Must-Have Reads to Prepare for English Learner Certification/Authorization

A couple of weeks ago, Mary Ann Zehr on Ed Week asked her blog readers whether receiving their English learner teaching authorization was a way to keep their job in the pending economic crisis that is affecting many school districts. Over the past couple of weeks, I've seen an increase in teachers preparing to take some of the state tests that will provide authorization to teach English learners. A few teachers have expressed a bit of hesitation regarding taking the state test, because they feel that they are not necessarily prepared for the exam. So I have put together a must-read list of materials that will most definitely prepare you for state EL authorization exams. These books are also must-reads for any teacher of English learners who may already have their English learner teaching authorization!

• The Crosscultural Language and Academic Development Handbook: A Complete K-12 Reference Guide
•  Reading, Writing and Learning in ESL: A Resource Book for Teaching K-12 English Learners
• A Course for Teaching English Learners-(Do you notice the abbreviations on the cover "CTEL"? The CTEL is the state exam for English learner authorization in California-hint, hint!)

As a former classroom teacher and current teacher educator myself, I still continue to use these three books frequently in order to prepare my trainings for teachers. If you study these books, you will most definitely feel prepared for the state tests! 

Coming Soon:

I'm drafting a follow-up post about the SIOP model. I am specifically focusing on the following questions: What are language and content objectives? How can I teach language development when I am teaching Science and/or Social Studies content? 

Stay tuned!!