Language

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===According to [|School Tools], there are at least 65 languages spoken by students and families in the ICSD. This linguistic diversity is an asset to our schools and a resource to every classroom. Teachers can best help children and their families from all cultures by acknowledging and responding to the importance of the child’s home language and culture. ===

Educational practices should focus on educating children toward the school culture and language, while preserving and respecting the diversity of the home language and culture that each child brings to the early learning setting. When a teacher acknowledges and supports the child's home language and culture, ties between family and school are strengthened.

It is also important to understand that it takes time to become proficient in any language. Often children may be able to understand and master basic communication skills but the complex language skills necessary for academic learning are more dependent on the learning environment. Teachers can engage children by infusing cultural and linguistic diversity into their programs. They should provide children with multiple opportunities to learn and demonstrate their learning, and frequent opportunities for children to work interactively with classmates.

**Dr. Jim Cummins: Empowering English Language Learners**
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Resources
===The following resources offer recommendations for creating a classroom environment that respects linguistic diversity as well as teaching advice on how to engage and empower the English language learners we teach. === Understanding Language aims to heighten educator awareness of the critical role that language plays in the new Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. The long-term goal of the initiative is to increase recognition that learning the language of each academic discipline is essential to learning content. ||  || Recommendations on using the Common Core Standards with English Language Learners. ||  || Resources about the implementation of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Learners. We’ll be focusing on the implementation of the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) with English language learners.
 * [[image:Screen shot 2012-12-01 at 2.19.15 PM.png width="320" height="177" link="@http://ell.stanford.edu/"]] || ===__Understanding Language: Language, Literacy and Learning in the Content Areas__===
 * [[image:Screen shot 2012-12-01 at 2.19.15 PM.png width="320" height="177" link="@http://ell.stanford.edu/"]] || ===__Understanding Language: Language, Literacy and Learning in the Content Areas__===
 * [[image:cal.png]] || ====Center for Applied Linguistics: English Language Learners and the Common Core Standards====
 * [[image:colorin.png]] || ====Colorin Colorado: A Bilingual site for Families and Educators of English Language Learners====

||  || **TESOL's Mission** To advance professional expertise in English language teaching and learning for speakers of other languages worldwide. ||  || The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition collects, coordinates and conveys a broad range of research and resources in support of an inclusive approach to high quality education for ELLs. To fulfill its mission NCELA supports high quality networking among state-level administrators of Title III programs. ||  || English language learners (ELL) in the U.S. now represent more than ten percent of the K–12 school population. As these students prepare to enter a workforce where manufacturing and industrial jobs continue to decrease, mastery of English, a high school diploma, and further education have become critical for success in the workplace. Mainstream teachers previously unfamiliar with the needs of ELLs are now faced with meeting the challenge of educating them. ||  || Achievement Gap and Obstacles Affecting Latina/o Educational Development,Pathways to Prevention: the Latino Male dropout Crisis, Educating Latinos: A Special Report and more...
 * [[image:tesol.png link="@http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/index.asp"]] || ====__TESOL: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages __====
 * [[image:Natioonal-clearing-house-for.png link="@http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/"]] || ====[|NCELA: National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition]====
 * [[image:Empowering-english-languagu-learners.png link="@http://www.pearsonschool.com/index.cfm?locator=PSZoB1"]] || ====__Empowering English Language Learners__====
 * [[image:Screen shot 2012-12-01 at 3.01.00 PM.png width="320" height="68"]] || ====__WISE: Latino Experience Issues and Resources.__====

||  || The Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network (RBE-RN) exists to develop and strengthen the skills, knowledge and competencies of educators, parents and local communities, provide technical assistance, professional development and resource materials to support academic achievement of Limited English Proficient/English Language Learners (LEP/ELL), and support the New York State Education Department’s commitment to higher standards for all students. ||  || CARLA is one of the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI National Language Resource Centers, whose role is to improve the Nation's capacity to teach and learn languages. CARLA offers a number of resources to teachers including a battery of second language proficiency assessments and a working paper series. ||  ||   || The dramatic increase in cultural and linguistic di- versity among children and families in early childhood programs requires urgent attention. One of the most pressing needs is to improve assessment practices for young English language learners. ||  || The largest word pronunciation dictionary in the world, now with translations. All the words in all the languages pronounced by native speakers. ||  || Click here for a variety of resources of interest to Educators of ELLs: Professional Development Video Links, Culturally-Responsive Booklists for Teachers, Articles by Speakers at Past Conferences, and Links to Helpful Websites. ||  || Larry Ferlazzo teaches English and Social Studies at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, California. He writes a popular education blog and a for Education Week Teacher. Larry has won numerous awards, including the Leadership For A Changing World Award from the Ford Foundation. ||  ||
 * [[image:esl-in-a-nutshell-links.png link="@http://www.ocmboces.org/teacherpage.cfm?teacher=835"]] || ====__RBERN: ESL in a Nutshell__====
 * [[image:carla.png link="@http://www.carla.umn.edu/learnerlanguage/"]] || ====__CARLA: Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition__====
 * [[image:assessing-young-language-learners.png link="@http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/WWSEnglishLanguageLearnersWeb.pdf"]] || ====__NAEYC: Where We Stand on Assessing Young English Language Learners__====
 * [[image:forvo-pronunciation-guide.png link="@http://www.forvo.com/"]] || ====FORVO: Pronounciation Guide====
 * [[image:Screen-shot-2012-04-20-at-7.18.19-AM.png]] || ====RITELL:Rhode Island Teachers of English Language Learners====
 * [[image:Screen shot 2012-12-01 at 2.50.33 PM.png width="400" height="155"]] || ====Larry Ferlazzo Website of the Day: For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL====