Posts by Mary Purcell
3 Essential Tips to Help ELLs Navigate the Core Content Classroom
Estimated Reading Time: 4 mins, 50 seconds One can argue that enabling English learners to unpack academic content and apply academic language are critical objectives for ELD educators. That’s because a student’s continued academic progress and ultimately, his or her ability to graduate, hinges on having these skills. However, as a former secondary-level educator of…
Read MoreIntegrated ELD Is Not Enough: Why An ELA Curriculum Alone Doesn’t Fully Serve Our English Learners
Estimated Reading Time: 4 mins, 46 seconds When I first entered the classroom almost 20 years ago, I taught English Language Arts (ELA) to a group of middle school students who, by today’s standards, would have been formally classified as Long-Term English Learners (LTELs). This was during the height of the No Child Left Behind…
Read MoreOvercoming Challenges Faced by Secondary Newcomers: Building a Path to Success
Estimated Reading Time: 3 mins, 5 seconds The United States has long been a destination for immigrants seeking new opportunities and a better life. Among this group are middle and high-school-age newcomers. Older students face unique challenges adapting to a new country, culture, and educational system. For their newcomer students to thrive, educators must address…
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