ELL News Headlines

On the day she died, Cristina Irimie brought in desserts and other treats that she had baked for her math students at Apalachee High School to celebrate her 52nd birthday, which came on Aug. 24. By day’s end at the school in Winder, Ga., that typically kind gesture seemed like a thought from another world after a 14-year-old student shot and killed Ms. Irimie and three others in the deadliest episode of school violence in Georgia history. Also killed were Richard Aspinwall, 39, a math teacher who was also the school football team’s defensive coordinator, and two 14-year-old students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo.

Throughout rural America, non-native English speakers are less likely than their urban peers to get proper support in school, sometimes leading to a lifetime of lower educational attainment. But some rural schools are developing multilingual education strategies to rival those found in urban and suburban districts.

Dual language immersion programs — found to significantly raise student achievement in core subjects for English learners — continue to grow in popularity nationwide. Last year, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona pushed for dual language education and called for more investments in multilingualism in schools. 

Two Illinois State University students recently visited the town of San Sebastián del Monte, a small community in southern Mexico, to produce a documentary film focused on the preservation of the Indigenous language Mixtec.

To increase interest in reading, teachers can guide students to explore a variety of literacy approaches that support their development.

This season’s books for kids and teens offers many stellar reads, including new books by Meg Medina, Hena Khan, Linda Sue Park, Jasmine Warga, Kwame Mbalia, Jen Wang, Ruth Chan, Jason Reynolds, and Trinity Nguyen.

SLJ asked savvy librarians to share new things they’re planning, what they’re excited about, and advice for fellow librarians. Here’s what they had to say.

Guided inquiry based on primary source photographs can deepen young students’ interest in history.

The thing about Meg Medina? Not content to rest on her laurels, this one. This year she has another picture book coming out called No More Señora Mimí. Sweet and sad and unique, Medina taps into that very real moment when a child realizes that they're losing their beloved babysitter thanks to the arrival of a beloved grandmother. Bittersweet, it's a lovely book deserving of an in-depth interview.

English language learners will make up more than a quarter of Newark’s Public School enrollment this school year, an increase over last year that points to a growing need for more teachers and services.