I am excited to announce a new myTeachstone content series to help teachers support dual language learners (DLLs). We created this content because users have been telling us for years that they would like to learn more about DLL teaching strategies aligned with CLASS professional development. We also wanted to show how these teaching strategies are aligned to effective CLASS interactions.

This is important stuff. In fact, most of our users work with DLLs or support teachers in working with DLLs every day. As of 2015, one-third of children enrolled in Head Start were dual language learners[1] and 86% of Head Start grantees served DLLs.[2] These proportions are expected to continue growing over the next few years. Because four-fifths of DLLs enrolled in Head Start have Spanish as their home language[3], we decided to make these resources our first truly bilingual myTeachstone content. Almost every resource in this series is available in both English and Spanish, allowing coaches to assign the same resource to all the teachers they support regardless of their language preferences.

We have also added a new icon to the myTeachstone resource thumbnails to help you identify DLL-focused content. It looks like this.

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What can teachers learn from this content series?

  1. Lots of research-based teaching strategies to try in their classrooms
  2. Ways teachers can support DLLs even if they only speak English
  3. How DLL teaching strategies and the Pre-K CLASS are aligned
  4. The cognitive benefits of being bilingual
  5. All about “Classroom Language Models” and why they’re important
  6. Why family engagement is especially important for DLLs

Trying to find these fantastic new resources?

Simply go to your professional development resource library in myTeachstone, enter "DLL" into your search bar, and check out the results that show up! Screen Shot 2017-01-20 at 1.28.29 PM.png

 

Interested in learning more about this new DLL content series? Check out this Handy Guide to Using DLL Resources. 

Notes
1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration of Children and Families. 2016. Head Start Program Facts, Fiscal Year 2015. Last updated August 24, 2016. Available online: https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/data/factsheets/2015-hs-program-factsheet.html

2.  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration of Children and Families, Services Snapshot – National All Programs (2013-2014) (Washington, DC: HHS, 2014, available online: https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/data/psr

3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration of Children and Families, Services Snapshot – National All Programs (2013-2014) (Washington, DC: HHS, 2014, available online: https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/data/psr