October 2022

In the News

15 Tips for Talking with Children About Violence

These suggestions for educators and families provide guidance on how to talk about school or community violence and include updates related to this week's tragic school shooting in St. Louis, MO.

 

Natural Disaster Resources for Schools

The following resources can be used to address the ongoing aftermath of Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Fiona. These pages are part of our natural disaster guide, Natural Disaster Resources for Schools: Partnering with Multilingual Families.

• Hurricane Ian: Resources for Educators
• Hurricane Fiona: Resources for Educators

 

This Month's Highlights

ELL Strategies from Colorín on the Go!

Colorín Colorado’s new web app, Colorín on the Go, offers more than 100 ELL strategies that are easy to share with colleagues.

Teaching ELLs in the Content Areas

Here are some featured strategies from our section on teaching ELLs:

• Using scaffolds


• Drawing upon students’ background knowledge


• Pre-teaching concepts and vocabulary


• Using hands-on learning with ELLs


• Using project-based learning (PBL)

To access Colorín on the Go from your device, visit https://go.colorincolorado.org or use this QR code!

 

New on Colorín Colorado

Meet the Author: Donna Barba Higuera

Donna Barba Higuera is a middle grade and picture book author whose novel The Last Cuentista won the 2022 Newbery Award. In this interview produced by our sister site AdLit.org, Donna talks about the importance of her family's stories in her childhood and the inspiration for her award-winning book.

 

Ideas for Instruction

Teaching ELLs in the Content Areas: Audience Favorites

The following list includes some of our most popular resources related to teaching ELLs in the content areas:

• Language Objectives: The Key to Effective Content Area Instruction for English Learners


• Background Knowledge and ELLs: What Teachers Need to Know


• Using Cognates with ELLs


• Differentiated Instruction for English Language Learners (with related videos from Larry Ferlazzo and Katie Hull Sypnieski)

Articles in the content areas

• Opportunities and Challenges for ELLs in the Science Inquiry Classroom (Part 1)


• Communication and Language Strategies for the Science Inquiry Classroom (Part 2)


• Primary Sources, the Library of Congress, and English Learners


• Reading and Understanding Written Math Problems

Video: Using sentence frames with ELLs

ESOL specialist Sheila Majdi from Arlington, VA explains what a sentence frame is and how she might use this strategy with ELLs. Related discussion questions and resources accompany the video.

Family Resources and Outreach

Special Education and Your Child: FAQs for Multilingual Families in 14 languages

 

Getting Your First Grader Off to a Good Start: Bilingual Tips for Families

The leap from kindergarten to first grade is a big one, bringing new routines, expectations, and classroom schedules. Find practical tips on how to support your child during first grade in this bilingual article from Reading Rockets and Colorín Colorado, available in English and Spanish.

 

Books and Authors

Lotería

Eleven-year-old Clara has been marked for la Lotería, and the stakes could not be higher. But Clara knows none of this. All she knows is that her young cousin Esteban has vanished, and she’ll do whatever it takes to save him. Does Clara have what it takes to shatter the game and choose a new path?

 

Stories for Fall: Changing Seasons and More!

• Autumn Stories
• Spooky Stories: Books for Kids
• 13th Street: Chapter Book Series by David Bowles
• Chills and Thrills: Spooky Stories for Teens
• Celebrating the Day of the Dead: Books for Kids

Read Across America: Reading Diverse Books All Year Long!