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ELL parents may feel intimidated in helping with homework or other school work? This can be because many ELL families view educators as professionals who are not to be questioned and that academics are to be taught at school while proper behavior is taught at home.

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Encourage parents to check homework nightly and to read with their children in their native language.

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Pair families with other ELL families so that they have a system of support within their community.

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Consider hosting a family literacy night routinely where families can come and participate in reading together, listening to stories together, and complete other literacy activities. This will not only strengthen the parent's confidence in helping their child but creates a welcoming atmosphere and a fun family event.

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Create opportunities in which students can discuss and teach their classmates about their cultures. This can include traditions, customs, hobbies, etc.

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Encourage families to volunteer within the school. Education is held to high importance in many ELL cultures. Parents could volunteer for an event or trip, but could even come in to simply help set up or cut out items for the teacher. Other ideas include:
-leading clubs
-teaching students about their culture
-school improvement projects

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Consider hosting activities in multiple languages if possible!

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It may be beneficial to reach out to parents presenting concerns with ways that they can support their students, in addition to positive observations as well. Parents are reluctant to reach out to parents, you will likely need to initiate conversation!

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Many have found success in hosting group conferences for students on similar levels, providing general knowledge and answering questions as a group, before hosting quick meetings for individual students.

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Many older siblings have high responsibilities within their family. Often, this includes caring for younger siblings or working after school to help support the family. They may be tired from upholding all of their home and school responsibilities, not lazy and disconnected.

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Our ELL students are working hard to adjust to our culture norms, balance fluency in two (or more) languages, and uphold their home responsibilities. Recognize their strengths, including things like respectfulness, good attendance or behavior, making their education a priority, commitment to their family, etc.

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What you Should Learn About your Families:

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What you Should Learn About your Families:

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1. What countries they come from.
2. What languages their household speaks.
3. If families who speak the same language come from different countries or regions within the same country.
4. The educational background of families and how schools work in their country.
5. If any of your ELLs are refugees.

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Utilize a translator when necessary. If scheduling meetings with families who are ELL, it would be beneficial to schedule a translator in advance so that there are not communication barriers at the time of the meeting and the family feels safe and supported.

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When discovering that you have an ELL family, reach out to someone in your district to find out what resources are available in your district and community.

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Learn the holidays or traditions your families celebrate based on their culture, mark them on your calendars to ensure you are not scheduling meetings or events that the student would miss on those days.

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Depending on their cultures, students may be out on certain days in order to celebrate holidays and traditions. Mark these days on your calendar to ensure you are not scheduling school parties, events, or trips on these days that they will have to miss.

Encourage parents and students to share about these holidays and traditions, including things such as the meaning, origin, foods, etc.
https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/culturally-responsive-instruction-holiday-and-religious-celebrations

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This article shows teachers how to bring rich cultural content into their teaching in a way that expands students' knowledge, interest, and respect for the group being featured. The article offers suggestions that teachers can use throughout the school year, as well as when observing cultural and religious holidays and celebrations.

Note: This article was originally written for the American Federation of Teachers.
The first step in implementing more culturally responsive instruction is recognizing how our own cultural conditioning is reflected in our teaching: how we set up our classroom, establish relationships with students, even how we design and deliver our lessons. This article shows teachers how to bring rich cultural content into their teaching in a way that expands students' knowledge, interest, and respect for the group being featured. The article offers suggestions that teachers can use throughout the school year, as well as when observing cultural and religious holidays and celebrations.

Meaningful Multicultural Education in a Nation of Immigrants

Related video

See this interview with Dr. Cynthia Lundgren for more great tips on culturally responsive instruction!

Our nation is rich in many cultural and religious traditions, and celebrations focusing on specific groups have grown and become more popular in the last twenty years. Some of the most prominent are African-American History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and Women's History Month. Growing in popularity are American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month and Asian Pacific Heritage Month. Along with these we also observe and recognize Martin Luther King Day, St. Patrick's Day, Cinco de Mayo, Kwanzaa, Labor Day, the Jewish holidays, and many others.

While we are more explicit about our recognition of various groups and ethnic differences, we have always been a diverse nation. In the beginning, our nation was primarily the home of Native Americans and other indigenous groups representing more than 400 languages, Africans from a wide range of different regions, and Europeans of mostly British heritage. Take America at the turn of the 20th century - that's when our country experienced one of its major influxes of newcomers, and waves of immigrants made their way to our shores. Soon, many of the children enrolled in our public schools had come from such faraway places as Italy, Poland, Greece, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, and China.

Now turn the clock forward a hundred years. Our public schools are again being asked to meet the challenges that come with a rapidly growing and diverse population. With a global economy in place and our technology moving at a rate faster than we'd ever imagined, every teacher needs more help meeting the needs of and being culturally responsive to his/her students, many of whom now have roots in places like Mexico, Puerto Rico, Vietnam, Somalia, Croatia, and Jordan.

