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Hello! This Padlet is full of wonderful resources for ELL teachers.

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AAAL | American Association for Applied Linguistics
ALM | Audiolingual Method
AMTESOL | Alabama-Mississippi TESOL
AYP | Adequate Yearly Progress
BICS | Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills
BINL | Basic Inventory of Natural Language
BSM | Bilingual Syntax Measure
C1 | First culture; home culture
C2 | Second culture; target culture
CAH | Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis
CAL | Center for Applied Linguistics
CALL | Computer-Assisted Language Learning
CALLA | Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach
CALP | Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency
CBI | Content-Based Instruction
CC | Communicative Competence
CLAD | Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development
CLI | Cross-Linguistic Influence
CLiDES | Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Exceptional Students
CLL | Community Language Learning
CLT | Communicative Language Teaching
CUP | Common Underlying Proficiency
DRTA | Directed Reading Thinking Activity
EAL | English as an Additional Language
EEOA | Equal Educational Opportunities Act
EFL | English as a Foreign Language
EL | English Learner
ELD | English Language Development
ELL | English Language Learner
ELT | English Language Teaching
ESCORT | Eastern Stream Center on Resources and Training
ESL | English as a Second Language
ESOL | English to Speakers of Other Languages
ESP | English for Special Purposes
FEP | Fluent English Proficient
FLEP | Former Limited English Proficient
FLP | Family Language Plan
IPOTS | Interactive Peer-to-Peer Oral Techniques
L1 | First language; native language; home language
L2 | Second or additional language(s)
LAD | Language Acquisition Device
LAS | Language Assessment Scales
LCD | Linguistically and Culturally Diverse
LEA | Language Experience Approach
LEA | Local Educational Agency
LEP | Limited English Proficient
LES | Limited English Speaking/Speaker
LM | Language Minority
L-TEL | Long-Term English Learner
MBE | Maintenance Bilingual Education
MLAT | Modern Language Aptitude Test
NABE | National Association for Bilingual Education
NCELA | National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition
NCLB | No Child Left Behind
NEP | Non-English Proficient
NES | Non-English Speaking/Speaker
NEST | Native English-Speaking Teacher
NNES | Non-Native English Speaker
OCR | U.S. Office for Civil Rights
OELA | Office of English Language Acquisition (U.S. Dept. of Education)
PLAB | Pimsleur Language Aptitude Battery
SAE | Student Acquiring English
SBI | Strategies-Based Instruction
SDAIE | Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English
SEA | State Educational Agency
SETESOL | Southeast Regional TESOL
SIFE | Students with Interrupted Formal Education
SIL | Summer Institute of Linguistics
SIOP | Structured Instruction Observation Protocol
SLA | Second Language Acquisition
SLIFE | Students with Limited and/or Interrupted Formal Education
SLL | Second Language Learner
SOLOM | Structured Oral Language Observation Matrix
SUP | Separate Underlying Proficiency
TBE | Transitional Bilingual Education
TESOL | Teaching English as a Second Language; Teaching English to Speakers of a Second Language

TESOL Int'l Association

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages International Association

TOEFL | Test of English as a Foreign Language
TPR | Total Physical Response
TPRS | Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling
UG | Universal Grammar
WIDA | (formerly) World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment
WTC | Willingness To Communicate
ZOPD | Zone of Proximal Development
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ESL-Related Acronyms - School of Education - English as a Second Language | UAB

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A list of commonly used ESL-related acronyms provided by the ESL Teacher Education Program at UAB.

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Culture can be defined as all the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions of a population that are passed down from generation to generation

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This article provides an overview of how to use language objectives in content-area instruction for English learners and offers classroom-based examples from different grade and subject levels.

This article written for Colorín Colorado provides an overview of how to use language objectives in content-area instruction for English learners and includes:

what a language objective is

steps that teachers can take to create language objectives

how to implement language objectives in a general education classroom

how to align objectives to content and language standards

ideas and resources on how to support teachers as they become familiar with this practice

how to use language objectives in distance learning environments.

Language Objectives: An Overview
Mrs. Shell has been teaching eighth grade math for twelve years. She has deep content area knowledge and wants to provide all of her students with authentic activities and tasks to relate the significance of the mathematical concepts that she teaches to their lives. Mrs. Shell has always felt successful at teaching her classes but this year has been different. Her sections include students with more diverse backgrounds than previous years, particularly more English learners. As Mrs. Shell was beginning to feel frustrated with her inability to reach all her students because of their needs, she learned about one way to make her content more comprehensible to all her students - creating and posting objectives that tell the students not just what content concepts they will learn in each lesson, but also the academic language they will need to learn and use to meet the state's math standards. With this knowledge, Mrs. Shell is now confident that she not only knows what to teach, but also how to teach it so that all her students can be successful.

Generally speaking, academic English is the language of schooling and the language that helps students acquire and use the content area knowledge taught in schools (Anstrom, DiCerbo, Butler, Katz, Millet, & Rivera, 2010).

Teaching content to ELs: The challenge

In my work supporting general education and ESL/bilingual teachers who provide sheltered instruction for English learners (ELs), I have met many teachers like Mrs. Shell. While these teachers want to provide effective instruction for their ELs, often they don't see themselves as language teachers and so they aren't sure where to begin with their students.

