Research throughout the years has shown that bilingual people have higher intelligence levels than those who are monolingual. A new study, “Cognitive Benefits of Bilingualism across the Lifespan”, released last year identified specific advantages those who speak more than one language have such as memory, attention, and learning strategies. Read the study to learn more about the bilingual brain and strengths that develop in language learning.
Some bilingual students struggle to learn a new language and some struggle to maintain their home language. Remind them that they will be among the population with higher intelligence and better memory and attention. These benefits can help your child succeed in higher education and employment growth. Bilingualism is valuable.
Target: Grammar
Recommended Grade Levels: 5th-8th
Education.com offers a variety of games and activities for children from kindergarten through 8th grade.
Possessive nouns can be challenging for middle school students. Have your child play this game while learning!
Go to txel.org and select “At Home Activities.”
Find the Education.com link in the Middle School Section.
Once you enter Education.com, select your child’s grade level at the top of the page.
Select a game on a topic that interests your child and allow them to “play.”
Each lesson on this site helps support English language development which can help your child be confident in the classroom. We’re sharing “Putting Apostrophes in Possessive Nouns” as a starting point.
Target Skills: Listening Comprehension
Recommended Grade Levels: 3-12
This is a free collection of short current event videos with built-in quizzes to check for understanding.
Open At Home Activities on TXEL.org and scroll down to “High School”
Click on PBS Learning.
Select your child’s grade level at the top of the page.
Have your child select one of the 15-minute news videos and watch it.
Have a piece of paper and pen ready to write answers to the quizzes. (The answers are shown at the end of the video).
We’ve linked the January News Video to get your child started. This is a great way to help your child learn to about age-appropriate current events and practice answering comprehension questions.
Target Skills: Reading, rhyming
Recommended Grade Levels: K-2
Seussville offers a variety of games for younger children.
The game we’re sharing with you today will help your child practice identifying rhyming words, but feel free to look around and play others with your child.
Open At Home Activities on TXEL.org. Select “Seussville.”
Click on “Play.”
Click on “Fox in Sox.”
Listen to the introduction with your child, then guide them through the game. It increases in difficulty as you keep playing.
These games are a fun way to help your child practice the skills they need to be successful in school.
Don’t forget to visit txel.org/SupportingChild for more interactive educational websites.
DIY Slime
Slime is a fun sensory craft and doesn’t take much time or many ingredients. You can make it a learning experience by using the transition words, first, next, and finally. You will need a large mixing bowl, liquid starch, food coloring, and glue (clear or glitter).
First, add ½ a cup of clear glue to a large mixing bowl. Next, add a generous amount of food coloring. Finally, add liquid starch slowly, adding just enough until a slime forms. Keep adding small amounts until the mixture you stir is slimy and gloppy. As you complete each step, have your child repeat the process to you. This practice can help your child when asked to describe events in sequential order.
Partner Drawing Game
Playing this game will help your child visualize spoken words. Each person needs a piece of paper and something to draw with. Sit back-to-back on the floor or at a table with your child.
First, decide what you want to draw. It can be an animal, a place, or a person. Each of you draws without showing the other person. Next, you will tell your child that they will draw your picture first and you’ll tell them how to draw it without seeing it.
Provide as many details about your drawing as possible. Finally, peek at what your child has drawn and add a few more details to guide them to match your drawing. When your child has finished drawing, compare your original picture with their copy. How are they different? What’s similar? Talk about what your child heard when you gave the instructions. Do they have suggestions for how you could have described your picture better? Switch places with your child and repeat the activity with your child giving you instructions on what to draw. Have fun and play again!
The National PTA offers “Parents’ Guides to Students Success,” providing advice on how to help your child prepare for college and career. Both are easily accessible on the TXEL portal under Language Development in Student Resources. Below is a plan for college and career success in the National PTA’s publication.
At the beginning of high school, sit down with your child’s teachers, counselor, or other advisor to discuss what it will take for your child to graduate, your child’s goals, and his or her plans after high school. Create a plan together to help your child reach these goals, and review it every year to make sure he or she is on track.
This plan should include:
An appropriate course sequence to meet your child’s goals. For example, if your child wants to study biosciences in college, he or she will likely need additional or advanced math and science courses in high school to be prepared for college-level coursework.
The most appropriate extracurricular activities for your child to participate in. For example, if your child is interested in journalism or photography, encourage him or her to sign up for the school newspaper or yearbook. These activities will help your child expand his or her learning outside of school and may help foster new hobbies or interests.
Ways you can help your child prepare for college or career. If your child is interested in a particular field, look to see if internships exist to build his or her work experience in that subject area. Look for college fairs to attend, and encourage your child to visit colleges he or she might be interested in.
Finding ways to pay for college or advanced training. Find time with your child to research ways to avoid the expensive costs of college. There are lots of ways to get financial help, such as scholarships, grants, work-study programs, and student loans. You can start by helping your child fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and TASFA (Texas Application for State Financial Aid) during his or her senior year. Visit www.fafsa.ed.gov for help and more information on FAFSA and www.highered.texas.gov/students-families/tasfa/ for TASFA information.
Be sure to visit the Student Resouces page for more information on how to help your child prepare for college and career!
Adult Education
As you support your child through their educational journey, you may feel the nudge to further your own education. The Parents & Families section of the TXEL portal has a wide variety of resources available to support adult education. You can find ESL, GED, and computer classes along with career and scholarship searches.
One site linked in the Post-Secondary Readiness page is the Toptrade School site. Click on the “Trade Schools” tab and the Toptrade site will appear. Answering a couple of questions will offer a list of trade and technical colleges that provide instruction in the field you’re interested in. Most also have financial aid assistance for high school grads, adults, and veterans who qualify.
Visit the TXEL portal and explore options for you and your family.
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Supporting Emergent Bilingual Students in Texas
TXEL.org is a web portal that provides information and resources that are relevant, accessible, and impactful to support educational leaders, teachers, parents and families, and community partners to ensure the academic success of the State’s emergent bilingual students.
Contact us at: https://www.txel.org/contact/
Email: EmergentBilingualSupport@tea.texas.gov
Visit: www.tea.texas.gov