Our country has always been home to people of many different cultures and ethnic backgrounds. But meaningful multicultural education must go beyond saying that we're a "melting pot," having an ethnic food celebration a couple of times a year, and acknowledging a few well-known historical figures. We currently live in a world where our knowledge about other cultures, languages, and traditions is extremely important to foster understanding and mutual respect, and we are now expecting teachers to be our first responders on the front line in this complex task.

Given that research, test data, and anecdotal evidence repeatedly confirm that culture plays a significant role in teaching and learning, student diversity challenges us to explore ways to bridge cultural differences and develop culturally sensitive teaching practices that recognize and accept these differences.

And teachers, like their students, behave in ways that reflect their culture. We recognize the obvious cultural differences such as foods, heroes, holidays, arts, and clothing - differences that, much like the tip of the iceberg, are clearly visible above the water. Less visible are the different ways in which our cultures influence our understanding of the world and how we interact with others. These more nuanced differences might include how we understand and define concepts like family, responsibility, education, and success. These hidden aspects of culture can cause misunderstandings and cross-group conflicts; they can impact teacher-student and student-student relationships, and create hard-to-identify barriers to academic content matter.

Culturally Responsive Instruction

So at the point we decide that we want to implement more culturally responsive instruction, where to do we start? The first step is recognizing how our own cultural conditioning is reflected in our teaching: how we set up our classroom, establish relationships with students, even how we design and deliver our lessons. When we acknowledge that our classrooms are natural extensions of our own culture, we can begin to make room for the cultures of others. This can be done in a few simple ways:

Look for ways to integrate cultural traditions of your ELL families throughout your school. Becoming familiar with and including the cultural traditions of your ELL families within the larger school community not only creates a welcoming and respectful school environment - it has practical considerations for scheduling, opportunities in the classroom, and improved communication and engagement with families. (See more tips on how to integrate ELLs' cultures effectively in this excerpt from our ELL Family Engagement guide.)

Add classroom visuals reflecting the racial and ethnic diversity of the classroom. Look for images that come from various sources and steer clear of long-held harmful stereotypes (e.g., Latino people wearing large Mexican hats, Asian people working in rice fields, etc.). If you can not find any adequate images, hold an event inviting the various families to school and take photos of the children interacting together and with each other's families.

Incorporate books with multicultural themes and different perspectives into classroom readings. For recommended titles, consult our booklists on Colorín Colorado and Reading Rockets. Also, do not automatically discard books that reflect the mainstream culture. Discuss all these books (multicultural and mainstream) with students and ask them what they learned that they did not know before about the characters, situations, geographies, etc.

Explore themes that are common to all cultures. Discuss universal concepts like the importance of families, the search of a better life through migration, friendships, uses of music to express emotions and celebrate, and different kinds of work, etc.

Take interest in students' lives outside of school and asking questions about community events and traditions. When possible, call students at home to follow up on an assignment and introduce yourself to their parents (ask your school about an interpreter if needed). After this type of initial contact, try and visit students at home, visit their neighborhood and the places they shop, and participate in community events. Keep an open-door policy in your classroom for their families. Sometimes, families may be hesitant to interact with you due to language or perceived cultural barriers.

Ensure major assignments or exams do not fall on religious or cultural holidays. Plan this calendar far in advance. Students from a particular country may have more religious holidays than other groups and you also want to inform others in the school about this so that no misperceptions or misunderstandings arise.

Integrate ethnic art, music, and games into classroom activities. For information about ethnic art and games, consult Learning for Justice, and for international music selections and fun classroom activities, consult Putumayo. You can also visit special museum exhibits, conduct a field trip to a special performance, or invite artists and performers to your school.

Support English language learners and their families with materials in their first language. If your school does not have ESL or bilingual education teachers or specialists, see if the district can help. Do not make the children in your class who are becoming proficient in English be your primary mode of communication with other children of the same language background or with families. If an adult interpreter is not available, look into recruiting a volunteer from the community who is familiar with school issues. For more information on supporting ELLs and their families, visit Colorín Colorado's Educator Section.

Use current world events to teach students to read, think, and discuss from multiple perspectives. The internet and television broadcasts from other countries can provide international versions of world events. Responding to events from a variety of perspectives not only reinforces critical literacy skills, but establishes a forum for voicing disparate perspectives.

Celebrating Holidays

When it comes time to highlight specific cultural holidays, how do you pick the right culturally responsive materials? No matter what you choose to shed light on the subject (a lesson plan, ongoing unit study, field trip, cultural fair, special performance presentation, etc.), the goal is to expand your students' knowledge, interest, and respect for the group being featured. Here are some ideas to help you highlight multicultural and religious holidays appropriately, and select the right activities and materials:

Recognize various talents and accomplishments when focusing on people. Do not limit your commemoration to famous leaders and heroes. Go beyond Martin Luther King, Cesar Chavez, and Susan B. Anthony to find other little-known role models who are historical and contemporary.

