Every teacher strives to make a long-term difference in the lives of children who attend their classrooms. Educators who teach English as a Second Language (ESL) have no doubts about their impact on students. Teaching English to speakers of other languages present unique challenges: Due to limited vocabulary range or nervousness, students may struggle to… Read More

Learning to speak and write one’s native language well is often challenging enough; acquiring these skills in a second language requires even more effort, commitment, and practice. Mechanics of second language acquisition Each language has its own set of rules for speaking and writing the language properly, and individuals trying to learn a new language… Read More

Students who are learning English as a second language present a unique set of challenges for the classroom and the implementation of the Common Core Standards. Children in these situations come from a variety of backgrounds. Some may speak native languages that have some similar vocabulary to English, and these students may be able to… Read More

What do you think of when you hear the words graphic novel? Do you think literature or do you think junk? Do you think of cartoons and toys or do you think reading, connecting and thinking? Graphic novels are too often thought of as junk or empty reading. This is untrue; in my course room… Read More