These teachers aren't alone, however, and they are facing a challenge shared by teachers across the country. We know that for school-age students, academic language is crucial for school success (Francis, Rivera, Lesaux, Kieffer, & Rivera, 2006). In addition, research allows us to state with a fair degree of confidence that English learners best acquire English when language forms are explicitly taught and when they have many opportunities to use the language in meaningful contexts (Goldenberg, 2008).

Yet while the explicit instructional support that ESL and bilingual teachers provide is essential to English learners' academic language development, English learners receive a majority of their instruction from general education and content area teachers who may not have experience teaching academic language development.

The question becomes then: What do general education classroom teachers need to do in order to support the academic English development of language learners in both face-to-face and virtual environments, especially when English learners are one of many types of students they serve?

Teaching content to ELs: The solution

One principle that teachers of English learners can begin to apply immediately is creating and posting language objectives for their lessons (whether in the classroom or online in a virtual space. Many teachers are familiar with using content objectives to identify what students will learn and be able to do in the lesson. However, they are less likely to include language objectives that support the linguistic development of their students.

Implementing language objectives can be a powerful first step in ensuring that English learners have equal access to the curriculum even though they may not be fully proficient in the language. This is because the second language acquisition process requires opportunities for the language learner to be exposed to, practice with, and then be assessed on their language skills (Echevarria, Short, & Vogt, 2008).

To this end, language objectives:

articulate for learners the academic language functions and skills that they need to master to fully participate in the lesson and meet the grade-level content standards (Echevarria, Short, & Vogt, 2008).

are beneficial not only for language learners but for all students in a class, as everyone can benefit from the clarity that comes with a teacher outlining the requisite academic language to be learned and mastered in each lesson.

Now let's take a closer look at some examples and how to write language objectives.

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Writing Language Objectives

Interview with Dr. Jennifer Himmel

Learn more about language objectives in this podcast interview with Dr. Himmel from Teaching Multilingual Learners, produced by Tan Huynh.

What is a language objective?

Language objectives are lesson objectives that specifically outline the type of language that students will need to learn and use in order to accomplish the goals of the lesson. Quality language objectives complement the content knowledge and skills identified in content area standards and address the aspects of academic language that will be developed or reinforced during the teaching of grade-level content concepts (Echevarria & Short, 2010).

These objectives involve the four language skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing), but they can also include:

Below are examples of language objectives for different content areas and grade levels. They come from the Common Core State Standards for Math and English Language Arts (2012) and state standards in New York and California.
Sources:
How do I create effective language objectives?

Dr. Cindy Lundgren discusses the process of writing language objectives in this excerpt from her Meet the Expert interview.

Language objectives are directly correlated to content objectives. Once a teacher determines the lesson topic from the appropriate content standards, the teacher will want to begin thinking about the academic language necessary for English learners to complete the tasks that support the content objectives. This identification of the academic language embedded in the lesson's content will become the basis for the lesson's language objectives.

You can use the following guidelines to start thinking about appropriate language objectives for the lesson:

1. Decide what key vocabulary, concept words, and other academic words students will need to know in order to talk, read, and write about the topic of the lesson. Those words might be taught as a language objective. They should include technical terms, such as ecosystem, and terms like distribution that have different meanings across content areas. Other terms to highlight are those that language learners may know in one context, such as family (as in parents, siblings, etc.), but that have a different use in science (e.g., family of elements in the periodic table).

2. Consider the language functions related to the topic of the lesson (e.g, will the students describe, explain, compare, or chart information). See your state English Language Proficiency (ELP) standards for examples of these functions for English language arts, math, science, and social studies for all English proficiency levels and grade-level clusters.

3. Think about the language skills necessary for students to accomplish the lesson's activities. Will the students be reading a textbook passage to identify the stages of mitosis? Are they able to read a text passage to find specific information? Will they be reporting what they observe during a scientific demonstration to a peer? Do they know how to report observations orally? Acquiring the skills needed to carry out these tasks might be the focus of a language objective.

4. Identify grammar or language structures common to the content area. For example, many science textbooks use the passive voice to describe processes. Additionally, students may have to use comparative language to analyze two related concepts. Writing with the passive voice or using comparative phrases might be a language objective.

5. Consider the tasks that the students will complete and the language that will be embedded in those assignments. If students are working on a scientific investigation together, will they need to explain the steps of the procedure to one another? The language objective might focus on how to explain procedures aloud.

6. Explore language learning strategies that lend themselves to the topic of the lesson. For example, if students are starting a new chapter in the textbook, the strategy of previewing the text might be an appropriate language objective.

(Adapted from Short, Himmel, Gutierrez, & Hudec, 2012. Used with permission.)