Consult more than one internet or library source and do not expect a student to be your sole "ambassador" or resource for finding out about a whole culture or ethnic background. Multiple sources are always a good idea for formulating knowledge about a particular subject. More importantly, do not put a particular student on the spot without asking them beforehand if they are comfortable sharing information with the whole class. Each student is an individual and their experiences may or may not be similar to that of the group they represent.

Incorporate the information you select into existing lesson plans or special projects. Don't miss out on the opportunity to make this into an ongoing process for learning. One great source of information is children's books, which often have background information and activities, such as these titles about Ramadan, Chinese New Year, and Día de los muertos.

Make it more than just about food, music, or popular icons. As with the earlier tips on holiday celebrations, it is best to precede these type of events or approaches with meaningful and thoughtful pre-planned lessons, information, and learning. There is more to St. Patrick's Day than wearing green and pinning up images of leprechauns - turn the holiday into an opportunity to learn about the Irish people and their history.

Seek various representatives to show the diversity within a common group. Keep in mind that no one group is as homogenous as it might seem. To illustrate, Latinos may share the same language and have very similar customs but there are many cultural differences between countries - for example, only Mexicans celebrate Cinco de Mayo; Argentinians, on the other hand, will most likely have never heard of the celebration or know what it stands for, and will celebrate different holidays. "Chinese" New Year, on the other hand, is not only celebrated by the Chinese. Other Asian cultures refer to it as Lunar New Year.

Plan ahead of time. Don't wait until the day of the celebration or designated month to bring up the subject. If the topic at hand involves a heritage group represented in your classroom, consult with the student and their families about your plans, and find out if they are interested in and comfortable sharing stories, traditions, or family history. Ask them for suggestions and ideas.

Encourage other children who may not have "official" holidays representing them or whose families have lived in the U.S. for multiple generations to explore and share their own heritage and background. For children who come from the mainstream background, ask them where their ancestry is from. Students may not realize that people of European background do not share the same languages or traditions - for example, explore the differences between countries like Sweden and Portugal or Hungary and Scotland. While they may not relate to the language and customs of their ancestors anymore, it is important to point out their own immigrant roots and emphasize how rich we are as a nation because of our immigrant heritages.

Religious Holidays and Traditions

When it comes to religious holidays or traditions, what is their appropriate place in the curriculum? How do teachers approach such issues as textbook content, values education, controversial issues, and religious holidays? The general rule of thumb is to do this carefully. The First Amendment Center, in coalition with the AFT and a number of other organizations including the NEA, have issued a guide for educators on such issues called "Finding Common Ground." Some of the guidelines urge educators to:

Have an approach that is academic and not devotional.

Focus on the awareness of religions rather than acceptance of any one religion.

Sponsor study about religion, not the practice of religion.

Expose students to a diversity of religious views and do not impose any particular view.

Educate about all religions - do not promote or denigrate any religion.

Inform students about various beliefs, rather than conform students to any particular belief.

The complete guide and a more comprehensive list of recommendations is available at the First Amendment Center website.

All of these recommendations are in line with the standard that officially guides states and schools on this issue - the "Lemon Test," named after the 1971 court case of Lemon v. Kurtzman. The Supreme Court decided that schools could not receive public funding if they engaged in religious instruction. However, it does not prohibit students from worshipping on their own. This court decision has three important parts to it:

1. The government or public action in question* should only engage in secular or civil matters, leaving religion up to the individual.

2. The government or public action in question must not actively promote or prohibit religion.

3. The government or public action in question must not involve itself excessively with religion.

[*such as classroom instruction in a public school]

It's important to know what your purpose is in bringing up religion - most often, teachers intend to foster tolerance for other beliefs and faiths, and one of the best ways for teachers to do this is to plan ahead and to consult with informed sources, colleagues, parents, and the community. If students of a certain religion will be missing school days, it would be helpful to post these on a classroom calendar and let everyone in the class know ahead of time. Likewise, if students need to excuse themselves for prayer during the school day, it'd be best to plan a schedule and accommodate them in such a way that it does not interfere with their educational time in the classroom or with other students.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, all of these strategies for cultural responsiveness support our goals for student achievement in two ways. First, we build a democratic foundation for equal access to education. Secondly, we help students develop their own culturally sensitive skills to be successful in our diverse, multicultural, and global world, enriching not our classroom, but our nation as well.

Recommended Booklists

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Culturally Responsive Instruction for Holiday and Religious Celebrations

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This article shows teachers how to bring rich cultural content into their teaching in a way that expands students' knowledge, interest, and respect for the group being featured. The article offers suggestions that teachers can use throughout the school year, as well as when observing cultural and religious holidays and celebrations.

