Colorin Colorado: Helping children read... and succeed!
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Teachers who work with English as a Second Language learners will find ESL/ESOL/ELL/EFL reading/writing skill-building children's books, stories, activities, ideas, strategies to help PreK-3, 4-8, and 9-12 students learn to read.

A bilingual site for families and educators of English language learners
Teacher's Aides and ELLs

Teacher's Aides and ELLs

Take a look at these tips for working together on behalf of your ELLs! See tips >>
Reading in the New Year

Reading in the New Year

Make a resolution to read more in the New Year! See ideas >>
Technology and ELLs

Technology and ELLs

Take a look at these great ideas for using technology in the ELL classroom! Learn more >
Supporting Refugee Students

Supporting Refugee Students

Learn more about ways you can help meet refugees' needs in the classroom. See tips >>
  • Teacher's Aides and ELLs
  • Reading in the New Year
  • Technology and ELLs
  • Supporting Refugee Students
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Books and Authors

Congratulations to the 2012 Pura Belpré Award Winners!

Pura Belpre Award

The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.

This year's winners are author Guadalupe Garcia McCall for her young adult novel told in verse, Under the Mesquite, and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh for his picture book Diego Rivera: His World and Ours .

Book of the Month

Diego Rivera: His World and Ours by Duncan Tonatiuh

Diego Rivera: His World and Ours

Duncan Tonatiuh introduces young readers to muralist Diego Rivera and his many sources of inspiration. He then asks what Diego Rivera would paint today. These intriguing reflections are brought to life by Tonatiuh's compelling, playful illustrations which evoke some of Diego's best known scenes and murals. 2012 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award.

Featured Booklist: Stories for the Chinese New Year!

Bringing in the New Year

Many people around the world celebrate the Chinese New Year (sometimes referred to as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival). This year it starts in January 23rd, and it's the Year of the Dragon! We've compiled a list of colorful children's books to accompany the festivities and help you welcome the New Year.

New on Colorín Colorado!

Words Their Way with English Learners: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling (2nd Ed.)

Words Their Way with English Learners: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling (2nd Ed.)

This guide gives teachers the resources they need to design research-based, developmentally appropriate word study lessons for ELLs. This teacher-friendly resource is now out in a second edition that includes an extensive media component featuring multiple video demonstrations, as well as numerous tools for teaching.

This Month's Highlights

Culturally Responsive Instruction for Holiday and Religious Celebrations

This article written for Colorín Colorado by Cynthia Lundgren and Giselle Lundy-Ponce offers some great ideas for bringing cultural content into the classroom in a way that increases all students' knowledge and interest while at the same time being respectful of the culture being featured.

Recommended Resources

Education Week Spotlight: ELLs in the Classroom

English Language Learners in the Classroom

Education Week has released a new resource publication on English Language Learners in the Classroom. The Spotlight is a collection of articles selected by Education Week editors and contains articles and commentaries on oral-language skills; long-term ELLs; differentiated instruction; and data-driven instruction. The collection is free to Education Week subscribers and available to non-subscribers for a small fee.