Literacy Success for Emergent Bilinguals

This practical book will help early childhood teachers (preK–2) understand and respond to the multiple influences (school, home, and societal) that affect emergent bilingual children’s academic achievement. The author explains the foundations of first- and second-language development and then provides teaching and curriculum practices specific to reading and English language arts. Chapters address incorporating first-language strengths, acquiring a second language, learning to read, building vocabulary, comprehending and thinking with text and language, helping children persevere, and more. Approaches for collaborating with families accompany each chapter. This book is designed to help teachers understand the underlying principles so they can modify, develop, and adjust their practice to be most effective for the emergent bilingual children they teach. It is a valuable resource for developing bilingual programs, teacher preparation, and professional development.

Book Features:

• Teaching practices aligned with Preschool Learning Frameworks and the Common Core and other state standards.
• Summaries of teaching strategies and educational principles for easy reference.
• Broad coverage that includes language, literacy, motivation, and family collaboration.
• Key concepts illustrated with detailed lesson examples.
• Seamless integration of research findings and practical applications.
• “Apply Your Knowledge” sections to support ongoing dialogue for courses, coaching, and professional development.

Theresa A. Roberts is currently a professional development consultant and senior research associate at the Oregon Research Institute. She is a professor emeritus at the California State University, Sacramento.

“The challenges associated with acquiring English should be temporary, yet many dual language learners spend the majority of their school years far below the proficiency levels of their English-speaking peers. This book offers critical information that will enable educators to start students down the road of literacy and language mastery from the moment they enter a classroom.”
—Sara Tellman Veloz, founder, Buckerfield Educational Consulting, Inc.

"Teachers are consistently struggling with how to support English learners' language development, and a research base for young learners is sorely needed. Literacy Success for Emergent Bilinguals has seamlessly integrated research and principles in a lock-step format. The content in the Apply Your Knowledge section may be used as a workbook by those who provide professional learning such as coaches, and by faculty to support practical application. It can also be used to support ongoing study and prompt dialogue within professional learning communities and thereby contribute to improving the quality of appropriate instruction.”
—Lorraine Weatherspoon, Los Rios Community College Adjunct Faculty