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Be sure that your cafeteria is offering foods that reflect the cultures of the students it serves! Every student deserves to have food that they feel comfortable and able to eat.

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Ensure that signs in the building are bilingual so that all students and family members can read them!

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Create inclusion for students and families by ensuring that they are represented visually in the building through pictures, flags, books, and more!

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https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/helping-your-child-homework

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Homework is an opportunity for children to learn and for families to be involved in their children's education. However, helping children with homework isn't always easy. At parent-teacher meetings and in conferences with parents, teachers often hear questions such as: How can I get Michael to do his homework?

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Support Students with Interrupted Education

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Support Students with Interrupted Education

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https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/how-support-ell-students-interrupted-formal-education-sifes

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How to Support ELL Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFEs)

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SIFEs and SLIFEsAnother related term that educators may see is “Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education” (SLIFEs).When immigrant students enroll in a new school, their prior educational experiences may vary widely. Students who have not had an opportunity to attend school or have had multiple interruptions in their education are commonly referred to as “Students with Interrupted Education” (SIFEs).While educating students with interrupted education may seem daunting, they bring numerous talents and strengths to their new schools and communities. And they can indeed obtain a high school diploma with the right kind of support and go on to future academic and professional success.In fact, each spring, we read about SIFEs who are at the top of their class or who have been chosen to give a commencement speech, such as Juliane Lukambo, who spent her early years in a refugee camp before coming to the U.S. and graduating as class valedictorian. And, in this video clip, Canadian ELL expert Paula Markus talks about a special Somali student who had also been in a refugee camp before arriving in her classroom. Today, the world knows him as the artist K’naan.This article provides a profile of SIFEs and their needs, recommendations of best practices, and examples of the kinds of quality support and resources that will accelerate their academic achievement.A warm welcome for immigrant families in the front officeNorieah Ahmed, the Child Accounting Secretary at Salina Elementary School in Dearborn, MI, talks about her role in welcoming newcomer immigrant families to the school from the moment they walk in the door. Who are SIFEs?While there are some general characteristics that SIFEs share, students’ situations will vary widely:Some SIFEs may be refugees fleeing violence or conflicts, while others may have had interrupted schooling due to poverty, migration, or crises such as natural disasters.Some SIFEs may have had no schooling, while others may have had some education or long gaps in their education.Many are English language learners (ELLs), but some may come from countries where English is a primary language.Students who come from the same country and speak the same language may have had vastly different experiences related to schooling.For this reason, it is crucial to learn about each individual student in order to identify their strengths and needs. You can learn more about specific characteristics in the articles below. And you read more about how different states define SIFEs from this data map.Related resources10 Things You Need to Learn About Your English Language LearnersStudents with Interrupted Formal Education: Understanding Who They Are (American Educator)Unaccompanied Children in Schools: What You Need to KnowIndigenous Students from Latin America in the United StatesPartnering with Indigenous Families from Latin America (Outreach videos in Spanish, English, and Mam)Where do SIFEs come from?SIFEs may come from countries where poverty, disaster, and civil unrest affect the development of literacy and opportunities for education. According to UNESCO, the number of children missing out on any schooling now numbers 250 million, according to figures released in 2023.Students may also come from countries where persecution or strict rules about gender, social class, or ethnicity prevented them from attending school. Girls in many nations still don’t have equal access to education, which is particularly concerning in nations where girls can only attend classes taught by women. UNICEF estimates that 129 million girls are out of school worldwide.In addition, SIFEs may have been born or raised in a developed nation but in impoverished circumstances that affect their family’s stability. For example, many migrant workers in the U.S. move frequently based on agricultural seasons, and as a result their children move from one to school to another, making it nearly impossible for children to stay caught up with their peers.What are SIFEs’ strengths?It’s critical to identify SIFEs’ strengths and talents, as well as the value of their unique perspectives and life experiences. These strengths make include resilience, resourcefulness and responsibility, as well as their multilingual skills, which they may be using to translate for their families. Starting with an asset-based perspective can make an important difference helping students get settled. In addition, it can provide more opportunities to connect content and learning opportunities to students’ background knowledge. You can find additional ideas in Using a Strengths-Based Approach with ELs: Supporting Students Living with Trauma, Violence and Chronic Stress.Principal Nathaniel Provencio: The gifts that ELLs bring to schoolPrincipal Nathaniel Provencio