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.
Current Issue
This is the English-language summary of our Spanish-language newsletter, the Boletín informativo Colorín Colorado.
In this edition:
We hope that you will be able to share the information in this newsletter with Hispanic parents and families who are trying to help their children become successful readers. You are welcome to print and distribute (crediting www.ColorinColorado.org), or you can use our Tell-a-friend feature.
In the Boletín informativo sobre la lectura, you'll find practical information on how to help children develop literacy skills. We also offer information to help parents actively participate in their children's education by helping them begin to understand the U.S. educational system, which varies from systems in Spanish-speaking countries. Many articles in this newsletter will make great handouts for parents!
This month's Boletín includes information about summer reading, library resources, and being bilingual.
Reading and school success
Summer Reading
School's over, but that doesn't mean that kids need to stop learning or reading! Summer is a great time for kids to read what they enjoy and to learn in new kinds of environments. Take a look at our new summer reading resources!
Parent Tips: Summer Reading
Five Free and Easy Tips for Summer Learning
Summer Reading Page
Bilingual Families: Questions and Answers
Many bilingual families have questions about language learning, reading and speaking in different languages, and how to support language development in more than one language. To learn more about these important questions, read these articles about bilingualism!
PBS Show: Becoming Bilingual
You may also be interested in watching clips from Becoming Bilingual, a 30-minute PBS program hosted by acclaimed actress Rita Moreno. The show examines the challenges of teaching children to read in a new language, visiting six cities across the country to learn about the different ways schools are working to create bilingual readers. Becoming Bilingual is the seventh episode of Reading Rockets' award-winning series Launching Young Readers.
Visit the Library
Libraries are magical places for children, full of great books, fun programs, and lots of learning opportunities. Read more about the programs offered by many public libraries around the country for children of different ages and adults, as well as how to get started and what to expect if you have never visited your local library.
Let's Read!
Make Reading Relevant
The summer is a great time to connect real-life experiences to what your kids are reading. This article offers some suggestions for ways that you can make reading come alive, as well as related book titles for different activities.
See articles in English:
See articles in Spanish
Book of the Month
From the Bellybutton of the Moon and Other Summer Poems / Del ombligo de la luna y otros poemas de verano
By Francisco X. Alarcón
In this collection of poetry, Francisco X. Alarcón remembers summers growing up in Mexico in poems presented in both English and Spanish. Readers meet his family and join them in the everyday joys of the sunny season. Illustrations are as colorful and evocative as the words.
Learn more about Franciso X. Alarcón from Colorín Colorado's Meet the Author interview with him!
Celebrating Fathers
I Love My Daddy Because…/Quiero a mi papa porque…
By Laurel Porter Gaylor
In this bilingual board book, beautiful illustrations of baby animals and their fathers remind us of many reasons why dads are so special.
Dads Who Are Making a Difference
Every minute that you spend reading and talking with your child pays off. In these selections from Dad's Playbook: Coaching Kids to Read, published by the National Institute for Literacy, four dads share some of the ways that they are helping their kids become better readers.
* To see more resources from the National Institute for Literacy, visit their Publications page.
The Role of Fathers in Their Child's Literacy Development
Dads: Did you know that reading with your child can lead to better school performance later on? Studies show that when fathers participate in learning, children receive higher marks, enjoy school more, and are less likely to repeat a grade. Reading time creates a bond between you and your child that will stay with you both forever.
See articles in English:
See articles in Spanish:
Research, Guides, and More
Summer Reading Resources
Summer is a great time to explore reading material beyond books, such as magazines and even child-friendly websites.
Here are four resources that we recommend for summer reading fun!
IGUANA Magazine
IGUANA is a Spanish-language magazine published for kids ages 7 to 12. Each issue is filled with stories, games, puzzles, interviews with prominent Latinos, recipes, project ideas, jokes, articles and more! To learn more about the magazine, read Colorín Colorado's official review. To receive IGUANA at your home, you can order the magazine through a paid subscription.
If you are interested in the magazine but are unable to order a subscription, check with your local library or school library to see if they might consider carrying it!
Special Offer: IGUANA Magazine is offering a discount to Colorín Colorado subscribers who order the magazine by August 15, 2008. To participate in the offer, print the subscription form from the website and fill it out, mentioning that you learned about IGUANA from Colorín Colorado. Those subscribers who send in their form by August 15, 2008 will receive a year-long subscription of IGUANA (normally $29.95) for $24.95.
Childtopia
This website features educational games and activities for children in both English and Spanish, including arts and crafts, worksheets, and reading, listening, and writing practice!
Cody's Cuentos
This website offers audio versions of Spanish-language children's stories with accompanying text so that kids can follow along while they are listening to the story. All you need is an internet connection! The stories can also be downloaded in a podcast (an audio file distributed over the internet). The site features a wide variety of classic and regional stories that your children are sure to enjoy!
Maya and Miguel Games
This website, offered by PBS Kids, features bilingual games and activities from the popular television show, Maya and Miguel.
Parent Tips: Children and Media
Your children may be interested in spending a lot of time watching TV, using the computer, and playing video games this summer. While these activities can sometimes be educational and lots of fun, it's possible to have too much of a good thing. Learn more about how to choose quality programs, websites, and games for your children and to monitor their "media time" from these PBS parent guidelines.
About the Boletín informativo ¡Colorín Colorado!
Colorín Colorado's Boletín informativo is a Spanish-language e-newsletter about reading and other educational issues, aimed at parents of Latino English language learners. This service is sponsored by the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
Major funding for ColorinColorado.org comes from the American Federation of Teachers, with additional support from the National Institute for Literacy and the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. The site was created by WETA/Reading Rockets, who takes full responsibility for its content. The points of view expressed in the articles included do not necessarily reflect the points of view of WETA, Reading Rockets, or any organizations who support us.
This e-newsletter is part of ColorinColorado.org, a free web-based service that provides information, activities, and advice for educators and Spanish-speaking families of English language learners (ELLs).
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Our mailing address is:
WETA/Colorín Colorado
2775 S. Quincy St.
Arlington, VA 22206
We look forward to hearing from you!
It's quite funny because when I finish reading a story, I always say, "Colorín, Colorado," and the children finish the saying for me, "Este cuento se ha acabado." Great work, please keep it up!
~ Higinio M.
