Whether you have taught for a year or a decade, in a city or rural school, this book is a must have. The population of students with limited English grew by 105 percent between 1991 and 2001, while English speaker populations grew by only 12 percent. Almost half of our English Language Learners (ELLs) are in elementary schools. And although limited English speakers are not distributed evenly among the states, they live almost everywhere.
Are you reaching every learner? Is there some lesson you have yet to design or assessment that you may not have thought of? This book will inspire your creativity. It helps the K-12 teacher plan lessons according to grade level. By understanding language and by using the other ways we communicate our ideas to each other, teachers can apply strategies about reading, writing, talking, and inquiry to connect with students who may have difficulty communicating with us.
It is the responsibility of every teacher to break through linguistic and other barriers to learning to encourage student success. Science is often the hook. The range of essays in this book includes both the practical and theoretical. Chapters on teaching techniques and strategies correlate with experience, evidence, and assessment. Practicality provides a format of science instruction, but integration provides the literacy connection.
This book is not just for teachers with ELL students. Explaining how language affects science and learning, it is full of information to address the needs of all learners and their teachers. The writing from this stellar list of authors is outstanding. I was not only glued to this book because of my quest for new knowledge but also I had many an "aha" moment. To be prepared for tomorrow and a decade of tomorrows, every teacher should read this book, and it should be found in every science classroom.