Aligning Language Objectives and Standards

English Language Proficiency (ELP) standards

Developing appropriate language objectives for lessons involves becoming familiar with a state's content area and ELP standards. Whereas the content standards will provide the topic of the lesson and what exactly the students should be doing with that topic (e.g., solving problems, creating models, ranking ideas), the English language proficiency or development standards help to identify language skills and functions that students should be working on to achieve academic language fluency. These ELP standards can help to identify:

English Language Arts (ELA) standards

Other resources in addition to the ELP standards are a state's English Language Arts standards or the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History, Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (CCSS). The English Language Arts and Literacy CCSS might be especially useful to teachers of English learners due to its attention to literacy across the content areas.

Additional resources to consult, especially if a state is a member of the WIDA consortium, are the Model Proficiency Indicators (MPIs) outlined in their ELP standards. The MPIs outline what an English learner at a specific level of English language proficiency can do in a language domain (e.g., listening) by addressing the language functions embedded in an example topic for that content area with appropriate scaffolds or support (Gottlieb, Cranley, & Cammileri, 2007). Classroom texts and other materials (e.g., science investigations, primary source documents) are other good sources to consult when preparing a lesson.

Getting Started

How can I get started?

Careful lesson planning

In creating measureable and student-friendly language objectives that support the content objectives, it is important that learner tasks in the lesson are aligned with the objectives. It is not enough to have well-written objectives that promote language acquisition if the lesson is lacking in tasks that support the objectives. If the language objective for a middle school social studies lesson is for the students to orally retell the key characteristics in a historical event using sequential language, it is important that the teacher previews sequential language with the students, such as providing sentence stems or frames, and builds into the lesson some structured pair work so the students have an opportunity to retell the event to a peer. Therefore, careful lesson planning is another essential step in preparing effective language objectives.

Collaboration

It is also useful for content area and ESL/bilingual teachers to plan lessons together, as we saw with the 7th grade science lesson scenario involving Mr. Zhang and Mr. Lewis. In this co-planning scenario, each teacher used his expertise to better integrate content and language instruction for the language learners. This type of collaboration can help a teacher like Mr. Zhang learn more about the second language acquisition process of his students and can help a teacher like Mr. Lewis become more familiar with the grade-level content expectations that his English learners encounter in content area classes.

How do I know which language objectives are best for my students?

The language objective that the teacher selects will depend on what the English learners in the class need most at that point in the year and what language is most important to understanding the content concepts. If the students have already spent a good deal of time working with new vocabulary, then the teacher might consider having students use that vocabulary to develop their writing skill by writing a summary of the process they followed.

Conversely, the teacher might want to help students become more proficient with a particular type of graphic organizer in order to develop more strategic language learning. As all teachers know, teaching is a dynamic and complex process that requires a multitude of decisions to be made. However, the advance planning required in creating language objectives allows teachers to better anticipate the academic English needs of all students thus increasing the comprehensibility of the lessons.

It is important for teachers to realize that even though their lesson may include all four language skills (it is good if they do, since the language skills reinforce one another), they do not need to post a language objective for every language-related item addressed in the lesson. Teachers address many instructional needs in a 50- or 60-minute class period. Rather than highlighting all language uses in a particular lesson, it is important for the teacher to think about what is non-negotiable in that lesson.

In other words, the teacher should keep the perspective of the English learner in mind and ask, "Of all of the skills and functions addressed in my lesson, which is most important for helping students meet the grade-level standard and develop their language proficiency?" These objectives then must be measureable (i.e., can you see or assess the student's mastery of that objective?) and written in language that accounts for the linguistic and cognitive development of the students.

How can I make language objectives "student-friendly"?

Both of the above objectives are measurable, but both also take into account appropriate developmental stages of the students. Teachers of young students (e.g., PK or K) may even want to consider further adapting the objectives. For example, we have seen kindergarten teachers use symbols such as a pencil to symbolize "write" and a mouth to symbolize "talk" when they post their objectives for the children to see. We have also seen teachers of young learners rely on pictures to show the key terms they want the students to use or to convey the topic of the lesson (e.g., a picture of a ruler and of hands to discuss standard and non-standard measurement).

One way that teachers can ensure that their language objectives are measureable and student-friendly is by using appropriate verbs. Because language objectives should provide students with practice in the four language skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking, verbs related to those skills might include, but are not limited to, the following:

List

Retell

Summarize in writing

Record

Read

It is also important to not equate low language proficiency with limited cognitive ability. Therefore, teachers will want to make sure that the language objectives they create also reflect tasks that fall on the higher end of Bloom's Taxonomy and use verbs (e.g., orally justify) accordingly.

As noted above in the guidelines to creating language objectives, language functions are also a potential source for language objectives. Verbs related to language functions might include:

When should I share language objectives with students?

To help students take ownership of their learning and provide explicit direction to students, especially the English learners who are processing content in a new language, it is important that objectives be stated at the beginning of the lesson and reviewed with the students at the end of the lesson to allow them to assess if they have met the objectives (Echevarria, Vogt & Short, 2008).

How this happens may differ according to the grade level and content area of the class. Some teachers like to have the students choral read the objectives, while teachers of older students sometimes have them record the language objectives in their journal in addition to asking an individual student to read them aloud. Some teachers, such as those who teach science, like to reveal the objectives later in the lesson, perhaps after the warm up or exploratory activity, so that they can maintain an inquiry-based approach (Echevarria & Colburn, 2006).

