With an increased focus on improving the academic achievement of Latino and English language learner (ELL) students, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) continues to offer the Leadership Institute for Latino Literacy (LILL) as an important vehicle for reaching teachers working with this target population.

This year, NCLR was proud to partner with the George Washington University to host the 2006 LILL. Taking place in August in Washington, DC, the LILL provided teachers of ELL and Latino students with strategies on strengthening literacy skills across the content areas. This is particularly valuable, as research suggests that students’ ability to integrate the processes of listening, speaking, thinking, reading, and writing within the content areas of science and social studies, for example, will enhance their language development and comprehension of related subjects.

The 2006 LILL focused on literacy across all curricula and was tailored for secondary schools (6-12). Among topics included were:

• Second language acquisition theory and practice
• Understanding and implementing best practices in adolescent literacy
• Effective literacy strategies in content areas

For updates and materials on the 2006 LILL click here. For photo highlights please click here.