Kids Come in All Languages [Paperback]

Pritchard Spangenberg-Urbschat (Author), Karen Spangenberg-Urbschat (Editor), Robert Pritchard (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0872073955 | ISBN-13: 978-0872073951 | Publication Date: April 1, 1994

Here is an excellent resource full of practical information on teaching reading to students who are not native English speakers. Written for teachers who are working with students from diverse backgrounds and with a broad range of experiences, this comprehensive text includes background information on reading, ESL instruction, and ESL learners, as well as specific strategies that have proven effective with this student population.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This volume begins to address the pressing need facing the majority of teachers in the United States and in other countries in the English-Speaking world-how to teach children whose primary language is not English. Teachers-faced with exploding demographics, lack of knowledge about children's cultures and how languages (first or second or third, oral or written) are learned across different social contexts, lack of pedagogy to restructure the teaching of English language arts for children-need concrete ways of teaching. They also need to learn more about the social and political nature of language use, language learning, and language instruction...

"Kids Come in All Languages" fills a void with instructional practices that teachers need. It also addresses issues of cultural diversity, challenges commonly held assumptions, and marks a shift to viewing children whose primary language is not English with more respect and dignity. Supporting teachers' pedagogical change is one of the most formidable tasks facing our profession. We need more books such as this.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

From the Introduction

According to recent demographic data, over 2 million limited-English-proficient (LEP) students attend public and private schools in the United States. This number is expected to reach 3.4 million by the year 2000 (Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs, 1991), thus greatly increasing the number of students in need of English as a second language (ESL) instruction in U.S. schools. The situation is similar in Canada and, indeed, in many countries where changing immigration patterns have brought learners of other languages to schools in growing numbers. Consequently, the provision of English language and subject matter instruction to ESL students is one of the most critical challenges confronting teachers and teacher educators today.

While the number of ESL students continues to grow dramatically, only a fraction of all ESL students in the United States are in bilingual or ESL classrooms (Olsen, 1988). Consequently, the majority of ESL students receive most, if not all, of their instruction from regular classroom teachers, many of whom have no specialized training in this area (Enright & McCloskey, 1985). According to a survey conducted by Waggoner and O'Malley (1985), while 25 percent of all public school teachers reported having ESL students in their classrooms, 70 percent of those teachers said they had no academic preparation in either bilingual or ESL methodology. Regretfully, no evidence exists to indicate that this situation has changed significantly since this study was conducted.

Further exacerbating the situation is the fact that the functions and nature of literacy in today's society have changed. Literacy is no longer defined simply as the ability to read and write. In addition to being able to communicate effectively in oral and written form, to be considered truly literate one must be able to think critically, reason logically, and use technology (Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, 1991). Schools now face pressures to raise standards and change objectives in ways that address this broader definition of literacy. Unfortunately, there is as yet no conclusive evidence to suggest that these efforts have had any significant impact on the type of instruction ESL students receive or on the levels of literacy they subsequently achieve. In fact, there is reason to believe that unless steps are taken, the reforms that have occurred may serve to widen the already substantial gap between the achievement of native speakers of English and those of students from diverse language groups (Olsen & Dowell, 1989).

Although there is a growing consensus that special steps need to be taken if we as educators are to respond successfully to this challenge, there is a disturbing lack of consensus regarding what those steps should be. Unfortunately, the debate does not focus just on pedagogical issues.

This book grew out of our need to address what we believe is the single most significant educational issue resulting from the changes in school populations and approaches: how to help students from language-minority backgrounds develop literacy in English. The purpose of this book is to identify and answer major questions surrounding reading instruction for ESL students. Specifically, this book does the following: reviews and synthesizes what we know about background issues related to the education of ESL students; provides specific suggestions to teachers and administrators for organizing for instruction and enhancing student learning; and gives concrete examples of practical ways in which teachers can develop and implement authentic, meaning-centered, instructional activities.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: International Reading Association (April 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0872073955
• ISBN-13: 978-0872073951
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,263,947 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Resource to Inform your Teaching and Training, October 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Kids Come in All Languages (Paperback)

This is an awesome resource for both teachers and staff developers. As a staff developer, I have used it for many trainings - articles are a good length for jigsaw activities. I wish I had known about this book when I was a teacher. Articles contain pertinent information from key people in the field of English Language Development and Bilingual Education and address an array of topics from Second Language Acquisition to the Relationship between reading and Writing to various strategies within the "ESL" repetoire - both practice and theory. While the resource was published in 1994, the information is still pertinent and valuable for teachers of English Language learners (children who are learning English as a Second Language).

5.0 out of 5 stars Book review, November 8, 2011

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So Txn - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kids Come in All Languages (Paperback)

After borrowing this book to prepare for ESL certification, I decided I wanted one as a personal resource for my classroom. I have been very pleased with the information, both theoretical and practical, in nature. When I placed my order, the book arrived well before the expected date in great condition. Now I can mark it all up w/ my personal notations and tabbies!!!!