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But What If I Don't Know English?

By: Colorín Colorado (2007)

Note: This article is targeted towards Spanish speakers, but the information can be adapted and applied to speakers of other languages.

This article is also available in Spanish.

If your Spanish is a lot better than your English, then speak, read, and sing to your child in Spanish. Whether in English or Spanish, you can spend time reading, singing, and talking to your child every day. Doing so will increase your child's ability to use language.

Would you like some ideas on how to build your child's literacy skills? Click below to find out how to:

You can learn English, too!

As your child learns English, you can too! There are many groups that offer English classes for adults. You can find a class near you by calling the National Literacy Hotline, a toll-free phone number. You can talk to a Spanish-speaking person who will help you find a class.

Please call between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday. At other times, you can leave a message and someone will call you back.

1-800-228-8813

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Major support for Colorín Colorado is provided by the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO.

ELLs and Policy is made possible by a generous grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York.

I'm the ESL Program Manager for the Dept of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) in Europe. We're the school system for our military members' children. Our ESL programs support ELLs in grades Pre-K to grade 12. We have several delivery models — pull-out, integrated (inclusion), and collaborative/consultative. Most of the teachers are very familiar with your website and we often use your information for parents, administrators, and for classroom teachers of ELLs. I have shared your website each year with the new early childhood (ages 3-5 yrs) teachers in our system as well. I often refer to your website in newsletters to different groups.
~ Peggy Mohr, Instructional Systems Specialist

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Additional funding for Colorín Colorado comes from the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.

Why the name "Colorín Colorado"?

Colorín Colorado is a free web-based, bilingual service that provides information, activities, and advice for educators and Spanish-speaking families of English language learners (ELLs, also known as students of English as a second language).

Colorín Colorado is produced by Reading Rockets — an educational service of WETA, the flagship public broadcasting station in the nation's capital. Original artwork by Caldecott Award-winning illustrator David Diaz is used with permission.

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Colorín Colorado receives major funding from the American Federation of Teachers. Additional funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.

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