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Strength-Based, Learner-Centered Approach:
This approach values bilingual/ELL students' cultural and linguistic strengths, integrating their backgrounds into lessons to make learning meaningful and inclusive. Instruction is flexible and differentiated, allowing students to demonstrate understanding through projects, visuals, and bilingual responses. Collaborative, student-centered activities foster engagement, confidence, and language development.

Deficit-Based Approach:
This approach focuses on what students lack, emphasizing English-only instruction and standardized assessments that often overlook diverse learning needs. Lessons are typically one-size-fits-all, with limited opportunities for student collaboration or personalized learning. Mistakes are viewed negatively, which can hinder confidence and academic growth.

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1. Incorporate Students' Cultural and Linguistic Responsive Resources:
- Use bilingual texts when possible
- Allow students to draft in their native language
- Include multicultural content in lessons

2. Create Opportunities for Success:
- Provide multiple ways to demonstrate understanding especially flexible and differentiated assessments.
- Use visual aids and hands-on activities
- Allow peer collaboration in both languages

3. Build Strong Relationships:
- Learn basic phrases in students' home languages
- Connect with families regularly
- Celebrate students' cultural experiences and knowledge

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Common Challenges Affecting Academic Performance

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Common Challenges Affecting Academic Performance

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1. Language Processing Time:
- Need extra time to translate and process information
- May struggle with rapid-fire discussions, comprehension and participation across subjects.

2. Academic Language Proficiency:
- Gap between social and academic language skills
- Subject-specific vocabulary challenges

3. Cultural Adjustment: Navigating different cultural norms and expectations can create stress and confusion.

Family Separation or Relocation Stress: Emotional distress due to family separation or frequent relocations can impact focus and academic performance.

Social Isolation: Limited English proficiency can make it challenging to form friendships, leading to feelings of loneliness.

4. Prior Educational Background:
- Possible gaps in formal education
- Different teaching methods in home country

5. Assessment Accuracy:
- Standardized tests may not reflect true knowledge
- Language barriers in test instructions

6. Bias and Discrimination: Experiences of bias or prejudice can harm students' confidence and sense of belonging.

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The importance of SEL for bilingual/ELL students cannot be overstated. These students often navigate multiple cultural identities while adapting to a new environment.

Key Social-Emotional Needs:

1. Sense of Belonging:
- Need to feel accepted and valued
- May experience cultural isolation

2. Identity Development:
- Balancing home and school cultures
- Developing positive self-image as bilingual learner

3. Stress Management:
- Coping with academic pressures
- Managing family expectations

4. Building Positive Relationships:

- Forming friendships and building trust with peers and teachers can be difficult but essential for engagement.

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Essential Questions for Student Understanding

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Essential Questions for Student Understanding

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Before making assumptions about bilingual/ELL students, consider these questions:

1. What are the student's linguistic strengths in both languages?

2. How does the student's cultural background influence their learning style?

3. What support systems exist at home and in the community?

4. How does the student demonstrate knowledge in their native language?

5. What is the student's educational history and background?

Questions Related to Exceptional Needs:

6. Are there signs that the student may have learning difficulties or disabilities beyond language acquisition challenges?

7. What supports can I provide to better engage this student academically and emotionally?

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A tool to help you meet students where they are in their language development

The Can Do Descriptors highlight what language learners can do at various stages of language development as they engage in the following contexts:

Bilingual and English-immersion early care and education programs

Bilingual, Spanish-immersion and English-immersion K-12 language programs

Bilingual, Spanish-immersion and English-immersion K-12 content-area classrooms

Similar to the WIDA English Language Development Standards Statements, the Can Do Descriptors describe what learners can do with language across different content areas. Although the Can Do Descriptors relate to the ELD Standards Statements, they don't replace them but are used to supplement the standards statements during instruction.

Educators and early childhood practitioners can use the Can Do Descriptors to

Better understand what students at different levels of language proficiency can do with language

Expand their understanding of what the process of language development can look like

Collaborate around scaffolding that students need to engage in content-area learning and develop language at the same time

Differentiate instruction and classroom assessment for language

Interpret ACCESS for ELLs test scores

The Can Do Descriptors have not yet been updated to reflect the 2020 Edition; however, they remain available as a valuable tool for communicating with stakeholders about what students can do at each language proficiency level. WIDA is monitoring educator use to help inform the timing for updating the materials.

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A tool to help you meet students where they are in their language developmentThe Can Do Descriptors highlight what language learners can do at various stages of language development as they engage in the following contexts: