Retail Purchases

All About the Libros: Developing Equitable Spanish Book Collections

The increasing number of dual language, bilingual, and English Language Learners calls for an increase in books in languages other than English.  We will begin by learning about the different types of Spanish books – translations, bilingual, and authentic books published in Spanish speaking countries.  Then participants will explore ways to evaluate them for the readers in your classroom.  Followed by a discussion of the nuances of Spanish reading levels and dialect or regionalisms. Next, the participants will discuss how the collection aligns with priorities. Finally, the participants will create a Spanish book collection that engages and excites your bilingual readers. 

Available: In-person, Online with Virtual Coaching

Deliverables: Data on current resources, priority alignment assessment, action plan

Professional development should be differentiated just like classroom instruction. We will work with you to customize your learning to meet your learning and schedules. Contact Heather to get started.

Rethinking Spanish Reading Levels 

Deliverables: Spanish book levels for various books in your collection

Professional development should be differentiated just like classroom instruction. We will work with you to customize your learning to meet your learning and schedules. Contact Heather to get started.

We begin by defining the different types of Spanish literature, leveling measures used within the United States, and then encourages the participants to apply these levels to a variety of Spanish books. Then participants will analyze Spanish text complexity and nuances and compare them to English text complexity.  Finally, we discuss the implications for biliteracy instruction, student learning, and assessments.

Guided Reading with Authentic Spanish Literature 

This learning is presented in Spanish and English in order to share strategies and tools to increase and scaffold for deeper comprehension using authentic Spanish literature. We will discuss effective classroom structures and procedures to improve instructional time efficiency and planning. In addition, we will identify the nuances of authentic Spanish literature and English reading strategies that do and DO NOT support Spanish literacy. We will share, implement, and analyze simple and powerful formative assessments.

Available: In-person, Online with Virtual Coaching

Deliverables: Formative assessments of students reading ability, lesson planning tools with authentic Spanish books

Professional development should be differentiated just like classroom instruction. We will work with you to customize your learning to meet your learning and schedules. Contact Heather to get started.

Professional Development Sessions Facilitation

All sessions are facilitated by Heather Robertson-Devine.  Robertson-Devine is the founder and owner of Books del Sur. She leads Books del Sur’s mission to publish and curate authentic Spanish literature from Latin America.  She is driven by her 16 years of dual language teaching and coaching as a public-school educator in Wisconsin and California. She has developed Spanish book collections for organizations and school districts for the past six years.  She has been trained in Adaptive Schools, Reflective Coaching, and the Teaching for Biliteracy, Bilingual Unit Framework.  She was WIDA’s Featured Educator for August 2015.  She holds a Masters of Educational Leadership and Policy from the California State University of Northridge and an undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in International Relations and Latin American & Iberian Studies.  To read more about her experiences see her chapter, “The Activist Teacher” in Sonia Nieto’s book Why We Teach Now.  References are available upon request.