English Learners, the Common Core and ELD Standards

A parent guide to help support your child in learning English and achieving academic success in school

Shobha TejwaniELD Coordinator

What parents should know about CCSS?

● New standards being rolled out in 46 states● New standards describe what your child is

expected to learn and be able to do● New standards for English reading, writing,

speaking, and math● New standards expect more from all students

so they will be ready for college and career

What schools are expected to do?

● Provide help to English learners who are learning English and the CCSS

● Educational materials when possible should be available in home language

● Special training to teachers to help students learn the new CCSS and English with the new English Language Development Standards

English Language Development Standards

Ca ELD Standards

How do the ELD standards help ELs?

Since language is central to all academic areas, English learners need explicit, systematic language instruction in order to be ready to meet our goal of College and Career Readiness for all Students.

What teaching practices are being used to support English Learners?

Speaking and listening● Collaborative learning● Opportunities for one on one, small group,

large group discussions● Students get more time to speak in order to

improve their English and present their ideas in all subject areas

What teaching practices are being used to support English Learners?

Reading● More informational texts (non-fiction)● More variety of reading materials

(newspapers, internet, magazines)● More time spent on reading in all subject

areas to improve language and literacy skills

What teaching practices are being used to support English Learners?

Writing● Writing Focus

○ all grade levels○ all content areas

● Writer’s workshop at elementary grade levels

What this means for your child?

More opportunities to develop and improve:● vocabulary● reading comprehension● writing● speaking● listening● Improve language and literacy skills

What skills are required for college and career readiness?

The 4 C’s● Communication ● Collaboration● Critical thinking● Creativity

Communication and Collaboration

Communication

● Develop and present presentations

● Persuade others through their writing

● Discuss projects and assignments

Collaboration

● Group projects● Participate in pairs, small

and large groups● One-on-one

conversations with teacher

Critical Thinking and Creativity

Critical Thinking

● Use their reading to support writing

● Participate in classroom debates

● Investigate problems and find possible solutions

Creativity

● Students question and evaluate their own thoughts and ideas

● Students use computers and videos to complete and present classroom assignments

● Explore issues in the community and create video showing possible solutions

Dual Obligation of School Districts

● Provide meaningful access to grade-level curriculum

● Develop students’ ability to understand, speak, read, and write in English

What has DUSD done so far?

● More ELD specialists to work with students and teachers

● More Sheltered Instruction Classes at the high school

● Ongoing training in ELD standards and CCSS● Literacy and Math coaches to provide support

to teachers

English Learners/Reclassified School English Learner Reclassified Top 3 languages

Dublin Elementary 76 28 Spanish, Mandarin, Punjabi

Frederiksen 121 13 Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese/Philippino

Kolb 171 64 Mandarin, Telegu, Hindi

Dougherty 118 52 Telegu, Mandarin, Hindi

Green 89 51 Mandarin, Hindi, Telegu

Murray 37 11 Spanish, Vietnamese, Cantonese/Farsi

Wells Middle 57 82 Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean

Fallon 28 202 Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese

Valley 4 5 Spanish

Dublin HS 65 265 Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese

Total 766 773 Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese

What action can parents take?

● Learn and discuss with your child’s teacher how language and literacy development is taught in all subject areas

● Find out what kind of supports are being provided for your child

● Ask for translations for important documents and for translators during conferences if needed

What action can parents take?

● Keep speaking your first language- a strong foundation in L1 will help with L2

● Talk, talk, talk- children who hear more language have a larger vocabulary

● Read, read, read- read in your own language ● Visit the library often- children will develop most

of their vocabulary through independent reading

What action can parents take?

● Model good reading habits- have lots of reading materials around the house, talk about what you are reading

● Encourage your child to interact with English speaking peers

● Enroll your child in sports or clubs- gives opportunities to improve English and learn team work

What action can parents take?

● Supervise homework- create a structured place and time to do homework

● Keep a list of questions to ask during parent teacher conferences

● Get involved in your child’s school and volunteer in the classroom if possible

● Improve your own English skills through adult ESL classes offered in the district

Questions and Concerns

Websites for learning English:www.duolingo.comhttp://www.newsinlevels.com/www.wordlens.com

Resources

The Common Core Challenge for ELLsby Rhoda Coleman and Claude GoldbergEnglish Learner Success in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)Californians Together California ELD Standards