talks about some of the gifts that ELLs bring to schools, including multilingualism and emotional intelligence. Enrolling SIFEsIt’s important to ensure that all staff working with SIFEs understand the following:K-12 students in the United States have the legal right to enroll in a public school, regardless of their immigration status or that of their caretakers and family members.Families have a legal right to enroll their children in school in the maximum age set by each state even if they have recently arrived in the country and even if they do not have documents like birth certificates.Many families may be living in shelters or in unstable housing; these students may have additional rights under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Educating SIFEs in Dearborn, MIThe Salina neighborhood in Dearborn, Michigan has long been home to diverse immigrant communities who came to work in Detroit’s factories. Today, many of the families who live in the neighborhood are from the war-torn country of Yemen, and as a result, students of all ages have experienced violence, hardship, and family separation. In addition, educators at Salina Elementary and Intermediate Schools have noticed that the longer the conflict has continued, the less schooling students have had by the time they arrive in Dearborn.Both schools have developed robust partnerships with families and wrap-around services and activities for students. They have also gone to great lengths to create and maintain calm, welcoming environments within the school and ensure that all staff are trained in culturally and linguistically responsive practice, as well as trauma-informed practice. Since the schools are serving the same families, they also work closely together to reach families more effectively. To learn more about Salina, see Colorín Colorado’s award-winning film, You Are Welcome Here.What do SIFEs need?When students who have grown up with little or no education experience enroll in U.S. schools, they have much more to learn than a new language; in order to be fully functional at school, they need to learn how to:read and writecomplete assignments and follow instructionsuse school suppliesfollow a school scheduletake the businteract with students from different culturesparticipate in school activitiesAll of this is happening while they adjust to a new country and new social norms and possibly take on family responsibilities such as working, caring for younger siblings, or doing a significant share of housework. They also may have experienced trauma and need mental health support or additional social and emotional support.Older siblings’ responsibilities during family separationTeacher Diana Alqadhi discusses the responsibilities her students have when caring for younger siblings during extended family separations. What makes SIFEs’ needs unique?While needs of the SIFE population may overlap with those of ELLs in some ways, SIFEs are likely to need additional support and instruction. In an article adapted from their book about SIFEs, Brenda Custodio and Judith B. O’Loughlin write, “Students with interrupted education need specialized programming and assistance, above and beyond what is normally provided to ELLs.“They continue, “This belief is supported in a recent statement from WIDA...about SIFE: ‘Students with this background often need their emotional, psychological, and physiological needs to be met before they are able to engage fully in the educational setting.‘“Social and emotional factors impacting SIFEs may include:1. Stress and trauma: SIFEs may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, may be under severe distress, or may be completely overwhelmed by the need to assimilate to a new school environment in a new language. In addition, some SIFEs may have traveled her as unaccompanied minors, alone or carrying for younger relatives, and may be reuniting with family members they have not seen for a long time or have never met.2. Frustration: A SIFE may be very excited to finally attend school regularly, and may have high hopes for his ability to work and support his family; however, the discovery that he is in fact far behind his peers can be a source of great frustration. Even as he makes great academic progress throughout the year, he is still chasing a moving target because English-speaking, grade-level peers are continuing to learn as well, and the realization that meeting his goals will be harder than expected may be devastating.3. High risk of dropping out: SIFEs are considered to have a high risk for dropping out of high school given the precarious nature of their relationship with school.While these reasons present numerous challenges to school educators and administrators, students with limited or interrupted schooling can succeed if their school makes a commitment to help them achieve that goal. The following lists of suggestions offer some ideas that educators can implement to support SIFEs throughout the school and in the classroom.Why creating a calm, safe environment matters for students and staffPrincipal Susan Stanley describes how creating a calm and safe environment helps students and staff alike, especially in a school where many students have experienced trauma. 10 Ideas for Teaching SIFEsHere are some things you can do in your classroom to support SIFEs:1. Activate prior knowledge.Once you know what prior information your students have, you can link new information to what they already understand. Not only can this stimulate student motivation, but it can also determine where to start instruction as well as lay out the next steps. Some strategies include: word associations, wordsplash relationships, KWL charts, and anticipation guides.2. Provide a print rich environment.Cover your walls with lots of visuals that correspond to text (maps, charts, signs, posters with motivational phrases, the alphabet in print and script, etc.). Include appropriate texts that are written at a basic reading level, high interest/low ability books, native language materials, and bilingual glossaries.3. Engage students in hands-on learning so students are physically involved.Have students write, illustrate, and record their own books, let them create their own picture dictionaries and flash cards, incorporate drama to act out events and stories, use interactive activities on a SMARTBoard, use manipulatives, reciprocal teaching, and teach to