The Language of Content

Articles from the Speak Agent team that provide classroom resources, implementation strategies, research-based perspectives, and updates regarding our Content+LanguageSM platform.

Building Classroom Community Through Content and Storytelling

    • "Getting to know your students..." It sounds so easy: ice breakers, getting-to-know-you games, and other similar tools are at your fingertips. But which ones will be the most effective? What will be new and exciting for your students? Which ones...

NJTESOL/NJBE Spring Conference Reflections

I was thrilled to have my first-ever opportunity last month to experience the NJTESOL/NJBE spring conference. I had the chance to speak with educators from across my home state of New Jersey, where I started my career in education as a middle school...

Reflections on Juneteenth: A Call to Learn

On January 1, 1863, "...all persons held as slaves within the (States in rebellion) shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free..." President Abraham Lincoln declared. But the Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery: Freedom was won through...

The Language Deficit and the COVID-19 Slide

I was recently reading an article about the challenges the NYCDOE is facing in supporting their ELLs and how these students are faring in the "new normal." Here's how one Brooklyn teen described it:

The Story Behind the NSF Study

My last blog post described the NSF-funded study that Rockman et al conducted at Manor (pronounced MAY-ner) Independent School District. It was all about facts and data. In this post, I talk about my experiences, the place, and the people.

The Story Behind Tall Tales

I walked into the MediaBarn User Experience Lab thinking that I knew exactly how the first, second, and third-grade students would use our new learning game prototype. "Tall Tales" is a Mad Libs™-style cloze activity where kids fill in the blanks by...

The Story Behind Scrambled Sentences

Outside South Lake Elementary School in mid-February, snow was still piled high atop grassy medians and street corners. Inside, kids raced, hopped, spun, and meandered around the warm cafeteria. It was pizza time! This was my first visit to Dream...

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