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Reading is a great way to encourage language development in children.  Exposing children to books at a young age has countless benefits ranging from learning new vocabulary to developing problem solving skills.  Language development studies show that reading books has the ability to create interactional contexts that nourish language development. It is important to establish a reading routine with children … Read More

Tips for Successful Parent-Teacher Conferences with Spanish-Speaking Parents Over the years, as the number of Hispanic students has continued to grow, there are now some really great resources out there for teachers and, in particular, some really handy tips for successful parent-teacher conferences with Spanish-speaking parents. Knowledge is power and conducting a meaningful conference for Hispanic parents can’t help but … Read More

Webinar Training for Family Engagement: Schedule Your Own Training You can now schedule your own video workshop. The Latino Family Literacy Project offers online training that is grade level specific. The video webinars are approximately 1.5 hours and provide training for the implementation of our programs, including infant/toddler, preschool, elementary, and middle/high school levels. The webinars encompass research and trends … Read More

Family Literacy Tip: Start with a Picture Walk Children have a natural sense of curiosity.  When they see or hear something that intrigues them, they naturally want to attempt to learn what it is and try to understand it.  Children are always learning. As they have new experiences every day, there are always new questions to be answered or comments … Read More

Bilingual Education in the State of New Jersey is required in the state’s education code.  This provision is in place to provide Bilingual Education to English Language Learners (ELLs)  and to provide information to parents in their language. Bilingual Education was established in the State of New Jersey to assist ELLs in acquiring English as a second language while gaining … Read More

Assimilation and Language For centuries, the word “assimilation” has been the buzzword used to describe the way immigrants adapt to their new country. It’s a word to describe the process of trying to fit into a new culture, but many Latinos who come to this country face a litany of challenges during the assimilation process, as they begin to try … Read More

Title I and School Improvement (ESEA) Title I is part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and was recently amended to Title I – Improving The Academic Achievement Of The Disadvantaged. The purpose of Title 1 is  “to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education.”  Additionally, Title 1 … Read More

Texas and Bilingual Education Texas was one of the early pioneers in bilingual education.  In 1968, Joe Bernal, a State Representative from San Antonio, championed a new state law to remove the prohibition of bilingual education and allowed for schools to implement bilingual programs in schools throughout Texas.  Texas is one of four states that require school districts to implement … Read More

STEM and Family Engagement STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  This term is used to group together these four academic disciplines. STEM education is important because all four disciplines are prevalent in all aspects of our lives.  The U.S. Department of Commerce states that STEM occupations are increasing at 17%, while non-STEM occupations are only growing at 9.8%. … Read More

Reaching out to Spanish-speaking Parents in Rural Schools Reaching out to Spanish-speaking parents has been one of the aims of educators and schools across the United States for quite a few years now.  Over 80% of all English Language Learners (ELLs) are Spanish-speaking.  With the Hispanic population steadily remaining the fastest growing segment of the population in the United States, … Read More