the multiple intelligences. In addition, look for ways to include and support SIFEs in project-based learning.4. Keep the amount of new vocabulary in control. When using new vocabulary or explaining new concepts, you may need to rephrase, define in context, and simplify your explanation so as not to confuse students. Limit your sentence length, but don’t patronize students by raising your voice as if they were hard of hearing. Instead, use intonation and pauses for emphasis.5. Give frequent checks for communication.Try to avoid Yes/No answers. Instead, ask that students summarize what they understood. Increase your wait time, because students will need extra time to process your question, think of the answer, they find the words they need in English.6. When assessing understanding, be open-minded. Provide multiple opportunities to demonstrate understanding (instead of writing: explain, act out, discuss, defend, draw, compare, predict, etc.). Emphasize formative assessment versus evaluative assessment and individualize what you ask students to do.7. Allow students to work in cooperative groups.There are a number of ways to support peer learning. Remember to teach the necessary social skills they need to interact productively with one another. Forming skills such as getting into groups, taking turns, and encouraging one another provide the foundation for higher-order thinking in collaborative groups.8. If possible, build the native language content and literacy instruction in order to build on English.Use of graphic organizers is very helpful to make learning visual and incorporate thinking skills, and can be done without any writing. Use reading logs and journals to incorporate reading and writing.9. Use teaching strategies that weave together language and content instruction, such as the SIOP model (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol).Often when SIFE student enroll in a U.S. school, the gaps in their educational record lead to them being placed in remedial courses. While this kind of instruction may be necessary or helpful for some students, native-language instruction and sheltered instruction may provide a viable alternative to remedial instruction (Spaulding, Carolino & Amen, p.13).Look for ways to relate material to students’ prior knowledge and experience, and start with the concrete before building up to the abstract. What they don’t have you can try to create for them through visuals or by using technology. In addition, teach students learning strategies that they can use in the future. These strategies may include how to recognize cognates, looking for the heading of a chapter in pre-reading exercises, using a dictionary, or how to take effective notes (p. 28). Remember that SIFEs haven’t learned the basic skills that many students have learned at a young age, and may have no background knowledge in the areas that you expect them to have learned.10. Provide intensive literacy/language instruction.SIFEs will need explicit instruction in literacy skills in an age-appropriate manner, access to literacy-rich environments and print materials, and unified language and content instruction (Spaulding, Carolino & Amen, p.30). SIFEs may also benefit from increased time in language development or ESL courses, particularly if the class sizes are small.11. Use culturally and linguistically responsive instruction. Consider how you might make your instruction more culturally and linguistically responsive to reflect students’ home cultures and languages. That might mean tying content to students’ background knowledge or prior experiences, posting some signs in students’ languages with welcoming or useful phrases, and inviting students’ to share their culture with the class.12. Keep your expectations realistic at the beginning of the year.Raise your expectations up as students reach them and keep them high enough that students will stretch to reach for them, but not too high that they give up. If you expect success from your students, supply them with the necessary tools, remain optimistic, and offer to help as they need it, they will gain the self-confidence to be successful.For additional ideas, see WIDA’s Focus Bulletin on SLIFEs.Why Collaboration MattersA collaborative instructional model reinforces student learning and accelerates SIFEs’ academic progress. For elementary-level teachers this may come more easily since classroom teachers are responsible for more than one subject, and they often work collaboratively in grade-level teams. For secondary-level teachers this may be more challenging and may require a review of the instructional system, curriculum and content, school resources, and teacher planning schedules (Office of English Language Learning & Migrant Education, p.1).In the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition’s Interrupted Formal Schooling Toolkit, DiCerbo and Loop write,Schools that are prepared to meet the needs of students with interrupted formal education do not require classroom teachers or individual resource teachers to take on these responsibilities alone. Instead, administrators, counselors, classroom teachers and resource teachers need to work together to ensure that the students and their families have the necessary information needed to provide school supplies, documentation for meal programs, and other requisites for assimilation. Working together to create a climate of acceptance and accountability ensures that the student’s academic success is secured on many levels. (2003)Regardless of how the collaboration is done or at what grade level, the important thing for teachers to keep in mind is how to continually reinforce new concepts and language in academic instruction and integrate concepts across content areas and language/literacy classes. For example, if students are learning about aquatic life in science, the math teacher can teach mathematical examples that reinforce the scientific concepts while applying math skills, and the language arts teacher can review the language structures and vocabulary used in the math problems and science lessons being taught. Teachers who collaborate have the opportunity to be intentional about the academic language and skills they want students to learn and practice, and they will begin to make connections across content areas to reinforce learning.Eight Ideas for Providing School-Wide Support to SIFEsSchools can support SIFEs in