amazon.

Make language learning fun

Whether you're looking to learn a new language or brush up on your skills, you have a variety of options available, including language tutors .

If you're not the competitive type, you can use activities like watching subtitled movies, reading comic books, or listening to music. Whatever your preferred method of learning, there are fun ways to become familiar with and fluent in a new language. Choose what works best for you and start learning!

Alex is a writer and content marketer who loves learning about different cultures. She's lived in many diverse cities from New York to London and has explored many countries including Turkey, Thailand, and Mexico. Alex has taken basic Japanese, and hopes to use it one day when she visits Japan.

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16 Language Learning Games & Activities: Fun & Effective

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If you're trying to learn a new language, there's no reason it can't be fun. This article includes language learning games and activities for all ages to enjoy.

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this is a book about how everyone is different but the class is still a family

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"Family isn't always your relatives. It's the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what." -Unknown

Teachers do so much more than just teach academics. They build a sense of community within their classrooms, creating a home away from home where they make their students feel safe, included, and loved.

With its heartfelt message and colorfully whimsical illustrations, "Our Class is a Family" is a book that will help build and strengthen that class community. Kids learn that their classroom is a place where it's safe to be themselves, it's okay to make mistakes, and it's important to be a friend to others. When hearing this story being read aloud by their teacher, students are sure to feel like they are part of a special family.

And currently, during such an unprecedented time when many teachers and students are not physically IN the classroom due to COVID-19 school closures, it's more important than it's ever been to give kids the message that their class is a family. Even at a distance, they still stick together.

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Our Class is a Family [Olsen, Shannon, Sonke, Sandie] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Our Class is a Family

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this is decor that promotes diversity and acceptance of others for a classroom

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12 Classroom Diversity Posters for Classroom - 11x14" Diversity Classroom Decor, Inclusive Classroom Decor, Multicultural Posters for Classroom, Inclusive Posters for Classroom, Diversity Poster

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Buy 12 Classroom Diversity Posters for Classroom - 11x14" Diversity Classroom Decor, Inclusive Classroom Decor, Multicultural Posters for Classroom, Inclusive Posters for Classroom, Diversity Poster: Educational Charts & Posters - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

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this shows the importance of class newsletters are and how they can build connections with families

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Stephanie Nash - A Touch of Class Teaching

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Do you prioritize creating classroom newsletters in your classroom?

Once upon a time, I just wasn't organized enough to even think about adding another item on my plate like a classroom newsletter. ⁣?

Now, I always create my classroom newsletters on Tuesday's after school. This routine is part of my planning system. I talk about it in my Instagram post. Click here to visit the post.

Read on to see classroom newsletter examples, 5 reasons why you should be creating newsletters for your classroom, and 5 rules to follow when writing your newsletters.

5 Reasons Why You Should Prioritize Creating Classroom Newsletters

✅ Creating class newsletters is a wonderful way to maintain consistency in communication with families.⁣

✅ It is also a great way to maintain consistency in your planning! Knowing my families expect this holds me accountable. ⁣

✅ Families know what to expect & can potentially help their children at home. (If you follow tip # 4 - keep reading!)

✅ Creating a newsletter helps ensure you know exactly what you will be teaching for the next week. ⁣⁣

✅ It helps you stay organized with keeping track of all the upcoming events.

5 Tips to Creating Classroom Newsletters Families Can't Wait to Read

Make it Visually Appealing

First of all, there's a lot to consider when creating a newsletter for your classroom. If you want your families to continually read your newsletters, there are a few things you need to remember.

Do you know how many papers some families have coming home? Not to mention what the stack looks like with multiple children! First, to get your newsletters noticed, I suggest making them visually appealing. Print them in color if possible. (If you don't have Instant Ink, you need it.. like yesterday! Click here to sign up, and we both get a free month!)

Here are some do's and don'ts:

Do: Print in color, use simple clipart that matches the season/events of the month, add white space so it's not overwhelming, keep it organized, add some sections to make it easier to read, and vary font sizes.

Dont: Just send home paragraphs typed out, go crazy with the clipart, use the same size font, include too much information on one page.

Balance Consistency with Fresh Content

On one hand, you want your classroom newsletter to be easy to read and predictable, so parents don't have to search for information. On the other hand, you want them to be fresh enough that parents will want to read them! Find a good balance between the two.

Do: Include sections of your newsletter that remain the same, but designate a space for a fresh story or photo from your class.

Don't: Keep every single section the same each week.

Add Real Photos to Your Classroom Newsletters When Possible

Since you are designating a space on your classroom newsletter for fresh content, I suggest using this space to add an actual photo of a student or something you are doing in class. If you are not allowed to photograph students, snap a quick photo of a work sample to share.

