Teaching Immigrant and Second-Language Students
Strategies for Success
Edited by Michael Sadowski
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the immigrant population in the United States has nearly tripled in the last three decades. Now nearly one out of five young people speaks a language other than English at home. As the demographics of American classrooms change, educators need a host of strategies to ensure that they meet the needs of all students who sit in today's classrooms.Teaching Immigrant and Second-Language Students draws on the work of teachers, administrators, and researchers to identify the practices that reach these learners most effectively. An underlying premise of the book is that, rather than viewing immigrant and second-language learners as "problem" students, educators can succeed by focusing on the many assets these young people bring to the classroom.
Contributors address such topics as assessment, the benefits of strong parent-school partnerships, and successful professional development strategies for teachers and administrators who have immigrant and second-language students in their schools.
Given our rapidly changing school population, this book is essential reading for every educator.
Praise:
"The abbreviations and designations may change--LEPs, ELLs, bilingual, language minority, immigrant, or refugee students--but no matter what they are called, these are among the students most in danger of being lost in our elementary and secondary schools today. Educating them is not only an imperative; it is also a moral challenge and an awesome opportunity. A rare bridging of theoretical perspectives and practical strategies, Teaching Immigrant and Second Language Students is a refreshing answer to this challenge. It provides a wealth of information and is certain to be an invaluable resource for teachers, principals, policymakers, and other educational leaders."--Sonia Nieto, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and author of Affirming Diversity