About Teaching Immigrants and Second-Language Students

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the immigrant population in the United States has nearly tripled in the last three decades. Now nearly one out of five young people speaks a language other than English at home. As the demographics of American classrooms change, educators need a host of strategies to ensure that they meet the needs of all students who sit in today's classrooms.

Teaching Immigrant and Second-Language Students draws on the work of teachers, administrators, and researchers to identify the practices that reach these learners most effectively. An underlying premise of the book is that, rather than viewing immigrant and second-language learners as "problem" students, educators can succeed by focusing on the many assets these young people bring to the classroom.

Contributors address such topics as assessment, the benefits of strong parent-school partnerships, and successful professional development strategies for teachers and administrators who have immigrant and second-language students in their schools.

Given our rapidly changing school population, this book is essential reading for every educator.

This second volume in the Harvard Education Letter Spotlight Series features contributors who are among the leading scholars in the field, including Donald Freeman, Patricia Gándara, Meg Gebhard, and Evangeline Harris Stefanakis.

Back to top

Table of Contents for Teaching Immigrant and Second-Language Students

Introduction

Teaching the New Generation of U.S Students
Michael Sadowski

Teaching in the Context of English-Language Learners: What Do We Need to Know?
Donald Freeman

Assessing Young Immigrant Students: Are We Finding Their Strengths?
Evangeline Harris Stefanakis

Teaching English-Language Learners “The Language Game of Math”: Insights for Teachers and Teacher Educators
Meg Gebhard, Andrew Habana Hafner, and Mary Wright

Trapezoids, Estuaries, and Kudzu: What English-Language Learners Face on High-Stakes Tests—and How Educators Can Help
Mary T. Jeannot

Nurturing “The Writer’s Voice”: Helping Students Construct a Self in a New Language and Culture
Greta Vollmer

How Schools Can Help Refugee Students
Shaun Sutner

Teaching Migrant Students: Lessons from Successful Districts
Reino Makkonen

Raising the Achievement of English-Language Learners: How Principals Can Make a Difference
Maricel G. Santos

Bringing Parents on Board: Building Strong Home-School Connections with Immigrant Families
Sue Miller Wiltz

On Nobody’s Agenda: Improving English-Language Learners’ Access to Higher Education
Rebecca M. Callahan and Patricia Gándara

About the Contributors

Back to top

Publishing Information

Teaching Immigrant and Second-Language Students
Strategies for Success
Edited by Michael Sadowski
©2004
ISBN 1-891792-52-0 $39.95 library, ORDER
ISBN 1-891792-51-2 $19.95 paperback, ORDER
140 pages

Back to top