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.
Parent Tips
As a parent, you are the most important teacher your child will ever have! The articles below will give you some great ideas on how you can support your child's learning, both at home and at school. Be sure to explore the For Families section for more excellent ideas!
This section contains 112 articles.
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10 Steps for Parents: If Your Child Has a Learning Disability
If your child has been diagnosed with a learning disability, there are many things you can do to support him. Here are 10 ideas to get you started!
Juguemos con el lenguaje/The Joy of Talking With Young Children
Parents, child-care providers, and teachers can take ideas from this practical guide to language and literacy development for Spanish-speaking children, ages four to eight years old.
Creating a library of your child's books is a great way to show her how important reading is. It will also give her a special place to keep her books and will motivate her to keep pulling books from her own library to read. Here are some ideas for getting started!
A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words
How many times have you watched your child choose a book and then pore over the illustrations? When you look at a children's book, the illustrations can make the story come alive in magical ways. For some suggestions on how to use picture books to engage your child when reading together, take a look at this article.
This checklist can help to guide parents as they prepare their children for school. It includes milestones for good health, social and emotional preparation, and language and general knowledge.
But What If I Don't Know English?
If your Spanish is a lot better than your English, then speak, read, and sing to your child in Spanish.
Checklist for Helping Your Child With Homework
Children pick up languages much more easily than adults. This article answers some common questions about raising bilingual children.
The first five years of a child's life are a time of tremendous physical, emotional, social, and cognitive growth. The experiences a child has during this time can make an impact on their readiness to learn. Here the Education Department offers some tips to guide parents in choosing childcare.
Dyslexia is the most common cause of reading, writing and spelling difficulties. This article provides a list of common signs of dyslexia.
During the holiday season, consider adding some new traditions for your family that will make meaningful memories and strengthen foundations for reading and learning success.
Dads Who Are Making a Difference
In these selections from Dad's Playbook: Coaching Kids to Read, compiled by the National Institute for Literacy, a couple of dads share some of the ways that they are helping their kids become better readers.
Developing Writing and Spelling at Home: K-3
Writing is a terrific way for children to express their thoughts, creativity, and uniqueness. It is also a fundamental way in which children learn to organize ideas. And learning to write well helps children to be better readers.
Developing Writing and Spelling at Home: Pre-K
When engaging in writing, young children often mirror what they see around them; adults and older children writing lists, notes, text messaging. They are observing the way writing is used in our everyday lives. Here are some simple things families can do to support young children's writing.
Do you suspect that your child has a reading difficulty or learning disability?
This article offers suggestions of steps parents can take if they suspect their child has a learning disability, and provides an introduction to the process of conducting an evaluation.
Encourage Responsibility, Independence, and Active Learning
Taking responsibility, working independently, and engaging in active learning are important qualities for school success. Here are some suggestions for helping your child to develop these qualities.
Writing is a great way for your child to become a better reader. Here are some fun ways to get your child writing at home. Even very young children can write stories!
Five Free and Easy Tips for Summer Learning: Research Pointers and What You Can Do
Research about how much children lose ground over the summer is well documented, but kids don't have to lose ground over the summer. In fact, you can encourage your child to have a summer of fun and learning with these five free and easy things to do.
Fun and Effective Ways to Read With Children
Experts believe that reading to your child every day is one of the most important things parents can do.
Fun Reading Tips and Activities
We'll make sure you never run out of fun reading activities to do with your child. Share these with other adults in your child's life - grandparents, babysitters, aunts/uncles, and friends!
Even when your child is still a baby, there are things you can do to help him learn! The first three years of life are very important in developing your child's mind and abilities.
Getting Ready to Read: Family Activities
There are many activities that parents can share with their children at home in order to strengthen reading and language skills! These articles offer an overview of some of those activities, as well as specific ideas to use.
Getting Ready to Read: Using Storytelling, Rhymes, and More!
From singing and rhyming to storytelling and acting, these activities will help children to develop a wide array of reading readiness skills.
Getting Your Children Excited About the Library
Helping your children to enjoy reading is one of the most important things you can do as a parent and well worth the investment of your time and energy. It's important to remember that you can give your children this kind of experience even if you don't have a lot of books in your home. Your local public library has an abundance of books, plus many other valuable resources. This article offers some ideas for ways to get kids excited about the library.
Grocery Store Literacy for Preschoolers
Help Your Child Learn to Use the Internet Properly and Effectively
The Internet/World Wide WEB-a network of computers that connects people and information all around the world-has become an important part of how we learn and of how we interact with others. For children to succeed today, they must be able to use the Internet. Here are some suggestions for helping children learn to do so properly and effectively.
Help Your Child Understand What He or She Reads
When children get to fourth grade, they no longer spend time in class learning how to read. Instead, they learn about science, social studies, and many other subjects. They read in order to understand.
Helping Young Children Develop Strong Writing Skills
Writing is an important part of our daily lives, but it is a difficult skill to learn and master. By getting a head start with some simple activities, though, you can help your child begin to develop her writing skills at an early age. By doing so you will be contributing to her future success as a student and as an adult while teaching her how to express herself. In this article, we provide some of the reasons that writing is so important in our lives, as well as a list of suggestions that will help your child become a stronger writer.
