T.ELL.E-gram

This month's highlights

Featured articles

But What if I Don't Know English?

Many parents of English language learners worry that their own limited English proficiency will prevent them from helping their children learn to read in English. But What if I Don't Know English? explains how spending time reading, singing, and talking in the family's native language every day helps children build the language skills that are the foundation for learning to read in both English and their native language. (NOTE: This article is more specific to Spanish speakers, but the information can be adapted and applied to speakers of other languages.)

School Issues and Program Information

All schools are held to certain standards based on federal and state laws. School Issues and Program Information discusses some of obligations stated in the No Child Left Behind Act, which include 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.

October is National Learning Disabilities Awareness Month!

Be sure to check our homepage for information about English language learners with learning disabilities, including a new article written by the manager of LDOnline.org, our sister site about Learning Disabilities, Communication Strategies for All Classrooms: Focusing on English Language Learners and Students with Learning Disabilities.

Research and Reports

In October, 2003, the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sponsored a National Symposium on Learning Disabilities in English Language Learners. The goal of this symposium was to define a research agenda aimed at addressing issues related to identification and placement of English language learners with learning disabilities. Read the symposium report for ways to distinguish between actual learning disabilities and the challenges associated with learning a new language.

In the Classroom

Bright Ideas That Work

Tips for Successful Parent-Teacher Conferences with Bilingual Families

As the time for parent-teacher conferences approaches, you may be wondering how to hold an effective conference with the parents of your English language learners if they can't communicate comfortably in English. In this month's Bright Ideas, we provide a number of tips that will help you bridge that language gap, take cultural expectations about education into account and provide your students' parents with the information they need about their children's progress in school.

Frequently Asked Questions

As you continue to get to know your English language learners and their parents, you may want to consider the following:

• "What academic behaviors tell you it is time to make a special education referral for an ELL student?"
• "Can you help me locate resources for teaching Spanish to teachers? We are interested in the basics, but also in building vocabulary and fluency for parent-teacher conferences."
• "I have a first grade student who speaks both English and Spanish perfectly, but has trouble with written work in English. His parents are worried that being bilingual is holding him back. Should they start speaking English to him at home?"

Find the answers to these and many other Frequently Asked Questions about Teaching ELLs.

Achieving Success: From the Heart

A Perspective from the U.S. Department of Education
Kathleen Leos is Assistant Deputy Secretary & Director of the Office of English Language Acquisition in the U.S. Department of Education (OELA). She is also the mother of five children whose first language was not English. In this exclusive interview with Colorin Colorado, Ms. Leos describes how the issue of educating English language learners started as something personal in her local PTA and eventually became the central issue in her long and distinguished career in the ELL field. She also discusses the upcoming OELA summit and how it can help educators ensure that all ELLs are achieving academic success under the No Child Left Behind Act.

Beyond the Classroom

Book of the Month

Barrio: José's Neighborhood by George Ancona

George Ancona paints a photographic portrait of the life of eight-year-old José in San Francisco's diverse Mission District. From the school murals to the playground to the bakery, Barrio celebrates the vibrant mosaic of different cultures that José experiences each day. (Available in a Spanish edition and in an English edition with a Spanish glossary).

Watch our new exclusive video interview with award-winning author George Ancona, in which he talks about his photo-illustrated books and how he uses photography to offer insight into the everyday lives of children from different cultures.

In a Word: Accommodations

This month's glossary term refers to techniques and materials that allow individuals with LD to complete school or work tasks with greater ease and effectiveness. Examples include spellcheckers, tape recorders, and expanded time for completing assignments.

About the ¡Colorín Colorado! T·ELL·E-GRAM and ColorinColorado.org

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