Bridging Languages: The Science of Reading for Linguistically Diverse Students with Dr. Ana Taboada Barber
Dr. Ana Taboada Barber explores the cognitive and motivational factors affecting reading comprehension in linguistically diverse students. She highlights challenges multilingual learners face and emphasizes executive functioning, oral language development, and culturally relevant teaching. Advocating that diversity is an asset, she encourages family support for first-language literacy and provides ideas for strategic classroom instruction. Dr. Barber shares practical strategies to boost confidence, engagement, and comprehension, reinforcing the importance of choice, discussion, and meaningful learning opportunities.
Thought Leader: Dr. Ana Taboada Barber
Dr. Ana Taboada Barber is Professor of Education in the College of Education at the University of Maryland. Ana studies reading comprehension and reading motivation in Emergent Bilingual students. Her work centers on studying the influence of specific motivational and cognitive factors on the literacy and language development of elementary bilingual students. Ana has also turned her attention to the possible roles that executive function skills play in the cognition of bilingual students’ reading comprehension development.
Get to Know the Host: Dr. Cheryl Lundy Swift
Cheryl holds a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership, is a distinguished educational leader, and has been recognized with multiple awards for her achievements. She served as the lead curriculum developer for Learning Without Tears' Get Set for School Language and Literacy curriculum, which received an AEP Distinguished Achievement Award, and was awarded the Investors Bank Educator of the Year Award.
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