June 2010

Dear Subscribers,

As you wind down after a busy year, we know you'll be ready to take a break! For those of you teaching summer school, focusing on professional development, or applying for new jobs, however, we'll be right there with you. Don't miss our new articles and resources for parents and teachers — and remember that the conversation about ELLs will be continuing on the Ning throughout the summer!

We are pleased to announce that the American Federation of Teachers has renewed our funding for the upcoming year, so after taking a break from the newsletter in July, be sure to look for some great new resources in the fall. Many thanks again to all of you who submitted user feedback in the spring — it made an important difference in this partnership project!

Have a wonderful and safe summer.

Sincerely,

The Colorín Colorado Team

New on Colorín Colorado

Colorín Colorado is pleased to present the following new parent resources!

The Resources at Your Library: This bilingual tip sheet/article introduces parents to the resources and programs at the local public library.
An Introduction to Preschool for Parents: Parents will learn about the benefits of preschool for their kids from this article. (Spanish version available).
The Importance of Preschool (Spanish Video): In this video interview, Becky Palacios discusses the reasons preschool is so important for young children and offers helpful tips about using the library, reading at home, and ways to support young children's success. English translation of the transcript included.

ELLs & the National Scripps Spelling Bee

Every year, many bilingual and ELL students come to Washington, DC for the National Scripps Spelling Bee. In 2009, we had the privilege to interview two bilingual participants, Julianna and J. Rexon, with their parents. As an added bonus, you can learn more about Julianna's recent 2010 performance as Top 20 semifinalist! Also, don't miss the moving story of J. Rexon's decision to do what was best for his mom and baby sister during a previous spelling bee.

More excerpts from the interviews will be added during the summer.

Summer Professional Development

If you're looking for some good professional development tools this summer, take a look at these resources from Colorín Colorado!

New Booklists: Recommended Professional Books for Educators

We are pleased to present a new set of booklists featuring professional titles, many of which have been featured in our monthly book reviews. We hope you'll find lots of useful ideas and resources from these publications!

More Resources from Colorín Colorado

Whether you want to download some podcasts on iTunes or are looking to browse some recommended websites, you'll find lots of great resources on Colorín Colorado.

Social Networking Opportunities

Colorín Colorado Ning: If you haven't had a chance to check out the Ning, connect with educators from around the country this summer and join our online conversation about ELLs!
Colorín Colorado on Facebook and Twitter: Follow new updates from the site and the ELL field through Facebook and Twitter.

Edutopia: Summer Rejuvenation Guide

It's time for you to take some time to relax, reflect, and unwind. Whether your summer plans call for heading off on an adventure or reading a good book, you'll find resource-packed ideas in Edutopia's Summer Rejuvenation Guide: 10 Tips to Help You Relax, Reflect, and Recharge for the Coming School Year. The guide also offers a number of ways to connect with other educators throughout the summer through networking — in person and online! The guide is available as a free download; user e-mail address is requested.

In the Classroom

Tips for Teaching ELLs in Summer School

The summer is a great time to work with English language learners! During summer school, you can focus on individual student needs and help students make some extra progress — all while building background knowledge, vocabulary, and academic skills. Learn more about how to make this happen from Sharon Eghigian, a teacher in Utica, NY with nearly 15 years' experience teaching ELLs in summer school.

For other summer resources, take a look at the following:

Response to Intervention in Reading for English Language Learners

While the research base focused on RTI for ELLs is limited, it's growing as more educators consider how it may best serve individual student needs. This article from the RTI Action Network briefly highlights the knowledge base on reading and RTI for ELLs, and provides preliminary support for the use of practices related to RTI with this population. Questions answered include:

What skills must educators have to effectively implement RTI for ELLs?
How is Universal Screening effectively implemented with ELLs?
How Is Progress Monitoring effectively implemented with ELLs?

Books and Authors

Book of the Month

Pelé: King of Soccer/El rey del fútbol
By: Monica Brown
Illustrated by: Rudy Gutiérrez

Did you know that as a boy, Pelé played soccer in bare feet with a grapefruit instead of a soccer ball? Monica Brown shares the inspirational story of the beloved soccer star's rise from humble beginnings to becoming El rey del fútbol. Rudy Gutiérrez's brilliant and fluid illustrations of Pelé and "the beautiful game" of soccer leap off the page. Bilingual text.

New Booklist: Time for Soccer!

As the World Cup approaches, it's a great time for books about soccer! These stories celebrate the excitement of the game, as well as the spirit of champions — whether it's as a young Mia Hamm learns that winners never quit, or a boy in a wheelchair takes to the soccer field with his friends.

For other books related to the World Cup, take a look at the new Tales from South Africa booklist from Reading Rockets!

Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference

If you're looking for some summer reading, you may enjoy this:
"St. John, a New York Times reporter, brought Clarkston, GA, to national attention in 2007 with a series of articles about the changes in the small Southern town brought about by an influx of refugees from all over the world. This book comes out of those articles. It gives more detail about the town and, most particularly, the three soccer teams composed of refugee boys (the Fugees) who were coached by Luma Mufleh, an American-educated Jordanian woman. The book is a sports story, a sociological study, a tale of global and local politics, and the story of a determined woman who became involved in the lives of her young charges. Keeping the boys in school and out of gangs, finding a place for them to practice, and helping their families survive in a new world all became part of her daily life. Engagingly written." - Sarah, Flowers, School Library Journal

St. John, Warren. (2010). Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference. New York: Spiegel & Grau.

Research and Reports

Young Latinos, Social Skills and Child Development

Discussions of Latino children are often framed in the context of developmental-risk theory, focusing on a variety of cognitive and sociocultural factors that can place children at risk for failure in school. However, recent research has shown that the way Latino children are characteristically socialized in the home may help them develop social competencies that can contribute to school success.

Galindo and Fuller (2010) examined data on a cohort of 19,590 kindergartners from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study and reported that when classroom teachers rated children on behaviors associated with self-control, interpersonal skills, approaches to learning, and internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors, Latino children overall exhibited many well-developed social skills known to be associated with cognitive learning in such subjects as mathematics. The researchers suggest that "core elements of Latino socialization, such as [an emphasis on] good comportment and respectful communication, cooperation, and caring for peers" (p. 579) are all characteristics that help children adapt to school and become successful learners.

For more on this and related topics, see the current issue of Developmental Psychology, which includes a variety of articles on educating Latino students. The issue begins with an introduction by Fuller and García Coll that provides an overview of current research on Latino children and families. Topics include: variation among Latino subgroups, parenting practices that support children's growth, factors that affect Latino adolescents' assimilation into their U.S. communities, and the relationship between social participation and cognitive growth.

Fuller, B. & García Coll, C. (2010). Learning from Latinos: Contexts, families, and child development in motion. Developmental Psychology, 46, 559-565.

Galindo, C. & Fuller, B. (2010). The social competence of Latino kindergartners and growth in mathematical understanding. Developmental Psychology, 46, 579-592.

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

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