a number of ways. The ability to implement these measures will vary greatly by school and district, as well as by the involvement and investment by administrators, teachers, counselors, and staff. Consider reviewing these ideas with your colleagues to see which suggestions may be viable options in your school.1. Ensure that all chool-wide staff understand SIFEs’ unique experiences and needs.An educational environment that is supportive of SIFEs will have staff members who are well-educated on the needs and backgrounds of their students, and highly attuned to the emotional strain these students may experience as they adjust to a new country, language, and customs. Students may be facing complex identity issues, culture shock, and a sense of loss of having left their home behind, particularly if they didn’t want to move to a new country (Spaulding, Carolino & Amen, 2004, p.12). It’s also important for staff to understand students’ legal rights access a public K-12 education, detailed in Immigrant Students’ Legal Rights: An Overview.A supportive environment is often created by one or more of the following:bilingual/bicultural staff from the students’ home countrya teaching staff highly trained in cross-cultural communication, the cultural and historical backgrounds of the students, and instructional methods that are designed to accelerate the academic achievement of SIFEs.student and parent access to support services (ideally in the family’s native language) provided by counselors, tutors, mentors, and parent coordinators. (Walsh, 1991, as cited in Office of English Language Learning & Migrant Education, p. 10)a buddy system with peers or classmates who can show students around and help them adjust to the daily schedule (p.4)2. Parter with community organizations to provide social and emotional support.Community resources can be a very powerful tool in meeting the needs of SIFEs. SIFEs will benefit greatly from contacts with community resources such as after-school tutoring, job programs, and ethnically/linguistically based community groups. In addition, schools can connect students and families with basic need and services related to health, wellness, housing, food and clothing security, employment services or other areas that can help with resettlement and acclimation in a new community.Isolation and discouragement can be two negative and powerful influences on a SIFE student’s education. The more SIFEs feel connected and supported, the more likely they will be to rebound from health, economic, or cultural challenges. A Newcomer Center is often well-connected with such community resources and likely offers community organization services on-site to the students.3. Look for ways to address students’ trauma and stress. SIFEs may have experienced (and may still be experiencing) trauma, stress, hardship, family separation and other daunting challenges. In order to maximize students’ access to mental health support:Make sure that students and families are aware of any counseling and mental health services that are available.If language access is a barrier, work with administrators to find ways to help families access support in their home languages.Work with family liaisons or community members to come up with some culturally responsive practices to support families’ well-being.If counseling itself isn’t something that families feel comfortable with, talk about other ideas that might be more effective, including supports that are available in group settings. In addition, talk with administrators about whether more staff need training in trauma-informed practice and how to accomplish that training if so.4. Keep in mind that students may have significant responsibilities outside of school.These responsibilities might include caretaking, jobs, or translating for family members. One way to help students manage multiple obligations is through flexible scheduling, which can help support the real needs and obligations of high school immigrants (Spaulding, Carolino & Amen, 2004, p.11). A flexible schedule allows students with interrupted schooling the opportunity to balance home and school responsibilities, a chance to spend extra time in school to accelerate learning, and the opportunity to keep working while attending school. Many SIFEs come to the U.S. with the goal of working and financially supporting their families (p.13). Without an education or fluency in English, students may not have a lot of choice as to what kind of job they find or the hours they work. It is common for SIFEs to have to work very late hours or two jobs, and this becomes a barrier to education due to fatigue and conflict with the school schedule.If there comes a point in which the students cannot both work and attend school, they may choose to drop out of school in favor of working without realizing that “the educational sacrifices made for short-term financial gain tend to lead to limited long-term financial success.” (p.13) Schools that can offer “non-traditional” school hours, such as afternoon, evening, or Saturday schedules, will help more SIFEs have access to education. Also, schools that offer longer school hours and a year-round school calendar ensure that there are many opportunities for students to make up for lost time (p.14).5. Consider developing a newcomer center or program within your setting. Newcomer centers and programs are very effective when a district needs to meet the needs of many SIFEs. A newcomer center may provide numerous services included in the newcomer program, such as academic support, language instruction, an introduction to basic school activities and skills, and community resources for immigrant families (Spaulding, Carolino & Amen, p.13). Enrollment in a newcomer program, which is often transitional, allows the student time to adjust to the U.S. educational system in a supportive environment with instructors who understand their needs and have been specially trained to assist in accelerating SIFEs’ academic achievement while monitoring cultural and emotional adjustments.And even as SIFEs learn the basics such as the alphabet or how to hold a pencil, they can also begin developing academic content concepts and language through bilingual or sheltered instruction content courses. When SIFEs leave an effective program at a newcomer center after 1-2 years and transition to a mainstream educational environment, they will be much better