Do: Include pictures of students or student work samples (if you are allowed.)

Don't: Skip this step! It is important!

Make Sure Your Newsletters has Actionable Content

When creating your class newsletters, it is a wonderful practice to include vocabulary words, sight words, and topics of study. However, an even better practice is including a tip to alert families of how they can help! This could be a link (if you do digital newsletters) or a short game they can play if you are doing paper. You can also include items that need to be brought in or things that need to be done.

Do: Give the families something to do with the information you are sending.

Dont: Only list a bunch of information.

Keep it Short & Sweet

There are very few people out there who want to read pages of information each week. Ain't nobody got time for that. Give the information you need to send and leave it at that. ?

Do: Be direct, short & sweet.

Don't: Write a novel.

If any of this is overwhelming to you, I have you covered. I have created these Classroom Newsletter Templates you can download to use digitally or print to send home. Simply use the tips I listed here to add your own content to these classroom newsletter examples, and you are ready to go!

SAVE TIME! CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR EDITABLE CLASSROOM NEWSLETTER TEMPLATES, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT CREATING YOUR OWN!

Boho Rainbow Classroom Theme - A Tour with Freebies My Top 5 Amazon Organization Must Haves How Math Talk Absolutely Changed my Classroom
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How to Create Amazing Classroom Newsletters Families Can't Wait to Read

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Do you prioritize creating classroom newsletters in your classroom? Once upon a time, I just wasn't organized enough to even think about adding another item on my plate like a classroom newsletter. ⁣? Now, I always create my classroom newsletters on Tuesday's after school. This routine is part of my planning system.

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this article talks about how teacher helpers are good to use and how to use them correctly

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So, the big question is, do you use parent helpers in the classroom or not?

I think it comes down to what you feel comfortable with and what works for your class. It's important to fully understand the parent volunteers policy for your school before you embark on this path. Personally, the thought of having parents in the classroom while I was teaching, completely and utterly terrified me, to begin with. However, I quickly realised that any help you can get in the classroom is beneficial!

For me, the saying "many hands make light work' comes to mind! Just having that extra set of hands can make a massive difference.

When parents are involved at school, the performance of all the children at school, not just their own, tends to improve. The more comprehensive and well planned the partnership between the school and home, the higher the student achievement ( Henderson and Berla).

Here is a detailed view of how I planned and organised parent helpers in my classroom.

How to Coordinate Parent Helpers in the Classroom

At the beginning of each year, I sent home a letter to the parents of my class. I gave the following options to volunteer with the class:

reading with children in the mornings

small group assistance during the day

art and craft afternoons (once a term - dates given in advance)

volunteers for excursions.

assistance with laminating, cutting etc at home.

I never pressured parents to help in the classroom, however, I tried to make sure there was an option for all parents to help at some point in the year.

Prior preparation and planning with parent help in the classroom is a crucial element. Once everything is organised and the parents know what to expect, it's really not as daunting as it first seems...

Obviously, there are some classroom tasks that are more appropriate for parents than others. Here is an overview of how I utilised parent helpers in the classroom.

Small Group Assistance

During Maths or English rotations, I would have one or two parent helpers in the classroom. The parents that helped with this became used to the routine of who they worked with and how I would run the rotations in my classroom.

I would have prepared a special basket with their names on each, this had all of the resources they needed for the activity their group was working on.

The parent helpers knew to come into the classroom, pick up their basket and wait to the side until I sent their group to them.

I made sure the activity that the parent helpers were working at was a revision of a key concept and a fairly easy activity for the children to do. During the rotation, they would often have two separate groups for 10-15 minutes each.

Here is a list of activity examples:

Listening to Children Read

Students reading daily in my classroom was imperative. Having parents come and listen to the children read was a no-brainer for me!

This was often popular with parents who had to go to work during the day but could spend 10 minutes in the morning listening to children read. This again became part of our morning routine. The children came into class and grabbed a storybook from their leveled reading box (this could also be their home readers) and then worked on an activity that I would write on the whiteboard (usually handwriting practice).

The parents would sit just outside my classroom and wait for the children to come to them. It worked really well and the children loved it!

I would usually start with the child of each parent helper first, and then send out other students as they finished.

Shutterstock.com / pavla

Art and Craft Afternoons

These afternoons were always heaps of fun! I love crafternoons, so again it was a no-brainer to have parents come and help with the craziness!

There was always a theme... Easter, Space, Seasons...

I would plan 4-5 tables of different crafts and the children were able to go from craft to craft. The parent helpers stayed at the same activity the whole afternoon, this meant I only needed to explain one activity to each of them.

The children would come in after lunch and each craft was explained to both the students and parent helpers.