Helping Your Child Succeed At School
Your child will benefit greatly if the important adults in his or her life – family members and teachers – work together.
Helping Your Child Succeed: Helpful PreK-12 Tips
Some of the main academic subjects include reading, math, social studies, and science. Whether your child is struggling in a certain area, or you just want to help them get ahead, this article contains tips you can use to help them succeed in every subject, from preschool through high school. There are also suggestions for how to make sure your children are developing socially and staying healthy.
Helping Your Child With Homework
This publication has been adapted from the United States Department of Education’s “Helping Your Child” series. You can see the full report at the Department’s website. This publication was originally written by Nancy Paulu, with updates for the current edition completed by Fran Lehr and Marina Balentine Walne.
How does the special education system work in the United States?
This article offers parents an introduction to the special education system in the U.S., and provides a brief overview of the IDEA law mandating special education services.
Besides your child's teacher, many other people are involved in your child's education, The more you know about what they do, the more you can help your child.
How to Help Your Child with LD Have a Happy Holiday
The holiday season is a time for family togetherness, fun, and friendship. But children who struggle with social and behavioral problems can feel lonely and excluded during this happy time. This article gives you a dozen ways to help you child join the fun.
The basic rule is, “Don’t do the assignments yourself.” It’s not your homework—it’s your child’s. “I’ve had kids hand in homework that’s in their parents’ handwriting,” one eighth-grade teacher complains. Doing assignments for your child won’t help him understand and use information. And it won’t help him become confident in his own abilities. Here are some ways that you can provide guidance without taking over your child’s homework.
How to Help: Talk with Teachers to Resolve Problems
Homework problems often can be avoided when families and caregivers value, monitor and guide their children’s work on assignments. Sometimes, however, helping in these ways is not enough. If you have problems, here are some suggestions for how to deal with them.
How To Know When Your Child Needs Extra Help
Children learn differently and at different rates. Some kids need extra time, especially if they're also learning a second language.
How to Let the School Know About Your Concerns
Is your child doing well in school? Is he or she having trouble learning, behaving, or studying? Is there a problem with another student, teacher, or administrator? If you have a concern, here are some steps to take.
How to Prepare for the Beginning of the School Year
These ideas will help your child get ready for a new school year. As the first day of school approaches, there are many things you can do to set your child on the path to school success.
Is my child ready to enter kindergarten?
In the United States, the expectations of children who enter kindergarten can vary from school to school. There are, however, some general social and educational guidelines about the skills children should develop by the time they start a kindergarten program, which are listed in this article.
Language for School Success: Talking with Your Child
Learning Disabilities: An Introduction for Parents
This article provides parents with a basic introduction to what learning disabilities are, and how they are identified. It also provides a list of steps that parents can take if they suspect that their child has a learning disability.
Learning That's Hands-On Holiday Fun (Pre-K)
Library Services for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers
As a parent, you are your child's first and most important teacher. Without a doubt, reading with children spells success for early literacy. Taking your children to the library often will help them develop an enjoyment and respect of books from an early age. As soon as you can, it is a good idea to include children — even toddlers — in weekly trips to the library. This articles describes some library resources available for young children.
Library Services for Children with Special Needs
Libraries offer a wide range of services for individuals with special needs. This article details some of the services that may be available for children and adults with learning or intellectual disabilities, who are blind or deaf, and gifted and talented children. If you aren't sure what your library offers, ask the librarian for assistance.
Library Services For School-Aged Children
Libraries take on another important dimension for children beginning school. There are special programs in areas such as summer readings, author visits, and creative writing. In addition, the library is a place to find information and help with schoolwork. Visit your local public library to see what services and programs are available for your children.
Library Services for Teenagers
Many libraries offer services for teenagers, providing information and activities of interest to teens in the community. Just being certain that teenagers know what kinds of programs are available may be the best help you can give — that, along with setting the example of visiting the library and reading yourself.
Making Music: Literacy Tips for Parents
Music is a great way to introduce children to sounds and words! Research indicates that exposure to music has numerous benefits for a child's development.
More Than Books at the Library
In addition to a wealth of books, your library most likely will have tapes and CDs of books, musical CDs, movies, computers that you can use, and many more resources. You also might find storytelling programs, books in languages other than English, or programs to help adults learn English or improve their reading.
Colorín Colorado is a must for every teacher and administrator. It offers guidance, support and excellent strategies for that teachers should use and that will benefit all students. Plus, the family involvement resources are dynamic. Congratulations!
~ Ileana M.
Why the name "Colorín Colorado"?
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Colorín Colorado is a free web-based, bilingual service that provides information, activities, and advice for educators and Spanish-speaking families of English language learners (ELLs, also known as students of English as a second language).
Colorín Colorado is produced by Reading Rockets — an educational service of WETA, the flagship public broadcasting station in the nation's capital. Original artwork by Caldecott Award-winning illustrator David Diaz is used with permission.
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Colorín Colorado receives major funding from the American Federation of Teachers. Additional funding is provided by the National Institute for Literacy and the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.
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