Students with Interrupted Formal Education: Bridging Where They Are and What They Need - Paperback

by Brenda K. Custodio (Author), Judith B. O′loughlin (Author)

New hope for our most vulnerable English learners

"One of the guiding principles of effective English language teaching is for educators to know their students. And that in a nutshell captures the value of this book. . . . The compassion that Custodio and O'Loughlin feel for our SIFE students, the commitment they have to educating them well, and the comprehension they have of the assets these learners bring to the classroom are evident in the writing, tools, and vignettes they share."

-Deborah J. Short

Under the best of circumstances, the academic demands of today's classrooms can be daunting to our English learners. But for the tens of thousands of newly arrived students with interrupted formal education, even the social challenges can be outright overwhelming.

Rely on this all-in-one guide from Brenda Custodio and Judith O'Loughlin for expert insight on how to build the skills these students need for success in school and beyond. Inside you'll find

• Essential background on factors leading to interrupted education
• Specific focus on refugee children and Latino immigrants
• Guidance on building internal resilience for long-term social and emotional health
• Recommendations for creating supportive environments at the classroom, school, and district level

About one thing, Brenda and Judith are absolutely convinced: our SIFE students can learn and make progress, often at a remarkable speed. But it's up to us, their educators, to provide the time, attention, and a specific focus. Consider this book your first step forward.

Author Biography

Judith B. O′Loughlin is an education consultant and teacher trainer, working with general education and ESL/bilingual teachers, school districts, and state departments on standards-based instruction and assessment, sheltered instructional lesson planning and implementation, and curriculum guidance projects.

She is an experienced K-12 educator with teaching credentials and extensive teaching experience in the areas of ESL/bilingual education, English language arts, and special education/learning disabilities teacher-consultant. In addition, Ms. O′Loughlin is an adjunct graduate professor for online and blended graduate courses for bilingual/ESL endorsement and M.Ed. programs, currently in New Jersey and Missouri. Ms. O′Loughlin has been extensively involved in the field of second language acquisition, as a frequent presenter at state, regional, and national conferences and has published articles in NABE News, CATESOL News, and TESOL′s Essential Teacher. Her service to the field includes serving on the boards of NJTESOL-NJBE, CATESOL, and service on several TESOL standing committees, including chairing the Professional Development Committee. She provides training on the WIDA ELP Standards, ACCESS for ELLs, and the W-APT. Brenda K. Custodio has been working in the ESL field for 25 years, as a classroom teacher, a curriculum developer, and a building administrator. She received her Ph. D. in TESOL/Children's Literature in 2001 from Ohio State University and since then has also been teaching courses for The Ohio State University with teachers who are working on their TESOL license. Currently, Brenda is the assistant principal for a newcomer program in Columbus, OH. The program has 500 students in grades six through 12 from 46 countries, about half of who are refugees with limited formal schooling. Dr. Custodio is very active in both Ohio TESOL and international TESOL and serves on the professional development committee for big TESOL. She has served as past president of Ohio TESOL and the secondary interest section chair for big TESOL and has been a frequent PD presenter at both the state and national level.