BUILDING THE BASE: NEWCOMER LITERACY

 

This institute focuses on how educators can support students at beginning levels of English proficiency to simultaneously develop not only the language needed for school, but the analytic practices and deep conceptual understandings student need to reach their full potential. Rather than focusing solely on language development as many Newcomer programs do to “get students ready” to engage in rigorous grade-level content, the goal of this institute is to show educators how to honor students’ abilities and resources by inviting them to engage in work that is challenging and meaningful as they develop disciplinary content knowledge. With this goal in mind, educators will explore topics such as: 

​

• Recognizing and building from the immense potential of Newcomer students as well as the assets they bring with them to their learning experiences 

• Understanding how to support students to engage in meaningful, rigorous, age-appropriate work from the first day of school. 

• Understanding the role of talk and oracy in the Newcomer classroom and how to support students in engaging in quality interactions around relevant and powerful concepts and ideas. 

• Using the QTEL architecture of lessons to design and sequence engaging lessons and tasks for Newcomers that focus on language as a tool for accomplishing real and meaningful work. 

​

​

 

​