Dear Colleagues,

This MoraModules Bulletin Board post is a reflection on the CABE 2026 March 4-7 in San Francisco.

Jill Kerper Mora and Silvia Dorta-Duque de Reyes presented a session titled Making the Language-Concept Connection: Standards-Based Lesson Planning in Dual Language Programs on March 6, 2026.

Based on their recently published book, the presenters led participants in exploring a framework for lesson design that supports transfer of learning across Spanish and English to enhance biliteracy and academic achievement. Practitioners learned how to design lessons that support cross-linguistic and cross-content transfer across languages. We analyzed a progression of lessons that connect language and concept development using parallel informational texts. Work products assessment provides evidence of students’ cross-linguistic transfer and ability to express content knowledge in both languages.

Click here for information about the book:

Mora, J. K., & Dorta-Duque de Reyes, S. (2026). Biliteracy and cross-cultural teaching: A framework for standards-based transfer instruction in dual language programs. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Authored by leading experts in bilingual education, this book offers a robust decision-making framework and wealth of strategies to foster effective transfer of knowledge and skills between languages. It equips teachers with the tools they need to design and implement standards-based instruction that integrates four critical domains:

Language: Explore commonalities and differences between Spanish and English and how these promote oral language proficiency. Learn how to help students develop metalinguistic awareness to enhance their understanding of the structures and functions of both languages of instruction.

Literacy: Support students’ comprehension of texts in both languages by focusing on literacy foundations. Effective strategies for leveraging points of transfer to achieve biliteracy are highlighted to ensure that students can confidently navigate the literacy demands of each language.

Content: Create standards-based lessons using the Language–Concept Connection, which supports students’ mastery of both conceptual knowledge and content-specific vocabulary to enrich their understanding and performance across academic subjects.

Culture: Discover how to identify and teach dimensions of culture and use multicultural literature to design lessons that deepen students’ knowledge of their own culture and broaden their appreciation of others’.

Also see Dr. Mora’s Spanish Language Pedagogy for Biliteracy Programs (2025), Second Edition