Should I differentiate language objectives based on my students' language proficiency?

Although all teachers have students of varying language proficiency and skill levels in their classes, it is not necessary to differentiate language objectives by creating and posting multiple language objectives that reflect these proficiency levels. Rather, teachers should have one language objective that is appropriate for all students to meet. To provide the appropriate differentiation, the teacher would provide different scaffolds (e.g., adapted text, visuals, sentence frames) for students to use in order to reach the objectives.

For example, an appropriate language objective for an upper elementary language arts class might be for the students to be able to orally list text features found in a non-fiction book. For lower proficiency language learners, the teacher may give them a word bank from which to choose the text features; therefore, the students are meeting the same objective but with the appropriate amount of linguistic support from the teacher.

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Using language objectives in a distance learning environment

While teachers like Ms. Shell understand that the characteristics of good teaching for English learners does not change in a virtual environment, they do understand that instruction will necessarily need to look different in order to account for the challenges that distance learning presents for many learners.

Accordingly, teachers will need to think through how to:

Presenting language objectives

Many different ways exist for teachers to present language objectives in remote learning. For example, teachers might:

begin every virtual class by orally reading and presenting the content and language objectives in their Google slides and then asking students to briefly summarize in the chat box the activities they will be doing in that lesson to meet those objectives.

post the objectives at the top of a shared digital document that serves as a capture sheet for the lesson. A teacher might then ask learners to self-assess their progress towards meeting those objectives at the end of the document.

use live or recorded videos, especially when working with English learners with lower English proficiency. These videos can include props, for example ears to signify a listening objective.

use realia, such as rocks, if one of the lesson's language aims is for students to orally describe different types of sedimentary rocks.

Monitoring student understanding and engagement

Teachers in distance learning environments must also carefully consider how they will assess learner understanding and engagement throughout the lesson. Given the challenges virtual learning platforms present towards capturing data on learner comprehension (e.g., paralinguistic cues such as facial expressions, gestures, posture) teachers working in virtual environments know that it is more important than ever to ensure that students clearly understand the content and linguistic aims for each lesson.

Using comprehension checks and assessing progress

It is also essential that students understand how teachers will measure their progress towards meeting each objective. Towards this aim, teachers must build in multiple comprehension checks throughout the lesson that align to the lesson's objectives. Teachers can:

At the conclusion of a lesson, teachers can assess student progress towards meeting objectives via:

tickets out that are submitted digitally

the recording of a Flipgrid or use of another video platform where learners respond to a prompt that requires learners to use the academic language highlighted in the lesson's objectives.

Teachers can respond to the submitted tickets out or video with feedback that explicitly targets the students use of the language. When appropriate, teacher can provide learners with additional resources and/or support towards mastering that particular language skill or function. Teachers might also use that linguistic data to inform mini-lessons conducted to small groups of English learners during office hours or intervention time.

Next Steps

How can I learn more?

For more information on the SIOP Model, see Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model (Echevarria, Short, & Vogt, 2008).

Although language objectives can be implemented in any lesson design approach, they are especially congruent with sheltered instruction and the SIOP Model. Since language objectives ensure that teachers meet the unique linguistic needs of English learners, they are sometimes easier to implement in the context of instructional practices espoused by the SIOP Model.

Practices that focus on explicit academic language teaching include:

Below are other resources that can help you learn more about creating language objectives and about integrating academic language into content area classes.

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Final Thoughts

We realize that it takes teachers some time to become very comfortable with creating language objectives, but our experience has shown that the implementation of language objectives can bring immediate benefits to instruction. Some immediate benefits include teachers understanding more concretely that they are both a content area and language teacher - as one teacher said in a CAL SIOP Model workshop, "I now see myself as a math teacher AND a language teacher".

We have also observed that when teachers consciously plan to meet the academic English needs of their learners, they end up with better planned learner tasks, and students begin to have more ownership of their content area and language learning. When it comes to building proficiency in academic English, as many teachers in our workshops remind us, "If you want to see it, you have to teach it." Therefore, if teachers want to see language development, language objectives are a great first step in helping teachers explicitly teach it.

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Recommended Resources

Further reading

Short, D., Himmel, J., Gutierrez, S., & Hudec, J. (2012). Using the SIOP Model: Professional development for sheltered instruction. Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics.

Echevarria, J., Vogt, M.E., & Short, D. (2010). The SIOP Model for teaching mathematics to English learners. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Echevarria, J., & Short, D. (2011). The SIOP Model: A professional development framework for a comprehensive school-wide intervention. Center for Research on the Educational Achievement and Teaching of English Language Learners (CREATE) Brief. http://www.cal.org/create/resources/pubs/professional-development-framework.html

Himmel, J., Short, D., Richards, C., & Echevarria, J. (2009). Using the SIOP Model to improve middle school science instruction. Center for Research on the Educational Achievement and Teaching of English Language Learners (CREATE) Brief. http://www.cal.org/create/resources/pubs/siopscience.html

Short, D., Vogt, M., & Echevarria, J. (2010a). The SIOP Model for teaching history-social studies to English learners. Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.

