# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Illinois Needs to Revisit its Reclassification Policy for English Learners | Illinois EL Consortium

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Across the United States, educators are changing the way they teach STEM courses. Students collaborate to investigate local phenomena in science class and work out intriguing problems in mathematics class. Across STEM courses, students attempt explanations, justify their positions, question and challenge one another’s ideas, and build new understanding together. This focus on students’ meaning-making represents an important shift. Rather than focusing on memorizing formulas and procedures in math, or taxonomies and definitions in science, we focus today on strengthening students’ reasoning, their skills in collaborating, and their ability to communicate their complex thinking effectively. For English Learners, this meaning-making is coupled with an emerging ability to make meaning in English. The interplay between meaning-making in science and mathematics and meaning-making in English strengthens students’ skill in both areas, as shown in this spiral.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Across the United States, educators are changing the way they teach STEM courses. Students collaborate to investigate local phenomena in science class and work out intriguing problems in mathematics class. Across STEM courses, students attempt explanations, justify their positions, question and challenge one another’s ideas, and build new understanding together. This focus on students’ meaning-making represents an important shift. Rather than focusing on memorizing formulas and procedures in math, or taxonomies and definitions in science, we focus today on strengthening students’ reasoning, their skills in collaborating, and their ability to communicate their complex thinking effectively. For English Learners, this meaning-making is coupled with an emerging ability to make meaning in English. The interplay between meaning-making in science and mathematics and meaning-making in English strengthens students’ skill in both areas, as shown in this spiral.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Reading to Learn in Science | SERP Institute

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Reading to Learn in Science website is about improving learning of science content by improving students' ability to interpret science texts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Practice Briefs

These very short pieces highlight ways of working on specific issues that come up during STEM teaching. You can browse them below or easily flip through and browse the entire collection online. If you would like to browse or download the entire collection of tools as eye-catching PDFs, check out: http://STEMteachingtools.org/link/PDFcollection/

We're translating our collection of tools for science education into Spanish. Click here to read the STEM Teaching Tools that have been translated.
Estamos trabajando para traducir las STEM Teaching Tools en español. Hagan click aquí para leer las STEM Teaching Tools (STT) que han sido traducidas.

Topics:

Enter your email below to receive periodic updates about new tools. This is a low-volume email list, and we promise not to share your address with others.

Tweets by @STEMTeachTools

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These very short pieces highlight ways of working on specific issues that come up during STEM teaching. You can browse them below or easily flip through and browse the entire collection online. If you would like to browse or download the entire collection of tools as eye-catching PDFs, check out: http://STEMteachingtools.org/link/PDFcollection/ We're translating our collection of tools for science education into Spanish.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Inquiry-based science and English language development are a natural fit.

Inquiry-based science is a powerful way to learn science, regardless of a student's language background. When students ask questions, write observations, make predictions, share their thinking, and reason and debate with each other, they are using language to make authentic and meaningful connections to the scientific phenomena they are investigating. When English language learners are supported by teachers to fully participate in inquiry-based science, the increased communication and sophisticated uses of language that take place during investigations engage them in linguistic work that can support English language development.

Classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse.

The linguistic diversity of K-12 classrooms has been rapidly increasing in every part of the country. By 2030, English will be the second language of approximately 40 percent of school-age children in the United States. This shift, along with changing standards in science, math, and English language arts, places heightened demands on teachers.

Teachers need support to foster a language-rich, content-rich environment for science learning.

In 2010, the Institute for Inquiry® began a district-wide partnership with the Sonoma Valley Unified School District to provide all elementary school teachers with an intensive program of professional development. This program, which experimented with new approaches to professional development, was designed to equip teachers with classroom strategies that support science as a context for English language development.

An Educators Guide for Inquiry-based Science and English Language Development shares the Institute for Inquiry's approach to their work in Sonoma. It highlights professional development design and teaching practices that can serve as resources for teachers, teacher educators, professional development providers, district leaders, and researchers.

This program and the contents of this website were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Investing in Innovation (i3) Program. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal government.

Additional funding for this project was provided by the Vadasz Family Foundation and the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Inquiry-based Science and English Language Development | Exploratorium

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Inquiry-based science is a powerful way to learn science, regardless of a student's language background. When students ask questions, write observations, make predictions, share their thinking, and reason and debate with each other, they are using language to make authentic and meaningful connections to the scientific phenomena they are investigating.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ideas and resources for middle and high school English teachers!

