ELL News Headlines

Districts throughout the United States are starting dual language immersion programs at rapid rates. When these programs are started quickly, without a solid foundation or in-depth planning, problems arise that hinder the academic and language development of the students, as well as the overall implementation of the immersion programs. There are seven essential components of a dual language program that districts can follow to ensure the success of these programs. 

The school system welcomed its new manager of English learners Tuesday, according to the superintendent, who once oversaw the new hire when they worked together at South High Community School several years ago. Carmen Melendez comes to the position having most recently worked as head of North Attleboro High School’s guidance department.

On Rebecca Palacios's first day in front of a classroom, one of her white students picked up his chair and threw it toward her, declaring that he refused to be taught by a "Mexican teacher." Growing up in the 1950s and ’60s, Palacios learned about American discrimination against Latinos first-hand. Her father, a World War II veteran who worked for the public-park service in Texas, spoke frequently about the daily humiliations of being a Latino in America — of not being able to eat in certain restaurants or use certain water fountains. He would recount stories of teachers prohibiting him from speaking Spanish in school, sometimes hitting him when he spoke it with his friends.  

If you're a kid or the parent of one, you have no shortage of choices when it comes to family-friendly TV shows. Fifty years ago, the options were much more limited. And educational programs for kids were a relatively new genre. Lesli Rotenberg, senior vice president and general manager of children's media and education at PBS, joins 1A to talk about what the future of kids TV looks like and TV's role in the education of children today.

"High schooler Moss is a survivor. He's witnessed his father's death at the hands of the police and has anxiety, but his friends and mother help him through panic attacks. He struggles with self-consciousness and body image, and his dating life as a large, gay, African American male teen has been nonexistent — until he meets Javier, an undocumented immigrant from a different school, and begins to fall in love… In the same vein, the diversity of this title also makes it shine: sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, race, and ethnicity are all portrayed in Oshiro’s inner-city Oakland setting. This timely title will provoke much-needed discussion."

A school district in New Mexico's Four Corners region wants to have some students fluent in Spanish or Navajo by time they graduate from high school. Kindergartners in the Farmington Municipal School District next school year have the chance to enroll in a dual-language program in Spanish or Diné, the Daily Times in Farmington reports.

Scientists have long posited that there is a "critical period" for language learning, but new research suggests that the time frame stretches on much longer than previously thought. A new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology suggests that children remain skilled at learning the grammar of a new language up to the age of 17 or 18, the time at which many students graduate high school. This finding injects new evidence for the decades-long debate over the "critical period" that had centered on whether the decline in language-learning skills begins at age 5 or at the onset of puberty.

A federal judge's ruling on the future of DACA could open the door for tens of thousands of undocumented high school-age students to be protected from deportation. Handed down last week, the court's ruling is the third that ensures DACA will remain in effect for recipients after a March 5 deadline originally set by the Trump administration.

Last summer, library media specialist Heather Cory went to the public library nearest her school, but she didn't see any of her Midwest City (OK) Elementary School students. She then drove past her school and the adjacent park, which are within walking distance for many of the kids. She found them at the Splash Pad, a park water play area.

Monday, April 30 is El día de los niños/El día de los libros, also known as Children’s Day/Book Day or Día! Día is a national library program that “fosters literacy for all children from all backgrounds.” It aims to help meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population and promote understanding and acceptance. This specific day of celebration highlights the program designed to “celebrate a variety of cultures every day, year-round.” Día events are planned at schools and libraries around the country. For educators looking for ideas, the American Library Association has free downloads of booklists, planning kits, coloring sheets, and more. This year, the Library of Congress is presenting a free interactive video conference and livestream for public librarians, school librarians, and K–12 teachers from around the country.