This was always very popular as the dates were all predetermined and parents were given ample notice to organise time off work if they wished to do that. If I had eight parent helpers, then that meant 2 parent helpers on each activity. The more the merrier!

Sight Words / Number Facts

If I was ever overwhelmed with parent volunteers, this was another fantastic use of time with an extra adult in the room. One afternoon a week, I would have a couple of parents sit one-on-one with a couple of students and revise their very own set of sight words and number facts.

Each student had their own sight word and number fact folder. These folders contained the words or number facts suited to their level of understanding.

I simply used a manilla folder cut in half for each students' corresponding flashcards. There was also a notes section on the back so parents could let me know how the students went and if I needed to retest them and put them up a level.

Source: Henderson, A.T., and Nancy Berla. 1995. A New Generation of Evidence: The Family Is Critical to Student Achievement. Washington, DC: Center for Law and Education, 14-16.

Do you use parent volunteers in your classroom?

We would love to hear from you, leave us a comment...

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How to Manage Parent Helpers in the Classroom

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Personally, the thought of having parents in the classroom while I was teaching, completely and utterly terrified me, to begin with.

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this is a book that talks about how to advocate for ELLs, and from what i read seems very effective and engaging

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Advocating for English Learners: A Guide for Educators

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Advocating for English Learners: A Guide for Educators [Fenner, Diane Staehr] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Advocating for English Learners: A Guide for Educators

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this is a graphic that highlights the importance of being an advocate for all students

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Rooted Linguistics: Serving Teachers of Multilingual Learners

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This topic has been rolling around in my mind for quite some time. I hear about the problem from EL teachers around the nation. Not to mention that as an EL teacher myself, I encountered this struggle too many times.

I remember vividly having a meeting with a gen ed teacher. One of our students was struggling in her class. He hadn't been in the US very long, only a bit over a year. So I asked that we meet to discuss how I could help to plan with her and accommodate instruction. I was met with resistance from the moment I walked in the room. The teacher explained that she felt that this student (along with all the other ELs) should not have anything different than everyone in the class. She explained that she has heard him speak and that he is capable of doing the work. She went on to tell me that the grades were reflective of defiance and not ability.

Ouch.

I listened. Quietly. But it was difficult. And then when she finished, I carefully shared with her his language levels in each domain explaining the difference between social and academic language. We took a look at the types of accommodations that were appropriate for a learner at his language proficiency. In the end, it took a while for this teacher to come around. It took support, scaffolding, and leading the teacher to find the best way to make progress with the student. And to begin with, rebuilding their relationship came first. This student needed to know that the teacher genuinely cared about his education and growth.
So what can you do if you are faced with a similar dilemma? Here are a few tips I've learned along the way:

1. Build a caring relationship with the teacher.
The teacher will not trust you unless a solid foundation is there. Begin with casual conversations that have nothing to do with school. Get to know the teacher beyond work. Ask personal questions (but not too personal). Then start talking about content. Discuss the learning that's happening in the classroom. Finally talk about specific students, how they are doing, what they need to succeed, etc. This will not happen in one day, not in a week...it will take time.

2. Scaffold the teacher's learning.
Model for the teacher (if you can) what you would like for him/her to do with students. If the teacher would benefit from understanding language development, scaffold that instruction for them. Introduce it in small chunks or provide visuals.

3. Model lessons.
The best professional development is learning from other educators or our peers. Model lessons for the teacher that highlight accommodations. If you are a co-teacher, then this will work out great. If this is not possible, set up a time when the teacher can observe another educator to see a lesson. This is great because it not only helps your teacher who is struggling but also builds capacity for the other teacher.

4. Suggest professional learning opportunities.
When the teacher is open to learning more, suggest professional development that will help to build on their practice. In-district PD, out of district PD, online learning, professional books, or twitter chats, are excellent. Each teacher will have their own learning style. Some like face to face while others prefer to read on their own or learn on line. The good news is that there are many options available these days.

Being culturally aware and responsive to our students' needs is critical to their success. The more we support them during their learning, the better they will perform when it counts. I have found it helpful to share this cultural proficiency continuum (shared with me at a training) with educators and let them self-reflect.

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2024 marks 50 years since the Lau v Nichols ruling. How has education for multilingual learners improved where you work? ​ Here are some resources related to Lau v Nichols.

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This is the information about the ESL program in my hometowns school district. I think this is important for teachers and families to know.

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Dual Language and ESL / English as a Second Language (ESL)

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English as a Second Language (ESL) program services are offered in GISD for students in PK-12 whose native language is other than English to develop and accelerate their English language proficiency. The English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) are an integral part of the required curriculum in each subject of the TEKS and ensure that English Language Learners have the full opportunity to learn English and succeed academically.