Presented by Sara Nájera, Language Curriculum Specialist, Lexia Learning; and Javier A. Ruiz, Senior Language & CRSP Specialist, Lexia Learning

Sponsored by Lexia Learning as part of Emergent Bilingual Week October 17-21. Learn more.

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What does it mean to grow up as an Emergent Bilingual in today’s educational system? As we kick off Emergent Bilingual week, Lexia curriculum and language experts Sara Nájera and Javier Ruiz explore the Emergent Bilingual experience in the context of the American public school system.

The challenges Emergent Bilinguals face are often invisible to English-only speakers. With more than five million Emergent Bilingual students in our classrooms today, it is important to take a step back and ensure that all students are getting the support they need to succeed. In this edWebinar, Sara and Javier provide new context and perspective on how the public school system treats Emergent Bilinguals, and what we, as educators, can do to help every student thrive.

Viewers learn:

• How Emergent Bilinguals are defined and identified, and the impact of those labels
• What ongoing systemic barriers Emergent Bilinguals face in the public education system
• How educators can better meet Emergent Bilinguals’ linguistic and academic needs

This recorded edWebinar is of interest to K-6 teachers, ELL/ESOL specialists, school and district leaders, and education technology leaders.

This edWebinar is part of Emergent Bilingual Week: Accelerate Language, Accelerate Literacy.

This five-day event, October 17th – October 21st, consists of a series of webinars that explore important aspects of supporting emergent bilingual students, including the acceleration of English language learning, the role of oral language in literacy instruction, language learning efficacy and research, how educators can leverage artificial intelligence to support Emergent Bilingual students, and much more! Register for the Week.

About the Presenters

Sara Nájera, BA Bilingual Education, is a curriculum specialist of educational content for Lexia® English Language Development. For the past six years, she has worked with Emergent Bilinguals in Texas, Florida, and Italy as a classroom teacher, reading interventionist, and ELL lead. Most recently, she has worked on developing curriculum for a revolutionary edtech program that promotes the opportunity for bilingualism. Having been an emergent bilingual, Sara is passionate in helping provide equitable instruction for all multilingual learners.

Javier A. Ruiz is a Senior Language & CRSP Specialist at Lexia Learning. He holds a Masters in TESOL from New York University and has graduate experience in education policy and teacher professional development from Columbia University and Bank Street College of Education. He has designed and implemented nationally recognized curricula and educator mentoring programs across the United States, focused on supporting Emergent Bilinguals. A native of Peru and an EB himself, Javier is committed to breaking down the systemic barriers that prevent students from accessing their full potential.

Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.

Join the Supporting Emergent Bilingual Students community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.

Lexia® Learning, a Cambium® company, is one of the most impactful and highly respected reading-technology companies in the world. Founded over 35 years ago, Lexia’s research-proven programs help educators deliver personalized reading and language instruction for millions of K–12 students across the world.