Teacher Discussion Forums

Hi everyone, I teach 3rd and 4th grade ESL, Phonics, and Spelling in a private school in Costa Rica. Many of my students come from families where no one speaks English. Parents desperately want to help their children study but are at a loss since they themselves do not speak the language. Does anyone out there know of a good web site that explains basic English grammar and/ or phonics in Spanish? Thanks! Jill

You could tell them other things that can help the children learn. The parents should have a place where kids can study, such as a table, where they can easily work and not be interrupted, plenty of sleep at night, and start the day with breakfast. You might be able to include some kind of project the kids can work on yet doesn't require a lot of written English so the parents feel like they're helping with homework yet don't need the language. Two social studies assignments at my school are making a crown like the pharoahs' during the Egypt unit, and making a model castle. For these, all you need are a picture and supplies.

Check spongelearners.com for great information that might be useful to the parents you are talking about.