Short, D., Vogt, M., & Echevarria, J. (2010b). The SIOP Model for teaching science to English learners. Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.

Vogt, M.E., Echevarria, J., & Short, D. (2010). The SIOP Model for teaching English language arts to English learners. Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.

Jennifer Himmel is the Project Director for the National Center for English Language Acquisition at the Manhattan Strategy Group. She previously served as the SIOP Manager at the Center for Applied Linguistics, a non-profit organization for language education research, policy, and practice in Washington, DC. She has served as a curriculum developer and research associate for the U.S. Department of Education funded project, Center for Research on the Educational Achievement and Teaching of English Language Learners (CREATE) that is investigating academic achievement of ELLs in grades 4th-8th, and as a language testing specialist for the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs® language proficiency test. She currently manages the SIOP Model professional development service line and provides technical assistance and professional development in sheltered instruction to districts and schools.

Video Clips: Language Objectives

How to Write Language Objectives: Tips for ELL Educators

In this video from Syracuse, NY, Jesus Ortiz, a bilingual teacher, learns how to write a language objective from Areli Schermerhorn, a peer evaluator with expertise in ELL and bilingual education.

Dr. Cynthia Lundgren explains language objectives

In this excerpt from her Meet the Expert interview, Dr. Cynthia Lundgren explains the value of writing language objectives when teaching English learners.

Anstrom, K., DiCerbo, P., Butler, F., Katz, A., Millet, J., & Rivera, C. (2010). A review of the literature on academic English: Implications for K-12 English language learners. Arlington, VA: The George Washington University Center for Equity and Excellence. Education.www.ceee.gwu.edu.

Echevarria, J., & Colburn, A. (2006). Designing lessons: Inquiry approach to science using the SIOP Model. In A. Lathman & D. Crowther (Eds.), Science for English language learners (pp.95-108). Arlington, VA: National Science Teachers Association Press.

Echevarria, J., Vogt, M., & Short, D. (2008). Making content comprehensible for English learners: The SIOP Model. Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.

Echevarria, J., & Short, D. ( 2010). Programs and practices for effective sheltered content instruction. In California Department of Education (Ed), Improving education for English learners: Research-based approaches. Sacramento, CA: CDE Press.

Francis, D., Rivera, M., Lesaux, N., Kieffer, M., & Rivera, H. (2006). Practical guidelines for the education of English language learners: Research-based recommendations for instruction and academic interventions. Portsmouth, NH: RMC Research Corporation, Center on Instruction. www.centeroninstruction.org/files/ELL1-Interventions.pdf

Goldenberg, C. (2008). Teaching English language learners: What the research does-and does not-say. American Educator, Summer 2008, pp. 13-44.

Gottlieb, M., Cranley, E., & Cammilleri, A. (2007). Understanding the WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards: A resource guide. Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, on behalf of the WIDA Consortium.

Short, D., Himmel, J., Gutierrez, S., & Hudec, J. (2012). Using the SIOP Model: Professional development for sheltered instruction. Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics.

World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (2007). WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards. Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, on behalf of the WIDA Consortium http://www.wida.us/standards/elp.asp

You are welcome to print copies or republish materials for non-commercial use as long as credit is given to Colorín Colorado and the author(s). For commercial use, please contact [email protected] .

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Language Objectives: The Key to Effective Content Area Instruction for English Learners

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This article provides an overview of how to use language objectives in content-area instruction for English learners and offers classroom-based examples from different grade and subject levels.

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More advice about writing content and language objectives - Copy

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Modification Tips and Techniques for ESL Students

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Modification Tips and Techniques for ESL Students

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Confianza | For Educators of Multilingual Learners

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VALUING EDUCATORS. IMPROVING STUDENT OUTCOMES THROUGH EQUITY, LANGUAGE & LITERACY. Confianza builds cultural understanding, communication, and collaboration between educators and multilingual learners. Through tailored coaching, practical guidance, and world-class content, we positively change the lives of teachers and students. Confianza's personalized approach to professional learning impacts teachers, schools, and students alike.

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1. Be Present

Every student needs to know you will be there for them and move closer to their messy situations and not push them away. Students need our unconditional love.

2. Ask

Get to know your students. Connect with them. Know them well enough to see when something's not right. Make the person in front of you feel more important than the content you teach. Ask how things are going and how you can help.

3. Listen

Take the time to really listen. You don't need all the answers. And you don't need a degree in school counseling to hear what your students are saying.

4. Understand

Listen to understand. Try to see things from the student's perspective. You can't be an effective advocate if you don't really try to feel what they're feeling and see it like they are seeing it.

5. Speak Up

Be the voice for the one who is overlooked, underserved, or mistreated. Don't just look the other way. Say something.

6. Take Action

Words are powerful but actions speak louder. Do something to show your support. Reach out. Every action you take to help a child builds bridges to a better future.

7. Always Encourage

Some situations may feel hopeless. We can't fix every problem. But we can always provide encouragement. We can say something positive. We can show how much we care. The kind words of a teacher can restore hope to a kid who is feeling lost and all alone.

When we become wise and caring advocates for students, we are developing young people who someday will be able to better advocate for themselves.

