UDL for Language Learners

How do we help language learners--those whose primary language is not the language of instruction--become resourceful, motivated, and strategic? In UDL for Language Learners, authors Caroline Torres and Kavita Rao address this critical problem of teaching practice.

Whether they are newcomers or natural born citizens, language learners are often a highly diverse group with widely varying needs, in addition to their language acquisition needs. Differences in academic and cultural backgrounds can present special challenges for teachers who are trying to help all of their students meet common goals and standards.

This book shows teachers how to plan for that variability and anticipate special challenges. The result: lessons that empower such students to achieve at high levels. Detailed vignettes illustrate how teachers can apply UDL in the classroom. The authors share strategies and design processes relevant to specific grades and content or skill areas.

Author: Caroline Torres, Kavita Rao
Publisher: Cast, Inc.
Published: 03/19/2019
Pages: 156
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.48lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.33d
ISBN: 9781930583290

About the Author
Torres, Caroline: - Caroline Torres is an assistant professor at Kapi'olani Community College, teaching Second Language Teaching to preservice and in-service teachers and Writing to non-native speakers of English. She also provides professional development on supporting English learners and culturally and linguistically diverse students to K-12 teachers. She has worked in schools across the Hawaiian islands and in Japan. Her research interests include culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students, including ELLs and CLD students with disabilities, Universal Design for Learning, Evidence-Based Practices, grit and growth mindset, and writing instruction, including Self-regulated Strategy Development. She holds a PhD in special education from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.Rao, Kavita: - Dr. Kavita Rao is a Professor of Special Education at the College of Education, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. Her work focuses on digital tools to support learners, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), online learning, and culturally and linguistically diverse students. Kavita is a member of CAST's UDL Cadre and an advisory board member of the Universal Design for Learning Implementation and Research Network (UDL-IRN). She has supported schools and districts in the US, the Pacific islands, and Asia for over two decades with technology and UDL integration. She has worked with educators in Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Marianas Islands, Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia developing curriculum resources, multimedia materials, and online programs. Kavita has also collaborated with the International Baccalaureate Organization and with the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) to support UDL research and implementation efforts.