Mindful Literacy Blocks for English

Learners.Helping students and families access Common

Core ELA standards and bulid life long coping skills.

Mindfulness is….-the ability to be present in the moment-being available to learn -paying attention to the experience at hand with the mind and senses

-relaxed, but in-tuned learning-nurturing curiosity and creativity-knowing how to access your thoughts and feelings

-not hocus-pocus :)

Why use Mindfulness strategies in EL classrooms?

-research indicates improved reading and math test scores, as well as mood improvement and improved classroom behavior(Suttie, 2007)

-allows people, including children to accept emotional experiences through present-moment awareness (detect-stop spiral by decreasing somatic distress and rumination) (Hinton, 2013)

-kids and teachers are loving it in public schools all over the U.S. and in Europe ( 48 states have schools using it right now)

Mindfulness - Common Core (partners in building college and career ready kids)

-Common Core English Language Arts standards require more higher level thinking and more problem solving than was previously demanded in most State Standards

-Employing mindful brain breaks/strategies before close reading, heavy writing, and math have been show to help students embrace the information/tasks more openly

-Inability to cope with stressors, including other people is a top reason people drop out of college or get fired.

-Average college graduates today and in the future will change jobs every 4.4 years or more

Mindful Brain BreaksABC Yoga

Belly Breathing ( back to back, bubbles)

Cotton Ball Game

ELs can Access Difficult Text• Total Physical Response• Visual Imagery• Graphic Organizers• Exit Tickets

Parents as Partners in Reaching Common Core Reading Standards

Family night to demo what effective “lap reading” looks and feels like and to talk about “I can” statements.

Encourage reading in the family’s native language in combo with art

Family friendly reading logs and expectations

Family Night at the Local Public Library

EL friendly teacher blog with weekly ideas to help with “I can” goals, videos, and options for communication

Highlighting students’ families and cultures through read aloud selections and writing activities.

Brought to you by brilliant people...

"Brain Breaks: Self Regulation One Breath At A Time." The Mindful Classroom. Pam, 9 Dec. 2012. Web. 04 Apr. 2014.

Cown, Megan. "Greater Good: Teaching Mindfulness to Kids." Tips for Teaching Mindfulness to Kids. N.p., 13 May 2010. Web. 04 Apr. 2014.

Hinton, Devon E., Vuth Pich, Stefan G. Hofmann, and Michael W. Otto. "Acceptance and Mindfulness Techniques as Applied to Refugee and Ethnic Minority Populations With PTSD: Examples From "Culturally Adapted CBT"" Cognitive and Behavioral Practice 20.1 (2013): 33-46. Print.

O'Loughlin, Judith B. Academic Language Accelerator. New York, NY: Oxford UP, 2010. Print.

Schwartz, Katrina. "Low-Income Schools See Big Benefits in Teaching Mindfulness." MindShift. N.p., 17 Jan. 2014. Web. 04 Apr. 2014.

A special thanks to Andrea Hyde for introducing me to the idea of Mindfulness in Classrooms….I’m a happier teacher because of it. :)