Dual Language Program Parent Resources

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) Dual Language Program: Family Resources

• ACPS Dual Language Family Handbook -English
• Manual para las familias- Español
• ACPS Dual Language Family Handbook- Amharic አማርኛ (PDF) 
• ACPS Dual Language Family Handbook- Arabic بالعربية (PDF)
• ACPS Dual Language Family Handbook- Dari دری (PDF).

Understanding Dual Language Programs

• Basic Overview of Dual Language Programs (PDF)
• Frequently Asked Questions About Dual Language - Center for Applied Linguistics
• Why are Bilinguals Smarter?

Supporting Your Emerging Bilingual Child

• Bilingual Kids Rock - Newsletter, advice and resources for raising bilingual children
• Colorin Colorado - A bilingual site for educators and families
• Multilingual Parenting
• Raising a Bilingual Child: The Top Five Myths

Spanish for Adults

• Babbel
• Duolingo Learn a language for free
• Immersion Island Spanish camp for adults and kids
• Learn Spanish!
• Fact Monster Foreign language, Spanish

Spanish for Children

• A Kid's Guide to Learning Spanish
• 1-2-3 Teach Me Spanish practice for children
• Best Spanish Web Sites
• BJ Pinchbeck's Homework Helper On the green menu at the top, go to Students > Foreign languages > Spanish
• Spanish for Kids
• Study Spanish Online Games for learning basic Spanish language, including a verb conjugator, pronunciation, basic sayings and vocabulary

Academic Enrichment in Spanish

• Brainpop Movies, quizzes, activities and more in English and Spanish
• Eduteka Challenge-based learning, Facebook for learning, use of video and folklore
• Salonhogar Games for core subjects in Spanish and ESL

Reading and Writing

• Children's stories and poems in Spanish by Marisa Moreno Bedtime stories in Spanish
• Crossing Boundaries Through Bilingual, Spoken-Word Poetry (Grades 7-12) Students explore the idea of "crossing boundaries" through bilingual, spoken-word poetry, culminating in a poetry slam at school or in the community.
• El Día de Los Niños/El Día de Los Libros (Children's Day/Book Day) - April 30 (Grades 3-8) Developed under the leadership of author Pat Mora, El Día de Los Niñolos/El Día de Los Libros focuses on providing children with books in many languages and making reading an integral part of their lives.
• International Children's Digital Library Free access to the best of children's literature from around the world in many languages.
• Latino Poetry Blog: Blogging as a Forum for Open Discussion (Grades 8-12) In this lesson, students use blogs to hold discussions about the effect of the factors of culture, history, and environment on Latino poetry.
• Latino Literature for Teens Works of Latino literature for teens focus on the experiences of young people from Spanish-speaking countries and cultures.
• Lectoescritura Literacy activities for families, from the Government of Spain
• Read-Think-Write Some articles have the Spanish option
• Unite for Literacy Provides free books in English with audio available in many languages

Math

• AAA Math Interactive arithmetic lessons in Spanish and English
• Disfruta las Matematicas Numbers, algebra, geometry, data, measurement, puzzles, games, dictionary and exercises
• Multilingual Math Glossary from McGraw Hill - Glencoe Provides definitions in English, Spanish and several other languages
• Khan Academy Videos and practice in Spanish
• Primary Math Resources Numbers in Spanish

Science

• Cientec This site, from Fundación para el Centro Nacional de la Ciencia y la Tecnología, CIENTEC, contains science games and experiments. It is completely in Spanish.
• Discovery Education Age appropriate videos in Spanish and English to support the science curriculum (see your school TIS for password)
• Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales National Museum of Natural Sciences of Spain
• My Family Traditions: A Class Book and a Potluck Lunch (Grades 3-5) After analyzing Family Pictures/Cuadros de Familia by Carmen Lomas Garza, students create a class book with artwork and information about their ancestry, traditions, and recipes, followed by a potluck lunch.

Social Studies

• Hispanic Heritage Month - September 15-October 15 (Grades 5-12) Students brainstorm all the various aspects of Hispanic culture and compile topics to research. Groups then research topics and present their information to the class.
• Investigating Names to Explore Personal History and Cultural Traditions (Grades 6-8) Students investigate the meanings and origins of their names in order to establish their own personal histories and to explore the cultural significance of naming traditions.
• Teaching for Change Provides teachers and parents with the tools to create schools where students learn to read, write and change the world.