Colorin Colorado: Helping children read... and succeed!
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Teachers who work with English as a Second Language learners will find ESL/ESOL/ELL/EFL reading/writing skill-building children's books, stories, activities, ideas, strategies to help PreK-3, 4-8, and 9-12 students learn to read.


A bilingual site for families and educators of English language learners

Helping English Language Learners Become Strong Readers


Reading 101 for English Language Learners

Welcome to Colorín Colorado, the leading website for teachers and parents of English Language Learners!

Here you'll find numerous articles, resources, and ideas to support ELLs at school and at home.

Why the name Colorín Colorado?
Learn where our name comes from >

Reading 101 for English Language Learners

The process of learning to read can be particularly challenging for English language learners (ELLs). The good news about teaching reading to ELLs, however, is that you don't have to learn an entirely new method. Learn more in our new article, Reading 101 for English Language Learners.

Books and Authors

Where The Wild Things Are
By Maurice Sendak

Book of the Month: Where The Wild Things Are

Max's imaginative adventure begins the night he wears his wolf suit and makes some mischief. When he is sent to his room to cool off, he travels to the land of the Wild Things, where he is crowned king. This beloved classic is also available in Spanish!

Where The Wild Things Are: Bilingual Family Literacy Pack

Where The Wild Things Are Bilingual Family Literacy Pack

Go on a "Wild Thing" reading adventure! Teachers can support reading together at
home with Reading Rockets family literacy bags
— designed to encourage hands-on fun and learning centered around paired fiction and nonfiction books. These literacy bags are available for download in PDF format
in English and Spanish.
(Level: Kindergarten)

Reading Rockets' Booklist: Fall Harvest of Books

Duck & Goose Find a Pumpkin

There's a change of season in the air. Gardens are ready for harvest, pumpkins are ready to carve, and costumes are made ready to wear.

Take a look at these children's titles such as Duck & Goose Find a Pumpkin from the Reading Rockets' Fall Harvest booklist!

New on Colorín Colorado!

Author Interview with Lulu Delacre

Lulu Delacre

Don't miss our new video interview with author and illustrator Lulu Delacre! Lulu has been writing and illustrating children's books for almost thirty years. In this interview, Lulu talks about the influence of her Puerto Rican heritage on her work, as well as the importance of our public libraries.

Math and Literacy for Preschoolers

Math is all around, even for our youngest learners. By providing a home rich in language and where thinking is encouraged, you can help your preschooler develop important numeracy and literacy skills. This article offers four examples of how to integrate language and math.

This Month's Highlights

Survey: ELLs and Stimulus Funds

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The Working Group on English Language Learner Policy (which includes Diane August, Kenji Hakuta, Robert Linquanti, Jennifer O'Day, and Charlene Rivera) would like your input about how funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) can be used to meet the needs of ELLs, as well as obstacles that might prevent these funds from being used to serve these students.  The group has created a brief online survey (10-15 minutes) addressing these questions, and they will compile this information and make it available to school districts and state departments of education. They are eager to hear from ELL educators around the country and to inform them of the group's recommendations for use of ARRA funds for ELLs.

Parent Question: Is it OK to speak to my child in my native language?

Parent Question: Is it OK to speak to my child in my native language?

Find the answer in our parent FAQ section (also available in Spanish). This month's question is an excerpt from Learning Two Languages: Questions Parents Ask and is reprinted with permission from
PBS Parents.

Recommended Resources

Chat: Educating Long-Term English-Language Learners

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Many school districts are at a loss on how to best educate long-term English-language learners. Kate Menken, an assistant professor of linguistics at the City University of New York, answered questions about what she's learned during three years of researching long-term ELLs in New York City.

Getting Started with English Language Learners: How Educators Can Meet the Challenge

By Judie Haynes

'Getting Started with English Language Learners: How Educators Can Meet the Challenge' cover

Whether you're a new teacher or a veteran with lots of experience working with English language learners, you'll find a wealth of useful information in this practical guide by Judie Haynes, an experienced ESL teacher and co-founder of the website EverythingESL. The book begins with a discussion of the stages of second language development and also covers such topics as working with newcomers, differentiating instruction for ELLs, and challenges related to content area instruction for ELLs. The real-life scenarios from actual classrooms are a highlight of this very useful classroom guide.

Haynes, J. (2007). Getting started with English language learners: How educators can meet the challenge. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).