Here is a collection of books for read-alouds and mentor texts during the fall season. These books feature diverse characters and have vivid illustrations. Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on an Amazon link and make a purchase. This does not cost you any extra money. Autumn Story Books Hiking Day– Follow a family as they hike up Hickory Hill and reach the summit. They see colorful fall leaves and…
All students have a range of emotions when they start a new school year. Often they are excited to meet their teacher and see old friends. They can also be nervous about having a new teacher, learning new classroom procedures, and having to get to know new classmates. This is especially true for English Learners (ELs) and Multilingual Learners (MLs). ELs can also have the added stress of not entirely understanding the instructions from their teacher. Many English Language Development…
Get kids excited about reading during the summer with these fun summer-themed fiction and nonfiction books. Students will enjoy reading about the ocean, camping, and summer traditions. Many of the characters come from immigrant families or have family members that live in other countries. For more ideas about helping children read over the summer check out my Summer Reading Tips for ELLs. Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on…
Spring is a great time to read books about the environment, animal and plant life cycles, and other outdoor topics. For English Language Learners (along with all students) it is important to read books with characters from diverse backgrounds. Try and integrate characters with similar backgrounds as the students you work with so that they can see kids that are similar to themselves in the books that they are reading and listening to. Here is a list of spring books…
There are Thanksgiving books on a range of topics to share with students. One theme I like to focus on around Thanksgiving is gratitude and being thankful. Students can read and listen to what others are thankful for and then write and talk about what they are thankful for. Families have many unique traditions around Thanksgiving. Immigrant families often add in their own cultural traditions to this holiday. Books are a great way for kids to learn about some of…
You can use student name books to help explain to students the importance of correctly saying the names of their classmates. Here is a list of student name books from a diverse selection of authors. They are great at back to school time or anytime during the year when a new student enters the class. For ELLs, it can be especially frustrating when a teacher or classmates do not pronounce their name correctly. Taking some time at the beginning of…
It is important for children to be exposed to diverse books as they are learning how to read. Many teachers are examining their classroom library and adding more diverse books to their collection. Guided reading is also an important component of a balanced literacy program. Some teachers are lucky to teach in a school with a well-stocked book room. In other cases, many of the books at the lower levels are not age-appropriate for older ESOL students and do not…
Exposing students to diverse books is important for building a classroom community where all children feel welcome and valued. Seeing themselves in the books they are reading is extremely important. Additionally students benefit from reading about characters that are different from them. Reading books that are written by authors of diverse backgrounds is also important for students. Picture book authors can be role models for students, especially when students do author studies and read multiple books by the same author….
Benefits of Graphic Novels Graphic novels are a category a books that can be highly engaging for students. This is particularly true for English Language Learners and struggling readers. Graphic novels have a large amount of picture support. This helps create context and gives meaning to unfamiliar vocabulary words. Older students are drawn to graphic novels since even students reading below grade level can enjoy these books. Importance of Diverse Graphic Novels Having a diverse set of books available is…