Listening seems like it should be simple, but listening to a foreign language is difficult.Listening is one of the most essential skills in the bilingual classroom. It provides language input. Without input, language learners do not have the foundations to build on their spoken and written ... read more
Emergent Bilinguals: How To Get Them Writing Today
I used to think teaching writing to emergent bilinguals in a dual language program was too difficult. I felt unsuccessful whenever we had to complete a writing project. (You can read more about my journey as a bilingual educator here) Then, I learned that writing with emergent bilinguals looks ... read more
4 Ways to Support Language Learners with Place Value
Place value is a very challenging math skill to learn in 1st grade. Math academic language tends to be an added challenge for many of my young learners, specially our second language learners (ELL, ESOL, SLL). These are some of the strategies that I have used to support my language learner students, ... read more
A Virtual Valentine’s Day Party
Valentine's day is just around the corner, and this year I am celebrating it with my students with a virtual party. We might not be able to have candy or pass cards in class, but these are 10 activities that I have plan to make Valentine's a fun, engaging, and special day for my students. 1. ... read more
Word Chaining: A Powerful Practice For Phonics Instruction
Word Chaining, also known as word ladders, is a powerful practice to teach students spelling patterns. It allows students to practice reading and writing words with a targeted spelling pattern and improve their understanding of sound/spelling correspondence. Modeling Word Chaining Step-by-step ... read more
3 Easy Steps To Set Up Objectives For Guided Reading
The goal of guided reading is to teach young readers to use reading strategies independently to become fluent and skilled readers. There are many important components to an effective guided reading lesson. Above all, setting up objectives for guided reading groups is key to teaching the ... read more
Can Lectura Guiada Be Useful In the Bilingual Classroom?
Guided reading has been an important instructional approach to teach students how to read. Dual language and immersion teachers may wonder, how does Guided Reading/ Lectura Guiada look like in the bilingual classroom? In my experience, la Lectura Guiada is very similar in both English & ... read more
Setting Up Successful Literacy Stations
It's the beginning of a new school year, and it is time to set up literacy stations that will allow students to work independently. One of my favorite routines and procedures to teach in the first 20 days of school is my literacy stations. Expectations First, I introduce each station using the ... read more
How To Use Visual Directions To Improve Classroom Transitions
Using visual directions has been a game changer with transitions and completing activities in my classroom. Transitions are smooth. There are fewer interruptions during small groups. The classroom is peaceful & students are engaged. I set up my visual directions using the MVP strategy. I ... read more
Building Effective Routines For Calendar Math
Why is Calendar Math a big deal in my classroom? My Calendar Math is a short designated time that helps students: Review prior skills learnedReinforce newer skills that have recently been taughtPreview upcoming skills that will be learned On average, I spend 2-3 hours teaching Language Arts ... read more
