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Bridging the cultural gap for ELLs
Douglas Magrath EducationLanguage and culture are intertwined. Culture is a part of life, and students need to understand the cultural implications of reading material. One can learn a lot of about a specific culture group by reading its fiction, poetry and theatrical works.
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Summers with substance: How summer programs can further learning
Corinne Garcia EducationAs a parent preparing for my child's upcoming summer vacation, I'm always on edge about the summer learning loss, also known as the infamous "summer slide." The National Summer Learning Association reports that most students lose an average of two months of grade-level equivalency in math over the summer.
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Setting summer goals: Linking school years together
Pamela Hill EducationFor many, there are just a few days left in the current school year. Some educators are making final lesson plans for the school year, others are developing summer school lesson plans, and parents are making plans to fill the months of summer with activities.
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How does your school garden grow?
Brian Stack EducationAfter a long winter, spring has finally arrived. For many — especially those who spent a season buried under record-breaking snowfalls — the warm weather means it is time to plant the family garden. Home gardens have been on the rise since 2009 when the White House announce plans to plant their own kitchen garden.
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Social emotional learning and English learners
Erick Herrmann EducationIn recent years, schools have increased their discussion and focus on social and emotional learning. Social and emotional learning (SEL) is characterized by the teaching, practice and implementation of social skills in the classroom as well as helping students with managing emotions, making decisions that are considerate of others, and building and maintaining positive relationships. Social and emotional skills taught in classrooms often include skills such as kindness, empathy, gratitude, resilience and fairness.
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For the love of reading: Using technology to draw students to literacy
Pamela Hill EducationMy love for reading goes back further than I can actually recall. As an educator, I want my students to love to read, not just learn to read. Parents of students with diagnosed reading disabilities want their children to read and enjoy reading as well. Students with diagnosed reading disabilities spend more of their educational hours in intensive reading instruction than the average reader.
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Simple exercises to improve ELL reading skills: Science
Douglas Magrath EducationEnglish for science courses will help students who have passed the admissions test and are not quite ready to begin their courses in the scientific fields. Outside of the sheltered ESL and TOEFL classes, the demands are different.
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Senate bill may provide big boost to competency education
Brian Stack EducationIn a news release to its members last month, the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) announced that it has been assisting in the reauthorization of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The bill is moving forward from committee to the full Senate as the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 (ECAA), a bill last updated as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in 2001.
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My child struggles with writing: Why typical evaluations don’t do…
Howard Margolis EducationTypical writing evaluations are often inadequate. Knowing this may help you convince school or private evaluators that your child needs a different kind of writing evaluation, one that might use but doesn't depend on standardized tests to compare him or her to other children. Instead, outside of standardized testing, it directly examines what he or she can and can't do well and tries to identify external barriers to progress. There are several important written requests you may need to send the school. If you're faced with resistance, there are possible actions to lessen or eliminate it.
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What we talk about when we talk about best practices: Reading and writing
Debra Josephson Abrams EducationIn previous articles, we have explored best practices in curricula, methods and approaches, multiple instructional approaches, choosing materials and assessment. In this article — the final in the series — we examine the content elements necessary for inclusion in a best practices-based curriculum.
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