# data[].attributes.headline
California History-Social Science materials k-12

# data[].attributes.subject
California History-Social Science materials k-12

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Resources & professional learning for K-12 history-social science

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Scaffolded Models for the Integration of Language and Content in Social Studies for Multilingual and English Language Learners | WeTeachNYC

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Global society in the twenty-first century demands knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for informed and thoughtful participation in society and civic life. How do we guarantee that our linguistically diverse learners develop twenty-first-century competencies while…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
RESOURCES FOR DISTRICT PRACTITIONERS SERVING NEWCOMERS

# data[].attributes.headline
Inspiring Young Learners - EL curriculum and materials

# data[].attributes.subject
Inspiring Young Learners - EL curriculum and materials

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
English Language Students | Inspiring Young Learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Inspiring Young Learners provides support, ideas, and strategies for teachers to enjoy teaching second language students and to feel confident to know exactly how to reach this diverse group of learners. Free materials and professional development videos are available as well as yearlong quality curriculum for ELL's.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Rooted Linguistics: Serving Teachers of Multilingual Learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Home page for teachers of English Learners/Multilingual Learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This is a website designed to support teachers of English Learners/Multilingual Learners.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What will readers learn?

This website contains articles about language instructional practices that support multilingual learners. Each article has an infographic that synthesizes the essential information from the article. The intention of sharing these resources is to provide strategies to educators who work with multilinguals.

At times, my resources can be used across the various content area, while at other times, are more relevant for just language specialists. I know that many of you are busy and do not have time to sift through the literature, books, articles, and videos and cannot attend conferences. It is my job to curate these resources for you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Welcome | ML Instruction | Empowering ELLs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sharing ELL strategies that work. Helping ELL teachers implement classroom-tested, research-backed ELL strategies that develop social and academic language

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Saddleback Educational, Inc. is the largest Hi-Lo Book (high-interest, low-readability) publisher providing custom Hi-Lo Solutions for students in need of reading intervention. Our family-owned business has been serving struggling readers, and the teacher’s that teach them for more than 35-years. This history drives our passion to create age-respectful materials at accessible reading levels. Saddleback offers solutions for students in grades 4–12, ELL, Newcomers, and adults who struggle. With engaging covers and relevant topics combined with rigorous, complex themes, our hi-lo novels are perfect for readers that need an extra boost to achieve their goal of one day being able to read for pleasure. Saddleback publishes hi-lo fiction and nonfiction, teacher resources, audio, special education and ELL products. Saddleback also offers Professional Development to support our solutions.

# data[].attributes.headline
Multilingual Learning Toolkit - preK-3rd

# data[].attributes.subject
Multilingual Learning Toolkit - preK-3rd

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Multilingual Learning Toolkit is an online hub for research-based key principles, instructional strategies, and associated, free, practical, and easy-to-use resources that are geared towards educators who teach PreK-3rd Multilingual Learners. As the resource library continues to grow, make sure you stay connected for the latest updates by filling out the short sign-up form at the bottom of the page.
Learn about the project >

Learn about the best way to use this site

To enhance your experience, we recommend you start with learning how to use the Multilingual Learning Toolkit.
Visit how to use this site >

Learn about the best way to use this site

To enhance your experience, we recommend you start with learning how to use the Multilingual Learning Toolkit.
Visit how to use this site >

Excited to explore, but unsure where to begin?

The User Guides are designed to support teachers, administrators and professional development (PD) providers, and teacher education faculty to find a helpful place to start using the Multilingual Learning Toolkit! The guides offer a reflection tool to support educators to identify priorities for their own learning, plus activities and protocols forexploring the resources in the site.

For Administrators
and PD Providers

For Teacher
Education Faculty

Watch this video to learn more about the Multilingual Learning Toolkit website!

Starter Guide

Foundational Principles

Instructional Strategies

Best practices + resources

A collaborative effort among organizations and individual experts

A collaborative effort among organizations and individual experts

The Multilingual Learning Toolkit is the result of the partnership between a diverse group of stakeholders, maximizing the expertise of local and national practitioners, researchers, and advocates who are champions for Multilingual Learners (MLs). The guide serves as an introduction to supporting young MLs in PreK-3rd Grade, sharing the foundational principles and evidence-based strategies for instruction that are critical for educators to know.
Explore the Starter Guide >

Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for EDUimages

Key foundational principles for educators working with Multilingual Learners
Learn about Foundational Principles >

"I appreciate the ML Toolkit Overview as a teacher."

"What an amazing job of putting strategies, resources, and information together which will be an essential tool for children, parents, and teachers! Thank you."

"This really helps with new ideas. It's easy to get stuck on what you already do."

"I think that the Toolkit is very well written and is a very easy read as a teacher."

