ELL News Headlines

In a tight labor market where businesses struggle to find qualified workers, three states have discovered that investing in English language learning is unleashing untapped economic potential and building a more resilient workforce.

The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, in partnership with the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi, today announced the 2025 Ezra Jack Keats Award winners. The annual award is given to early career authors and illustrators for excellence in portraying the multicultural nature of the world.

Bringing nature into every subject not only is beneficial to student wellness and learning, but also can make curriculum more relatable and engaging.

Over the past few weeks, several early childhood and immigration advocacy organizations have mobilized to provide support and advice to child care providers and the immigrant families they serve.

Speaking more than one language may benefit children’s executive function — especially those with autism spectrum disorder, a recent analysis suggests.

Here's a look at what the Education Department does and doesn't do – and how much of it is protected by acts of Congress.

On January 27, the American Library Association (ALA) announced the top books, digital media, video, and audiobooks for children and young adults — including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery, and Printz awards — at ALA’s 2025 LibLearnX conference in Phoenix. The First State of Being, written by Erin Entrada Kelly, is the 2025 Newbery Medal winner. Chooch Helped, illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz, is the 2025 Caldecott Medal winner. Ms. Kunz is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation. Lola, written by Karla Arenas Valenti, is the 2025 Pura Belpré Children’s Author Award winner. Shut Up, This Is Serious, written by Carolina Ixta, is the 2025 Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Award winner. The Dream Catcher, written and illustrated by Marcelo Verdad, is the 2025 Pura Belpré Youth Illustrator Award winner.

Parents enrolling students in Oklahoma schools will have to provide their child’s proof of citizenship or legal immigration status under a proposed rule unanimously approved by the state’s board of education on Jan. 28. The rule, which must now go to the state’s Republican-controlled legislature and GOP governor, marks what legal experts and immigration advocates call one of the latest efforts to undermine and potentially overturn the 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Plyler v. Doe that grants undocumented students the constitutional right to a free, public education.

Jenni Torres has taken the helm as the new executive director of WIDA, the consortium that oversees English-language proficiency tests used by 41 states for English learners. Before this role, she served as chief academic officer at Waterford.org, a national nonprofit focused on early learning and kindergarten readiness.

As families try to adjust to a new normal after the Los Angeles wildfires, some parents and caregivers are noticing kids processing through make-believe.