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7 steps to be a better advocate for your students

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With my UCO professors, I visited our representatives and talked to them about bills and the future of eduction in Oklahoma. Learning how to be an advocate will be a huge benefit when I start teaching.

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I’ve broken down my multicultural lists by:

Multicultural Book Lists for Kids (a catch-all for those lists that don’t fit the categories below)

Civil Rights Movement Books for Kids

Asian American Books for Kids with subcategories

Korean American Books for Kids

Japanese American Books for Kids

Chinese American Books for Kids

Southeast Asian Books for Kids

Native American Books for Kids

Hispanic American Books for Kids

Arab American Books for Kids

LGBTQ Books for Kids

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Inside: Celebrate diversity and culture with this vast collection of multicultural books for children! Includes 60+ book lists, from toddlers through big kids.
I was dismayed to discover that the number of multicultural books for children that have been published hasn't increased during the last 18 years. All this is despite census data showing 37% of the US population consists of people of color.
This graphic is from Lee and Low publishers.
I have posted a large number of book lists focusing on multicultural books for children (some my own creations but others that I've happily discovered).

I am organizing them all here in hopes that more people will read multicultural children's books. Hopefully, this will spark an interest that will lead to more books depicting people of color being published. Moreover, if you are an essay writer who needs materials to write something on multi-culture topics, this list will be a great source.

If you want to deepen your kid's absorption of multicultural reading, then custom bookmarks and stickers would be a great choice as memory keepers and reminders. You can customize them aligned with any highlighted themes, events, and ideas in the books. Create more fun while reading. Furthermore, if you are a bookstore owner, go with some customized bookmarks and stickers with your store logo as promotional gifts, which is a great support to multiculturalism as well.

Also, anyone can create their own digital book and make it interactive by adding videos, images, and buttons with flipbook software. Children will have a great experience when flipping through the pages.

For all of my book lists, please see List of Lists: All My Book Lists (300+)

p.s. Here is another list of classic Best Books for Children from BestBooks.to website.

Multicultural books for children: 60+ Book Lists

I've broken down my multicultural lists by:

Multicultural Book Lists for Kids (a catch-all for those lists that don't fit the categories below)

Civil Rights Movement Books for Kids

Asian American Books for Kids with subcategories

Korean American Books for Kids

Japanese American Books for Kids

Chinese American Books for Kids

Southeast Asian Books for Kids

Native American Books for Kids

Hispanic American Books for Kids

Arab American Books for Kids

LGBTQ Books for Kids

Multicultural Book Lists for Kids
White Privilege Books for Kids A Unit on Skin Color: Children's Books & Videos Immigration and the Refugee Experience Books for Kids 50 Must Read Diversity Picture Books Homelessness in Children's Books Special Needs Books for Kids Chapter Book Series Starring Diverse Girl Characters Picture Books to Teach Gratitude Top 10 Diverse Superhero Books 10 Picture Books About Africa to Teach Empathy W Favorite Diversity Picture Books for 4th of July Great Diverse Books from Peachtree Publishing Top 1o Favorite Diversity Books For Kids By Kids Top 10 Multicultural Books for Kids ages 2-14 Books for Kids About Cambodia Children's Africana Book Award Top 10 Multicultural Board Books for Babies and Toddlers Top 10 Best Multicultural Easy Readers Best Multicultural Chapter Books 10 Amazing Multicultural Picture Books About Helping Others 17 Wonderful Multicultural Picture Books About Food 5 Amazing Diversity Read Alouds Multicultural Adoption Books for Kids 5 Feel-Good Picture Books About Africa Top 10 Multicultural Dance Picture Books for Kids Top 50: Best Multicultural Children's Books Top 10: Best World Religion Children's Books Chapter Books to Support 4th Grade or 5th Grade Immigration Unit Great Biographies from Author Paula Yoo Multicultural Soccer Books for Kids Best Multicultural YA Books A Unit to Learn About the Tokyo Olympics Best Multicultural YA Books for Teens 25 Diversity Authors and Illustrators for Kids Spotlighted Black History Month with Carole Boston Weatherford Civil Rights Movement Through Art and Books for Kids HARLEM: Found Ways art exhibit and Children's Books Reflecting Harlem Civil Rights Movement Books for 4th Grade Top 10: Best Children's Books On Civil Rights Movement Top 10: Best African-American Picture Books (ages 4-12) Ruby Bridges and Picture Book As Fast as Words Could Fly Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr with Three Books 5th Grade Social Studies And How to Make It Interesting 5th Grade Enslavement Unit Books 3 Amazing Wordless Picture Books Top 10: Best Asian American Books by CoolAsianKids Asian in America (Amy Chua, new Asian KidLit, dumpling recipe!) Exploring Vietnam: Culture and KitLit Sri Lanka with Kids Books, Recipe and Design Exploring Laos with Books for Kids, Culture and Art Bangladesh: Culture, Alpanas, Children's Books, Recipe and More! 15 Great Korean Folk Tales Top 10: Korean American Children's Books (ages 2-16) Discovering Korea for Kids with Kids' Books, Art and Food Korean-American Picture Book Teaches Multicultural Lesson Japanese Internment Books for Kids Learning About Japan Picture Books for Kids Connecting Science and Art: Hokusai's The Great Wave In Memory of Hiroshima Bombing Books and Crane Origami for Kids Top 10: Japanese American Children's Books (ages 2-16) Let's Go Fly a Kite! Best Bilingual Japanese Books for Kids Japan: Books for Kids on Shogun, Family Crests, Block Prints Japanese American Post Internment Story: Journey Home (ages 8-12) Chinese New Year Picture Books INSTEAD of Tiki Tiki Tembo Top 10: Chinese American Children's Books (ages 2-14) Top 10: Best Chinese New Year Books for Kids 4th of July Picture Books with an Asian Twist Asian American Chapter Book for Girls Percy Jackson + Chinese Mythology = The Monkey King's Daughter Top 10: Best Southeast Asian American Children's Books (ages 2-14) 4th Grade Skype Author Visit: Sheela Chari of Vanished Contemporary Native Americans in KidLit Plimoth Plantation: Learning About Native Americans Top 10: Native American Children's Books (ages 2-16) Top 10: Best Native American Middle School Books Top 10: Best Native American Picture Book Top 10: Best Native American Young Adult Books Notable Native American Children's Author: Joseph Bruchac The Navajo Code Talkers of WWII Best Bilingual Spanish Picture Books Top 10 Hispanic American Heritage Books for Kids Top 10 Bilingual Spanish Books for Kids Top 10: Best Latino American Children's Books (ages 2-16) The Américas Award Hispanic American Books for Kids: Link Round Up 18 Wonderful Picture Books about the Arab World 27 Books for Kids About the Arab World Top 10: Middle Eastern American Children's Books Five Muslim Girl Characters to Read Today Middle East Outreach Council Award How To: Teach Your Children About Islam (and tolerance in the process!) Life in Afghanistan for Girls The Pharoah's Secret at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts 10 Groundbreaking LGBTQ Children's Books Understanding Transgender with LGBTQ Books for Kids To examine any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World