Support the diverse linguistic and cultural assets of children
Learn how to use this site >

Stay connected! Sign up to receive notifications about new resources and blog posts.

Please tell us a little about yourself to help us tailor our content and continue to improve this website:

By signing up you agree to receive occasional communications from the Multilingual Learning Toolkit. You can unsubscribe at any time.

We respect your right to privacy.
Please review our Privacy Policy

Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Welcome to the Multilingual Learning Toolkit!

We want you to get the most out of using this website. To learn all about the great content available, and how to navigate the Toolkit, please visit our How to use this site page.
GO TO HOW USE THIS SITE

X

Please complete your user profile.

x

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Multilingual Learning Toolkit * Dual Language * Multilingualism

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Promoting the benefits of multilingualism and providing resources supporting Pre-K through 3rd grade multilingual children and teachers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
My Adventures in ESL – Strategies & Techniques for ESL Educators

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The population of English learners (ELs) in K-12 schools continues to grow. Between the 2009-10 and 2014-15 school years, the percentage of English learners increased in over half of the states, and in 2017, English learners made up 10.1% of the total student population. Research suggests that in their transition to English, non-native speakers fall behind academically, which can intensify the longer a student remains in an English learner program. State education leaders are mindful of this and have implemented policies to identify, serve and reclassify English learners as they become proficient.

This resource provides a national comparison of EL policies in all states. Unless otherwise noted, all information in this resource was gathered from state statutes or regulations and does not include policies in state-level guidance documents or arising from court orders.

Click on the metrics below for 50-State Comparisons showing how all states approach these policies. Or view a specific state's approach by going to the individual state profiles page.
Key Takeaways

States primarily use four methods for funding English learner programs:

Foundation formula (33 states and the District of Columbia).

Resource allocation model (six states).

Grants (six states).

Reimbursements (one state).

To identify English learners, at least 21 states require the administration of a home language survey, while at least 27 states require the use of an English language proficiency screening assessment for students whose primary or home language is not English.

At least 28 states provide for specific qualifications or pre-service and in-service training and professional development for general classroom teachers in statute or regulation.

At least 39 states provide for training, professional development, teaching standards, certification or endorsements for EL-specific teachers in statute or regulation.

At least 24 states explicitly require students to score proficiently on an English language proficiency exam to be reclassified as English proficient.
Some states consider additional metrics, including academic performance, statewide assessments, and teacher observations and recommendations.

50-State Comparisons
Click on the items below to see data for all states
Basics

1. State resource page for English learners

2. Percentage and number of English learners

3. Type of funding

4. Funding per student

Identification

1. How is "English learner" defined in state policy?

2. How does the state identify English learners?

Serving English Learners

1. Which program approaches does state policy authorize?

2. Is parent membership required on EL advisory councils or committees?

3. Can state-funded pre-K programs provide DLL/EL instruction?

4. What EL training or ongoing professional development is required of general classroom teachers?

5. Are EL-only instructors in K-12 required to hold a specialist certification or endorsement?

Reclassification

1. What is the process for EL reclassification?

2. What measures do schools use to reclassify students as "English proficient"?

3. How do states monitor former English learners?

How States Allocate Funding for English Language Learners (blog post)
Dear Colleague Letter: English Learner Students and Limited English Proficient Parents

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
50-State Comparison: English Learner Policies - Education Commission of the States

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The population of English learners (ELs) in K-12 schools continues to grow. Between the 2009-10 and 2014-15 school years, the percentage of English learners increased in over half of the states, and in 2017, English learners made up 10.1% of the total student population.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Read.Inquire.Write. supports middle school students' full participation in inquiry and argument writing in social studies across 6th through 8th grades, enabling them to develop disciplinary literacy along with disciplinary knowledge. It includes multiple supports for English learners-newcomers as well as more proficient bi/multilingual learners-and students who have experienced less success in school.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Word Generation is a set of Tier 1, research-based curricular resources designed for use across content areas in grades 4-8. It places heavy emphasis on 21st century learning goals, including academic language, argumentation, analytic reasoning, reading to find evidence, oral discussion, and writing. Each unit introduces approximately 5-10 high-utility academic "focus words" and begins with an engaging text that introduces multiple perspectives on a high-interest topic. While the units have moments of direct instruction, much of the learning comes from carefully scaffolded academic discussion and debates, providing students opportunities to draw on accumulated knowledge and apply new knowledge. Students read, discuss, debate, and write about each topic using the focus words.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Improve your classroom with our educational research and resources. SERP provides innovative and scalable solutions for our schools' most pressing problems.

