Speaking the Same Language at WIDA Academic Literacy Conference

November 5, 2012

Experts on the teaching and learning of language by minority students convened in Madison from Oct. 9 to 12 for a conference funded by the American Education Research Association and WCER. The three-day conference, organized by the WIDA Consortium at WCER and partner organization WestEd, centered around a discussion on what it takes for ELLs to be successful in school.

According to organizer and WIDA researcher Daniella Molle, the conference was remarkable because of the discussions it encouraged between experts with widely different theoretical approaches to the study of ELLs in schools. The conversations begun at the conference will continue in an edited volume connecting the theoretical work accomplished during the conference with classroom practice. The book, which will include contributions by many conference participants including Molle, is under consideration for publication by the American Education Research Association in the near future.