back to school · bilingual · conventions · craft · ELL · multilingual · routines

Chants for Writing: Support Routines, Conventions, and Craft

Chants are a highly engaging teaching strategy that support multilingual and monolingual learners alike. Try them out for teaching routines, conventions, and craft in writing workshop.

multilingual · vocabulary

Bringing Down Students’ Affective Filter

March seemed like it was never-ending. I glanced at my planner last week and realized one whole week left in March. For those that share my sentiment, breathe, we made it, and tomorrow is April. This month, I've been assessing our multilingual learners. It is called the Summative English Language Assessments for California (ELPAC) in… Continue reading Bringing Down Students’ Affective Filter

Author Spotlight Series · illustrations · multilingual · picture book

The Smile Shop: A Tribute to Language and London

Award-winning author-illustrator Satoshi Kitamura details the inspiration for his picture book The Smile Shop. He explains how his introduction to the Spanish language planted the idea in his head and how the book is a tribute to the London he knew and loved when he was living there and developing his career as an artist.

multilingual · rehearsal · translanguaging · writing about reading · writing workshop

Reading + Talk + Writing = Innovative Expression Opportunities!

One way to keep writing interesting and fun right now is with the writing of life equations, supporting students in finding phrases to add together to capture small moments, experiences or feelings in their lives.

EAL · multilingual · revision · translanguaging · writing process · writing workshop

Recording, Revision and Repetition: Empowering Multilingual Writers

Recording for revision, encouraging translanguaging, and repetition are useful strategies to exalt and empower multilingual writers. As teachers of multilingual students, encouraging translanguaging and recording as revision is akin to telling students: every aspect of you is valued. Every aspect of you is important. 

EAL · multilingual · summarization

Supporting English Language Learners with Summary Writing

When I first started teaching and heard experienced teachers converse using acronyms related to English Language Development, I wondered if I would be able to memorize these acronyms as freely as they had. Twenty years later, I think I have a grasp on several of them. Here’s a few, try it out and see if… Continue reading Supporting English Language Learners with Summary Writing

EAL · Meet Writers Where They Are Blog Series · multilingual · nurturing

Behaviors: Meet Writers Where They Are

 Since the beginning of our school year, our schedule has changed more times than I could count on one hand. Students have come back from virtual learning, some have moved in and out of at-home learning for set periods of time, and the rest have remained in the physical classroom. Our environment is in a… Continue reading Behaviors: Meet Writers Where They Are

COVID-19 · digital tools · EAL · multilingual · sharing · teaching tools · technology · Voices from the Community

Providing Tools for Writing and Sharing Writing Through the Pandemic

Calling all primary writing teachers. Today Janet Ahn shares how she worked with her Kindergarteners to continue thrive in writing workshop through the pandemic. These young scholars continued to draft pieces, engage in conferring, collaborate to mark up mentor texts, and publish their writing through online platforms. Their dedication to continuing the writing workshop virtually was a reflection of how they truly saw themselves as writers.

EAL · Inventive spelling · multilingual · spelling · writing workshop

Spelling in a Writing Workshop

The truth… I’d rather not talk about spelling. There are more important things in a writing workshop, than to talk about spelling. Spelling well is a good thing. When we edit what we write, it is profusely important, but it has nothing to do with growing a writer. When we focus on spelling or grammar correctness, the growing writer becomes stifled.