Junior Library Guild Gold selection

Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children's Book Fair

Starred review from School Library Journal

anting to Go To School Books: When School is a Privilege
Africa Access was founded in 1989 to help schools, public libraries, and parents improve the quality of their K-12 collections on Africa.

It was surprisingly hard to find board books with diversity and inclusive themes.

I searched my public library for the best diversity easy readers.

These books are from the 2015 Notable Books for a Global Society Award, for middle grade readers ages 8 and up.

I hope these picture books inspire readers about the power of one ... just one person can do amazing things!

My favorite way to learn about new cultures is through food. Explore with me as we read (and eat as recipes are linked) around the world!

These are some of my very favorite diversity chapter books that I hope can read with your kids too!

These five books show different perspectives from the story of a young Masaii girl who wants to touch the moon to visiting family in Tanzania and The Gambia.

May all dancers of color be inspired to reach for their dreams with this book list.

This covers many ethnicities and is categorized by genre.

We are "homeschooling" world religion.

Our elementary school does an immigration unit using these chapter books. I've also added a few newly published books as well.

I hope this list inspires children, parents, and teachers to visit their local libraries and explore the biography bookshelves! I've also included many biographies below featuring diverse historical characters.

View soccer as it's played around the world through the eyes of these picture books.

These are the Young Adult books from the 2015 Notable Books for a Global Society.

I'm new to YA so I was excited to discover this great list.

Civil Rights Movement Books for Kids

My kids study the Civil Rights Movement in the United States in 4th grade and I'm pleased to see a handful of important and often, award-winning, picture books, chapter books, and Young Adult books published each year.

This list covers picture books, chapter books, and young adult.

If you read these picture books in order, it gives an overview of the African-American experience historically starting from slavery to the present day.

Meeting Ruby Bridges was a thrill for me and further reinforced how important it is for kids to learn about the Civil Rights Movement.

Young Booker T. Washington: Fifty Cents and a Dream.

An advanced picture book that paints a portrait of Booker T. Washington as a determined young boy.

If you just want a snapshot of the Civil Rights Movement for young children, try these three books: two picture books and a chapter book.

I have a section in this post about the Civil Rights Movement.

Black History Month Books for Kids and Teens

Asian American Books for Kids

One of the most exciting things for me about blogging was discovering Asian American books for kids.

This genre was just starting to emerge a few years ago when I started blogging. Growing up, I read extensively but I never found books that were like me - an Asian American 2nd and 3rd generation girl living in the suburbs. I'm thrilled to find that this is no longer the case.

Recognizing Children's Books for AAPI Heritage Month (a huge list)

I love these wordless picture books by Asian and Asian American authors/illustrators so much that I made videos of them on my Instagram.

CoolAsianKids made a wonderful list of their favorite Asian American KidLit.

These recently published books show the new diversity of Asian American KidLit as well as the high quality of this genre.

APALA Awards for Best Asian American Children's Books 2013

The Asian Pacific American Libraries Association has announced their 2013 literature award winners.

I created a series of posts a while back that I called Teach Me Tuesday. I wanted to explore a country using children's books as well as different elements of their culture from art to food to artisans. This was the first post I did of this series on Vietnam (and my best one!). The Teach Me Tuesday series is here.