prepared to participate successfully.You can learn more about newcomer centers by reaching out to existing newcomer programs and visiting with a team of colleagues to see what they are doing. While some newcomer programs may be school-wide, others are house within traditional school settings as a focused support for newcomers or students with interrupted schooling. You may be able to identify some small steps your school community can take to move in that direction.6. Ensure that SIFEs have specialized guidance counseling.SIFEs need access to ongoing and personalized guidance support, particularly in middle and high school, to help them map out their coursework, the kinds of credits they need to graduate, and their opportunities beyond high school. This will take a very specialized kind of expertise. If there is not a dedicated counselor for newcomers or students with interrupted education in your setting, ensure that the counselors who are working with this population not only have appropriate training but have the persistence and inclination to support SIFEs navigate many kinds of obstacles.7. Provide information about extra-curricular activities. It’s important for SIFEs to become familiar with the extra-curricular activities that schools offer, understand how to sign up and participate, and understand that they are eligible to participate. Activities and sports can be an important bridge for students who can tap into their interests and make new friends.8. Build partnerships that will support students’ future options. It can be very helpful for schools to make a partnership with local businesses, adult basic education, or higher education programs in order to provide a seamless transition for SIFEs who will need more than four years to graduate or are older and will “age-out” before completing high school graduation requirements (p. 11, Office of English Language Learning & Migrant Education, p. 4). Students are allowed to attend high school until the age determined by their state, and if a connection exists with the adult basic education or local higher education institution, SIFEs are much more likely to continue their education and complete a high school degree. A connection with a local business may also boost students’ confidence and provide opportunities that might not have been available.Related resourcesUsing a Strengths-Based Approach with ELs: Supporting Students Living with Trauma, Violence and Chronic StressHow Schools Can Partner with ELL Families Who Resettle in Their Community: 10 Strategies for SuccessWorking with Community Organizations to Support ELL StudentsCo-Teaching ELLs: 8 Strategies for SuccessPartnering with Multilingual Families in Brockton, MAClosing ThoughtsAs you work with your students, keep in mind that many came to U.S. ready to get a good education, become successful citizens, and leave a troubled past behind. They may be discouraged and frightened when they find out exactly what is entailed in order to reach their goals.Don’t let frustration and the seemingly insurmountable barriers affect the instruction and support they receive from you or your school. It may take your students longer to achieve what they wanted; they can succeed, however, if they have quality support and continue to believe in themselves.Recommended ResourcesResources from Colorín ColoradoSupporting Newcomer Students: Resource GallerySpecial ELL Populations: Resources and RecommendationsColorín on the Go: 100+ Strategies for Working with ELLs (Colorín on the Go is free web app, and no app store download is needed!)Resources from SupportEdSLIFE Resource Collection: Tools, Courses, Webinars, and ArticlesArchived SLIFE Training and Resources (Maine Department of Education)Resources from Dr. Carol SalvaDr. Carol Salva is an ELL expert based in Texas with extensive experience in serving refugee students and students with interrupted schooling. She has also supported numerous schools in their efforts to partner more effectively with SIFEs and their families.Newcomers at Grade Level and Beyond (Blog)Videos, Interviews, Webinars, and More with Dr. Salva (YouTube)Boosting Achievement: The ESL PodcastSuccess for SLIFE (Padlet)Guides and ReportsWelcoming, Registering, and Supporting Newcomer Students: A Toolkit for Educators of Immigrant and Refugee Students in Secondary Schools (Institute of Education Sciences)Newcomer Toolkit (NCELA)English Learner Tool Kit (OELA)SLIFE: Focus Bulletin (WIDA)Immigrant Students and Secondary School Reform: A Compendium of Best Practices (Council of Chief State School Officers)Students with Interrupted/Inconsistent Formal Education (New York State Resources)ArticlesStudents with Interrupted Formal Education: Understanding Who They Are (American Federation of Teachers)“I Have”, “I Am,” & “I Can.”: Serving Students with Interrupted Formal Education (BRYCS)The Vancouver Sun: A Tough Beginning (featured in the original version of this article)BooksTeaching and Supporting English Learners: A Guide to Welcoming and Engaging NewcomersStudents With Interrupted Formal Education: Bridging Where They Are and What They NeedPowerful Practices for Supporting English Learners: Elevating Diverse Assets and IdentitiesThe New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant TeensThe School I Deserve: Six Young Refugees and Their Fight for Equality in AmericaMultimediaPodcasts from Teaching MLs with Tan HuynhCreating nurturing newcomer programs w/Lindsey BirdMaking Americans w/ Jessica LanderPamela Broussard: Believing in newcomersVoice of Newcomers w. Dr. Denise FurlongKris Jagasia: The language that older newcomers needEnglish and SLIFE w/ Dr.Luis Javier Pentón HerreraSLIFE: Bridging Where They Are and What They Need w/ Dr. Brenda CustodioFrom SLIFE to principal: Dr. Andrew XiongBridges to Academic Success for SLIFE w/ Dr. Lisa AuslanderSLIFE: What every teacher needs to know w/ Dr. Andrea DeCapuaFilmsI Learn AmericaOrganizations and InitiativesWelcoming Refugees (Office of Refugee Resettlement )Association of Farmworker Opportunity ProgramsBridging Refugee Youth and Children’s Services (BRYCS)

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WIDA intends to fully retire the 2012 Amplification of the WIDA English Language Development Standards, Kindergarten-Grade 12. However, we recognize that all member SEAs have different timelines for implementation of the WIDA ELD Standards Framework, 2020 Edition.