Academic Language in Diverse Classrooms: English Language Arts, Grades 6-8: Promoting Content and Language Learning

Make every student fluent in the language of learning. Language has always been the center of English Language Arts, but with most states adopting CCSS, the focus on language and literacy across the content areas is required. Today it’s more essential than ever that English language learners and proficient English learners have the supports to access and achieve the language of school. The Common Core and ELD standards provide pathways to academic success through academic language. Using an integrated Curricular Framework, districts, schools and professional learning communities can: Design and implement thematic units for learning Draw from content and language standards to set targets for all students Examine standards-centered materials for academic language Collaborate in planning instruction and assessment within and across lessons Consider linguistic and cultural resources of the students Create differentiated content and language objectives Delve deeply into instructional strategies involving academic language Reflect on teaching and learning With dynamic classrooms and units of learning, this book gives you a streamlined path for designing and implementing curriculum that leads to student mastery of academic language—the key to school success. "These volumes are packed with practical ideas that will help all teachers attend to language within their classrooms from the discourse level to word/phrase levels. This is a road map for teaching Common Core content in language rich classrooms, and hence a resource every teacher needs within arm’s reach! It’s all here and clearly presented; this is pure gold for everyone who teaches students to speak, listen, read and write in school, with special attention to English language learners." —Tim Boals, Executive Director of WIDA

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Douglas Fisher Preface Acknowledgments About the Editors 1. Academic Language: A Centerpiece for Academic Success in English Language Arts by Margo Gottlieb and Gisela Ernst-Slavit Examples From the CCSS for English Language Arts of Related Academic Language 2. Grade 6: Legends and Life by Emily Y. Lam, Marylin Low, and Ruta′ Tauiliili-Mahuka 3. Grade 7: Diving Into the Depths of Research by Darina Walsh and Diane Staehr Fenner 4. Grade 8: A Gothic Story: "The Cask of Amontillado" by Liliana Minaya-Rowe Glossary Index

About the Author :
Margo Gottlieb, Ph.D., has been a bilingual teacher, coordinator, facilitator, consultant, and mentor across K-20 settings. Having worked with universities, organizations, governments, states, school districts, networks, and schools, Margo has co-constructed linguistic and culturally sustainable curriculum and reconceptualized classroom assessment, policy, and practice. As co-founder and lead developer of WIDA at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2003, Margo has helped design and contributed to all the editions of WIDA’s English and Spanish language development standards frameworks and their derivative products. She has been appointed to national and state advisory boards, served as a Fulbright Senior Scholar, and was honored by the TESOL International Association in 2016 for her significant contribution to the field. An avid traveler, Margo has enjoyed keynoting and presenting across the United States, territories, and 25 countries. Having authored, co-authored, or co-edited over 100 publications, including 22 books, Margo′s 3rd edition of Assessing Multilingual Learners: Bridges to Empowerment (2024) and Collaborative Assessment for Multilingual Learners and Teachers: Pathways to Partnerships (with A. Honigsfeld, 2025) are the latest additions to her Corwin compendium. In 2025, Margo was inducted into the Multilingual Education Hall of Fame. Dr. Gisela Ernst-Slavit (PhD University of Florida) is a Professor Emerita at Washington State University with an active program of research. Dr. Ernst-Slavit is a native from Peru who grew up languaging in Spanish, German and English at school. She is the author, co-author, or co-editor of 12 books and over 100 articles and chapters, and she frequently speaks at regional, national, and international conferences on multilingual learner education, with a particular focus on teacher preparation for multilingual youth. Dr. Ernst-Slavit has served as President of the Washington Association for English to Speakers of Other Languages and as an officer in several professional organizations, including the American Educational Research Association, the Council of Anthropology and Education, and TESOL International Association.

Review :
"These volumes are packed with practical ideas that will help all teachers attend to language within their classrooms from the discourse level to word/phrase levels. This is a road map for teaching Common Core content in language rich classrooms, and hence a resource every teacher needs within arm’s reach! It’s all here and clearly presented; this is pure gold for everyone who teaches students to speak, listen, read and write in school, with special attention to English language learners." "Academic Language in Diverse Classrooms is an invaluable resource for all K through 8th grade teachers, especially those working with diverse students. This book gives teachers both a clear explanation of academic language and specific strategies they can apply in their own classrooms. Throughout the book, contributors provide specific connections between the Common Core State Standards and Language Development Standards. Each chapter helps educators understand students’ academic language needs and, through a variety of classroom examples from each grade level, shows teachers how to teach academic language through content."