A friend from Sri Lanka gave me a recipe that he loved as a child and this sparked this post. Finding the books is always the toughest part for me.

The more I learned about Laos, the more I want to go to this mysterious, beautiful and tragic country.

Korean American Books for Kids

I'm half Chinese and Japanese and I married a Korean. My first lists of multicultural books for children were on these three ethnicities as a way to show my children their heritage. The Korean American culture is so strong in America that this first post went viral.

This is the first post of mine ever to go viral.

I wanted to learn more about my husband's family history so this is a very personal journey of discovery.

I don't often do individual book reviews but finding this great Asian American book at the library made me want to post on it.

Japanese American Books for Kids

For your young ninja, books to learn about Japan.

It's amazing how a single piece of art can have a ripple effect, inspiring others all around the world and for many generations.

WWII Internment seems to dominate Japanese American books for kids. I agree that it is an important lesson in history - my own mother was forced to relocate but I also hunger for books that explore other facets of being Japanese American.

Kite flying is an important ritual in Asia and I've rounded up every great kite flying book thanks to a little help from my friends and readers.

This was my response to a reader request.

I explore my own Japanese history in this post.

These older books explore the Japanese American internment experience during WWII, a shameful chapter in America's history.

Chinese American Books For Kids

There is such a diversity of Chinese American books for kids from philosophy, culture and contemporary times.

I wanted to show the breadth and depth of Chinese American books for kids. These were our favorites.

I never had a great Chinese New Year picture book despite always doing a Chinese New Year presentation for my children's preschool so I was determined to upgrade!

Fourth of July from a Chinese American immigrant's perspective via picture books. Yep, this is what I blog about!

Lisa Yee portrays the dilemmas of modern day Asian American kids caught between assimilation and Tiger parents.

A Chinese mythology action-adventure series.

Southeast Asian Books for Kids

Southeast Asian culture and books are foreign to me too so I wanted to learn more.

Sheela Chari's debut mystery chapter book is award winning!

Native American Books For Kids

My first list was criticized by Debbie Reese, the preeminent scholar on this topic, for including books that she did not feel accurately depicted the Native Americans. My response was to repost her great lists!

Do kids think that Native Americans are only the past? This list will hopefully change that!

What to read when preparing for a visit to Plimoth Plantation.

This is the list I made.

Debbie Reese's list for middle-grade chapter books.

Debbie Reese's list for picture books.

Debbie Reese's list of YA books is very popular.

I am a huge fan of Joseph Bruchac, a happy discovery from chatting with my librarian when creating my list.

The author of this advanced picture book lives one town over!

Hispanic American Books for Kids

My guest author Derek Taylor Kent comes up with his list for best bilingual Spanish picture books for kids.

I'm noticing some great Hispanic American KidLit lately across all children's book genres!

I'm doing a round-up of Hispanic books for kids of all ages, from picture books to young adult.

Arab American Books for Kids

This is my collection of the best picture books I've read so far about the Arab world.

In the wake of the conflicts in the Middle East, I thought it especially important for kids to learn about Islam and the people of the Middle East which might also teach them tolerance in the process. There is so much negative stereotyping during a war that can color a child's perspective.

Deborah Ellis's Parvana series shows a realistic view of what life is like in Afghanistan for girls today. It's heartbreaking but also so important.

Chapter book The Pharoah's Secret by Marissa Moss discovered in Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. Did I find Senenmut, Hatshepsut's love there?!

LBGTQ Books for Kids

More lists and reviews of diverse, inclusive, and multicultural books for children from KidLit bloggers here on my Pinterest board:

Follow PragmaticMom's board Multicultural Books for Kids on Pinterest.

My books:

Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me

BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN'S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 is a book that I created to highlight books written by authors who share the same marginalized identity as the characters in their books.

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Multicultural Books for Children: 60+ Book Lists

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Inside: Celebrate diversity and culture with this vast collection of multicultural books for children! Includes 60+ book lists, from toddlers through big kids. I was dismayed to discover that the number of multicultural books for children that have been published hasn't increased during the last 18 years.

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Assign books to students or go over a book in a class. This could be group work or an interactive read aloud. Think of a fun creative way to show comprehension and understanding of another culture.

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Before- During- After

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Teaching reading is more than phonemic awareness and phonics!!

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Collaborative group work is best! Make instructions clear and explicit, make talk necessary for the task, make sure there is a clear outcome, make sure the task is cognitively appropriate, and integrated with a broader curriculum topic.

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10 Best Speaking Activities for ESL Students | For all ages and levels

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Children should also know how to work in groups, have time to complete their tasks, and that everyone is involved!

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Notice there is a difference between spoken and written academic language! Literate talk serves as a bridge between activity-related talk and more formal written registers of subject learning.

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How To: From Speaking to Writing In The Classroom

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How To: From Speaking to Writing In The Classroom

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An example I made from class.

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Remember Vygotsky's theory and try to scaffold learners.

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Play is an important part of learning! Integrate games with your curriculum.

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7 Easy ESL Games | ESL Games for Teaching Abroad & Online