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.
Early Literacy
Children learn many of the skills they need for reading long before they begin school. Infants, toddlers, and preschoolers can learn about books and print and begin to learn letter names and letter sounds. These articles provide information on a variety of early literacy topics, including how to support young learners as they develop the skills that form the foundation for learning to read.
This section contains 28 articles.
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Students who comprehend the most from their reading are those who know a lot about words. These students know about word prefixes, suffixes, word roots, and multiple meanings of words. Families can help develop word knowledge through simple conversations focused on words.
Good Night, Sleep Tight: Preschoolers and Sleep
How to Read With a Squiggly Baby (or Toddler!)
Picture This! Using Mental Imagery While Reading
Does My Preschooler Have Delayed Development?
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe: Math and Literacy for Preschoolers
Getting Ready to Read: Using Storytelling, Rhymes, and More!
From singing and rhyming to storytelling and acting, these activities will help children to develop a wide array of reading readiness skills.
Selecting Books for Your Child: Finding 'Just Right' Books
How can parents help their children find books that are not "too hard" and not "too easy" but instead are "just right"? Here's some advice.
More Than Books at the Library
In addition to a wealth of books, your library most likely will have tapes and CDs of books, musical CDs, movies, computers that you can use, and many more resources. You also might find storytelling programs, books in languages other than English, or programs to help adults learn English or improve their reading.
Library Services for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers
As a parent, you are your child's first and most important teacher. Without a doubt, reading with children spells success for early literacy. Taking your children to the library often will help them develop an enjoyment and respect of books from an early age. As soon as you can, it is a good idea to include children — even toddlers — in weekly trips to the library. This articles describes some library resources available for young children.
It's never too early to read to your baby. As soon as your baby is born, he or she starts learning. Just by talking to, playing with, and caring for your baby every day, you help your baby develop language skills necessary to become a reader. By reading with your baby, you foster a love of books and reading right from the start. The tips below offer some fun ways you can help your child become a happy and confident reader. Try a new tip each week. See what works best for your child.
Being a toddler is all about action. Encourage continued language development and interest in books and reading by keeping things lively and engaging. Everyday experiences are full of opportunities to engage in conversation and develop language skills. The tips below offer some fun ways you can help your child become a happy and confident reader. Try a new tip each week. See what works best for your child.
Why Reading to Your Kids in Spanish Will Help Them Become Better Readers
Many parents are hesitant to read to their children in Spanish because they are afraid that it will confuse their children as they try to learn English. In fact, research shows that the opposite is true — reading to a child in his first language will make it easier for him to learn to read in his second language, and the benefits are even greater if a child learns to read in his first language. Read more about these benefits, as well as suggestions for ways to encourage your child’s Spanish-language literacy skills in at home!
Tips for Developing Good Reading Habits at Home
Good reading habits start at home! These simple steps that you can take will help your child become a stronger reader and student.
Helping Your Child Succeed: Helpful PreK-12 Tips
Some of the main academic subjects include reading, math, social studies, and science. Whether your child is struggling in a certain area, or you just want to help them get ahead, this article contains tips you can use to help them succeed in every subject, from preschool through high school. There are also suggestions for how to make sure your children are developing socially and staying healthy.
School Issues and Program Information
All schools are held to certain standards based on federal and state laws. This article discusses some of obligations stated in The No Child Left Behind Act, which includes mandatory testing. It also describes the different programs available to English Language Learners and students with disabilities, as well as vocational and college preparatory programs.
Besides your child's teacher, many other people are involved in your child's education, The more you know about what they do, the more you can help your child.
Pathways to Success:
An AFT Guide for Parents
As a parent, you want the best for your kids. The American Federation of Teachers shares your expectations and knows you can make a big difference in your child's education.
Even when your child is still a baby, there are things you can do to help him learn! The first three years of life are very important in developing your child's mind and abilities.
Tips for Parents of Kindergartners
Play with letters, words, and sounds! Having fun with language helps your child learn to crack the code of reading. These tips offer some fun ways you can help your child become a happy and confident reader. Try a new tip each week. See what works best for your child.
Reading Tips for Parents of Preschoolers
Read early and read often. The early years are critical to developing a lifelong love of reading. It's never too early to begin reading to your child! The tips below offer some fun ways you can help your child become a happy and confident reader. Try a new tip each week. See what works best for your child.
Don't forget to add non-fiction books to your reading routine! Kids can follow their own interests and learn about the world around them by reading about bugs, dinosaurs, or outer space. You can also use the information in books to do activities at home – make green eggs and ham like Sam I Am, or a newspaper hat like Curious George!
Oral Language: Expanding Your Child's Vocabulary
Talking to your child helps expand vocabulary, develop background knowledge, and inspire a curiosity about the world – all of which help with learning to read! Here are some simple activities you can do at home to get your child ready to read.
Creating a library of your child's books is a great way to show her how important reading is. It will also give her a special place to keep her books and will motivate her to keep pulling books from her own library to read. Here are some ideas for getting started!
Juguemos con el lenguaje/The Joy of Talking With Young Children
Parents, child-care providers, and teachers can take ideas from this practical guide to language and literacy development for Spanish-speaking children, ages four to eight years old.
This article provides a number of ways that you can make storytelling a part of the time your family spends together.
The first five years of a child's life are a time of tremendous physical, emotional, social, and cognitive growth. The experiences a child has during this time can make an impact on their readiness to learn. Here the Education Department offers some tips to guide parents in choosing childcare.
Dyslexia is the most common cause of reading, writing and spelling difficulties. This article provides a list of common signs of dyslexia.
Why the name "Colorín Colorado"?
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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 National Institute for Literacy and the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.
¡Colorín Colorado! ® is a registered trademark of WETA.
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