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From https://hechingerreport.org/immigrants-learned-english-in-half-the-time-when-they-were-held-back-in-third-grade/

Immigrants learned English in half the time when they were held back in third grade
Florida study tracked more than 40,000 English language learners over a decade
by Jill Barshay
January 28, 2019

It’s easy to argue about [the] extensive and muddy body of research [on grade school retention]. But now a pair of researchers has found that one particular group of students might especially benefit from being held back in third grade: immigrants.

In a large scale study of 40,000 English language learners in Florida, those who were held back in third grade learned English substantially faster and took more demanding classes in subsequent years. The retained kids became proficient in English in just one year, on average, half the time of their peers who were directly promoted to fourth grade.

Read the full article at https://hechingerreport.org/immigrants-learned-english-in-half-the-time-when-they-were-held-back-in-third-grade/

The study is available at https://www.nber.org/papers/w25472

Mary Campbell shares three no- or low-prep strategies that work well with English learners, especially newcomers: http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/tesolc/issues/2018-12-01/1.html

From https://ncela.ed.gov/family-toolkit

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition has released an English Learner Family Toolkit to help families choose education services that meet their child’s needs. U.S. educators, elementary and secondary school teachers, principals, and other school staff can also share the toolkit as a resource for English learners and their families.

The English Learner Family Toolkit consists of 6 chapters, and each chapter contains 5 sections - an overview, family and student rights, questions to ask schools, tips, and resources.

Access the toolkit at https://ncela.ed.gov/family-toolkit

From http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/global_learning/2019/01/learning_across_borders_collaborative_global_projects.html

Cathy Collins writes, "Global collaboration projects, which allow students to work with peers across geographical boundaries, aren't just interesting, engaging, and fun. They also address several of the ISTE Standards for Students, including 'Digital Citizen,' 'Global Collaborator,' and 'Empowered Learner.' Each year, a wide range of global education projects are demonstrated during the MassCUE Global Ed and CUE Kids student showcases, allowing Massachusetts students to take the lead in sharing about their work, thereby highlighting their ownership of the learning process and the role of student voice in successful learning outcomes. 

Providing opportunities for global collaboration not only engages students, it also builds cultural understanding and empathy and helps with development of important communication and problem-solving skills. This year, student projects focus on civic engagement and social justice; leadership development through global service and STEM/STEAM learning; and international travel and exchange programs.

Read summaries of six different projects in the rest of the article: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/global_learning/2019/01/learning_across_borders_collaborative_global_projects.html

From https://spanishmama.com

Elisabeth of the Spanish Mama blog shares these four tips for teaching very young learners:

1) Plan ahead and a little extra
2) Don't be afraid to be silly
3) Listen to your preschoolers, but stay on task
4) Keep it short, fun, and fresh

Read her blog post, which includes some activity ideas, at https://spanishmama.com/teaching-foreign-language-to-preschoolers

From https://juliabkoch.wordpress.com

Julia Koch notes that conferences can be life-changing, but "[t]hey can also be stressful and feel like a waste of time." Read her blog post for suggestions to get the most out of the conferences that you attend: https://juliabkoch.wordpress.com/2019/01/16/get-the-most-out-of-conference-season/

From https://senorachase.com

Your InterCom Editor was a new kid in a new high school once, and she has also been a frazzled beginning teacher surprised by the entrance of a new student that she had no idea was coming. In this blog post, AnneMarie Chase describes her brilliant routine, which she sets up at the beginning of the year, for welcoming a new student to class. Thanks to an already-prepared folder with critical class documents and a pre-selected New Student Ambassador, and an established routine, new students can join the class in a way that's welcoming to the new kid, stress-free for the teacher, and empowering for the other students.

Read the blog post at https://senorachase.com/2019/01/12/operation-welcome-to-spanish-class/

From https://passion4theprofession.com/2019/01/28/using-memes-to-show-grammar-in-context/

In this article read how language teachers can benefit from using memes in their classrooms. According to the article, memes are not considered as authentic texts, but they can be used as lesson hooks or serve as the basis for an interpersonal exchange and are also great examples of grammar in context.

To read the full article, visit https://passion4theprofession.com/2019/01/28/using-memes-to-show-grammar-in-context/

From http://teachinginthetargetlanguage.com/surveys-and-graphs-to-get-our-wl-students-listening-speaking-writing/

Gathering and analyzing data sounds very serious but it can actually be simple and a good activity to do in the target language. In this article, you will find a variety of engaging activities that will help students to find out more information about one another, and ways that students can analyze their findings with the help of graphs, charts, and graphic organizers. 

To read the full article, visit http://teachinginthetargetlanguage.com/surveys-and-graphs-to-get-our-wl-students-listening-speaking-writing/