Bilingual Education

  As the school year progresses and students get used to the new classroom routines, there is something children and parents know will come sooner or later….homework. While my personal view on homework has changed and evolved over time (I have written about it in detail on my blog), I know that ‘in general’ homework, at one point or another, is part of every student’s schooling years. Late last week, as my dual immersion fourth graders where getting ready toRead More ...

You are probably wondering what happens inside a dual-language classroom and how similar or different it is from an all-English classroom. In every school that I have had the pleasure of working at, the first few days go in a predictable manner: excited and nervous students walking through the doors of new classrooms, parents worried about what the new school year may bring, and teachers wondering what his/her new class will be like. Teachers prepare for weeks by brainstorming waysRead More ...

    When it comes to helping my dual language immersion students make sense of a topic in Spanish (besides using teaching resources purchased by the school), the Internet is my first ‘go to’ place. While there are thousands of resources out there, one is often left wondering which ones are worth spending money on (if purchase is required) and which ones one could access for free and use without compromising quality. I have come to narrow down a fewRead More ...

Last week, I promised I would share my classroom with all of you. I have been working day AND night (including weekends) and, while I am not done, I wanted to share what I have accomplished so far. I put a lot of thought into the environment and how I really wanted to create a welcoming space. I hope you like it. As always, I would love to hear from you and read your comments/suggestions. Remember these? Now…the BIG reveal:Read More ...

It was back to school for both my children today and while we they had an amazing summer immersed in Spanish, neither is enrolled in a dual language immersion school. This means we have to work hard at home to maintain the Spanish flowing. I’m not really concerned about their speaking skills, as Spanish is the dominant language in our home, but I am concerned about their abilities to read and write in my native tongue. This is particularly trueRead More ...

Note: Next week, after all work is done, I am planning the big reveal of my classroom. I am SUPER excited! I have been spending quite a few hours in my classroom trying to get it ready for the new school year. It has really been Spring Cleaning in July (and August). At times I think that I took on more than I could handle, but envisioning the final product is what keeps me going (or at least that isRead More ...

I could not be any happier to join the SpanglishBaby community. Actually I am ecstatic to share my new journey with all of you. My name is Kelly Serrano. I was born and raised in Ecuador, South America and moved to the United States when I was 18 years old. I am also a classroom teacher. While I have taught in the general education classroom setting for seven years including 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade, this year I made aRead More ...

Editor’s note: In the next months, we’ll be bringing you interviews with those who have first-hand experience with dual language immersion schools or programs: the parents who have their kids enrolled in them. The idea is to give you a closer look at what these programs are really like, how and why they work, as well as some of the challenges they face. Thanks to our contributor Elsie for coming up with this great idea! Today, I’m happy to shareRead More ...