The Words Came Down!

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English Language Learners Read, Write, and Talk Across the Curriculum, K-2

Emelie Parker and Tess Pardini

As teachers everywhere find more and more students with limited English in their classes, they are asking: “How can I include ELL students in every aspect of the day?” In “The Words Came Down!”, Emelie Parker and Tess Pardini detail a workshop format for reading, writing and content-area studies that allows teachers to differentiate instruction to include all students, and affords students ample opportunities to collaborate with others. The authors show that when children's attempts at communicating are accepted and celebrated, they will learn to communicate with each other comfortably and spontaneously whether on the playground or working on a science experiment.

"Lucky us! In this inspiring and thoughtful book, Emelie and Tess take us inside their reading, writing, and content-area workshops where we see (and hear!) how young English language learners thrive in rigorous, joyful learning communities. Here's proof that our deliberate use of language—what we say and how we say it—quickly becomes what they say and how they say it. Happy Reading!"

—Debbie Miller, author of Reading with Meaning

Details
Table of Contents
About the Author(s)

Product Details

Author: Emelie Parker and Tess Pardini
Year: 2006
Grade Range: K-2

Media: 200 pp/paper
ISBN: 978-157110-414-4
Item No.: WEB-0414

As teachers everywhere find more and more students with limited English in their classes, many are asking: “How can I include ELL students in every aspect of the day?”

Beginning with designing a classroom that welcomes students and creates appropriate conditions for learning, Emelie Parker and Tess Pardini go on to detail a workshop format for reading, writing and content-area studies.

The workshop structure allows teachers to differentiate instruction to include all students, and affords students ample opportunities to collaborate with others as they learn to speak, read, write, and comprehend while also engaging in active learning of the curriculum. The authors provide numerous examples of ways that teachers can become proficient in knowing each child and orchestrating instruction to meet individual needs.

Throughout “The Words Came Down!” oral language is emphasized in a continuum from teacher modeling and demonstration to situations in which student-to-student communication is essential. The authors show that when children's attempts at communicating are accepted and celebrated, they will learn to communicate with each other comfortably and spontaneously whether on the playground or working on a science experiment.

In addition, this helpful guide offers a variety of approaches to assessment, and demonstrates the importance of engaging families as partners in learning English and content.

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Contents
Acknowledgments
Foundations
Chapter 1: Our School
Chapter 2: Building Community
Chapter 3: Workshop: The Architecture That Supports English Language Learners
Workshops
Chapter 4: Writing Workshop
Chapter 5: Reading Workshop
Chapter 6: Social Studies Workshop
Chapter 7: Math Workshop
Chapter 8: Science Workshop
References

Tess Pardini
Tess Pardini, a National Board Certified Teacher, has over twenty years of experience working with English language learners.
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Emelie Parker
Emelie received her master's degree from the University of North Florida in early childhood education. She's been a teacher for kindergarten through grade six, and a writing and math resource teacher.
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