Research indicates that the culturally responsive teaching strategies outlined in this book accelerate literacy, language development, and academic growth for students in grades K–8, particularly for English language learners. Completely revised and updated, this bestselling resource speaks to the social-emotional needs of learners and helps teachers support each child’s development of a positive self-concept. The authors present best practices, aligned with reading and content standards, and tools for developing academic talk and instructional conversations in the classroom. Special emphasis is placed on using student culture and language as a means for promoting meaningful relationships among communities of learners. The text includes tips for using the strategies for parental involvement, gathering knowledge of the student's background, and promoting social-emotional learning. A companion website provides new video of the strategies being used in classrooms. "Accelerating Literacy for Diverse Learners provides teachers a powerful framework to guide their decisionmaking processes in support of their students’ sociocultural, linguistic, cognitive, and academic biographies. The book presents a varied set of strategies that actively engage students in communicating, displaying, sharing, analyzing, reflecting on, and using their own understandings to develop new understandings and gain access to a high-quality curriculum." —Ester J. de Jong, EdD, professor, University of Florida, and 2017-18 President of TESOL

In her new book, nationally known professional development consultant and literacy expert Socorro Herrera and her colleagues provide a theoretical foundation for culturally responsive teaching that will accelerate literacy development for all students, and particularly for English language learners. Aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS), this volume incorporates current research and best practices for developing a classroom community that takes into account students' languages, cultures, and individual biographies. This resource provides proven-effective strategies, tools, and ideas that can be adapted and modified for any grade level and content area. This book features; a demonstration DVD showing the books strategies in action in real classrooms; classroom strategies that align with CCSS and Response to Intervention; guidance to help teachers use grouping configurations to build classroom community and maximize students assets; and a quick-glance overview and an in-depth exploration of each strategy that illustrates each step of implementation. 208 page book and 1-hour DVD

Previous edition published: New York: Teachers College, Columbia University, 2013, under title Accelerating literacy for diverse learners: strategies for the common core classrooms, K-8.

Accelerating and Extending the Literacy of Diverse Students keeps alive the conviction that the growing diverse student body can become successful learners. By creating a culturally relevant classroom that is validating and affirming as it acknowledges the strengths of diverse students, culturally relevant teaching can empower students, motivating them to excel in the classroom and beyond. Each chapter provides sound strategies that can be used to transform teaching of diverse students, using technology, visual literacy, picture books, bibliotherapy, and explorations of where words come from leading to a deeper appreciation and use of words as students read and write. Realizing that teaching can be wearing and stressful, one chapter provides suggestions on how teachers can recharge and nurture their inner lives to be the happy teachers that can change the world.

This conversation-based approach accelerates language acquisition for EL students and advances academics and social–emotional learning for all. The authors present a research-based pedagogical model to help K–12 teachers modify the way they plan and implement their lessons to better support the linguistic, cognitive, and social–emotional development of culturally and linguistically diverse students. “The authors remind us that we are working too hard in our roles as providers of knowledge and literacy. Rather, a focus on collaborative interactions among students better enables their autonomy, mutual learning, and self-directed paths to meaning and knowledge. The teacher onus is reduced, yet students’ ownership and confidence are bolstered in more socioconstructive and effectual ways. This work is a must read for all educators!” —Socorro G. Herrera, Kansas State University and author of Accelerating Literacy for Diverse Learners “Describes a system of classroom practice that centers on discourse-rich pedagogies. This book makes an important contribution to the growing field of culturally and linguistically sustaining instructional strategies.” —Cory Buxton, College of Education, Oregon State University “The authors’ detailed model for achieving ‘joint productive activity’ transforms the mysterious alchemy of ‘great teaching’ into a thoughtful, collaborative, and mindful process all teachers can use to engage students in learning.” —Betsy R. Rymes, Penn Graduate School of Education

"Fluency is an important part of comprehension, but how can teachers make sure they've providing the support that all readers need? This resource will provide fluency support for all students, including disfluent readers. Chapters are included on RTI Tiers, assessment and ways to integrate technology"--

Culturally responsive pedagogy, literacy, and English learner education expert Socorro Herrera has updated this bestseller to clarify, focus, and redefine concepts for the continued professional development of educators serving culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) populations. Teaching strategies and tools have been updated to reflect important new brain research and to keep pace with our nation’s ever-changing demographics and constant shift in expectations for K–12 students. Herrera has also revised the structure and format of the book to help educators find information quickly while working in highly complex and demanding environments. New for the Second Edition: Teaching strategies and tools based on the most current knowledge in the field. Authentic classroom artifacts that have been collected from teachers across the country. Glossary of key terms providing an auxiliary resource for current readers and for future applications of content in professional practice. Reorganized features with new icons providing a more user-friendly text for practitioner and classroom use. Updated excerpts from grade-level classroom teachers clarifying practice with CLD students and families. Additional planning and instructional aids available for free at www.tcpress.com. Grounded in the latest theory and with more user-friendly features, the Second Edition of Biography-Driven Culturally Responsive Teaching will help educators to reflect on their assumptions and perspectives, integrate best practices, and accelerate CLD students’ academic learning. “Socorro Herrera does a masterful job of mediating multicultural education theory and practice, specifically for culturally and linguistically diverse students, in Biography-Driven Culturally Responsive Teaching.” —From the Foreword by Geneva Gay, University of Washington, Seattle