# data[].attributes.headline
National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (Fed Gov)

# data[].attributes.subject
National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (Fed Gov)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What's Happening

Announcements on this page are generally from the Department of Education's Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), or other relevant government agencies and offices, about concerns facing multilingual learner education.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Home | NCELA - English Language Acquisition & Language Instruction Educational Programs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Announcements on this page are generally from the Department of Education's Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), or other relevant government agencies and offices, about concerns facing multilingual learner education.

# data[].attributes.headline
Office of English Language Acquisition (Fed Gov)

# data[].attributes.subject
Office of English Language Acquisition (Fed Gov)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Information about the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), including its mission, programs, and staff contacts.

# data[].attributes.headline
Seidlitz Education (ML-focused teacher dev)

# data[].attributes.subject
Seidlitz Education (ML-focused teacher dev)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Innovative Training & Coaching

Seidlitz Education provides research-based consultations, trainings, coaching, and products with innovative educational tools that focus on ways we can help develop language in every classroom. We are always looking for user-friendly ways to help teachers give students rich background knowledge and the ability to communicate in academic settings.
See All Professional Development

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Seidlitz Education LLC - Empowering Educators

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to Seidlitz Education LLC, where we empower educators with innovative tools and resources to support English Learners.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By Ruslana Westerlund, also see http://ruslanawesterlund.com/ Since the first days of COVID-19, language in written communication has become more powerful and more noticed than ever before. As a person who analyzes language for a living and in my daily life and writes about it here, I have become aware of...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A site about language, social justice, and socially just linguistics as informed by Halliday

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here you’ll find low-prep, easy-to-use, culturally appropriate materials and info for upper elementary and middle school English Learners in regular ed

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Thoughts, tips and anecdotes from a public school ESOL teacher

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A bilingual site for educators and families of English language learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hi, I’m Beth! I’m here to help busy ESL teachers by creating and sharing resources to make teaching multilingual learners fun and focused with a limited amount of time. After teaching in the general education classroom for 11 years, I decided to put my Master’s in Teaching ESL to work. This is my 14th year […]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Click here to read my blog, Innovative Inspiration for English Learners.

Click here to read my guest-blog for best-selling EL author Larry Ferlazzo!

My name is Carly Spina and I am the EL/Bilingual Instructional Coach for Glenview District 34. I have 12 years of teaching experience. For five years I was an EL teacher for grades 3-5. The following six years, I was a third grade teacher in our Bilingual (English/Spanish) program at Hoffman. Within that time, I worked with my team to develop a Title 1 tutoring program called ARC (Awesome Reading Club). I also collaborated with my team to create a parent education program called MAPA (Maestros, Alumnos, y Padres Avanzando). I'm in my second year of coaching!

My professional passions include EL Education, Bilingual Education, Parent Outreach and Education, Flexible Seating, and Social Media in the Classroom.

I am available to meet with individual teachers and teams in strengthening practices around Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment related to English learners in District 34. I would love to work with you! Here are some ways I can support you this school year:

*Aligning content & WIDA standards *SIOP support *Parent Education and Parent Outreach
*Understanding ACCESS scores and proficiency levels
*Level 1s/2s on your roster

*Levels 3s/4s on your roster
*CoTeaching support
*Problem Solving/MTSS with ELs
*Levels 5s ("exited" students) on your roster
*EL instructional strategies
*SEL support with ELs
*Science/Writing Units with ELs (finding resources, modifications, planning for instruction)

*Supporting ELs with Academic Language

My office is located at Springman Middle School. My extension is 2141 and my e-mail address is cspina@glenview34.org. Find me on Twitter @MrsSpinasClass. I'm looking forward to working with you this school year!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Click here to read my blog , Innovative Inspiration for English Learners. Click here to read my guest-blog for best-selling EL author Larry Ferlazzo! My name is Carly Spina and I am the...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
K-8 ESL Teaching Materials & Strategies | Kid-Inspired Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find engaging, effective materials and strategies for helping your English learners improve quickly as well as access grade-level content.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Ellevation: EL Program Management Tools for K-12

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
free live demo of Family Communication - Register here

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Practical ESL and ELD teaching resources, strategies, lesson ideas, and professional development for teachers of English language learners.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Reflections on Teaching Multilingual Learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Oral language - the processes involved in speaking, listening, and understanding spoken language - serves as the basis for the development of literacy, which in turn paves the way for academic achievement. Teachers often overlook the need for multilingual learners to practice speaking and to enhance their oral language abilities.

Students acquire basic social language skills through classroom interactions, however their comprehension of English often surpasses their ability to speak as effectively as they would like. Consequently, it's important for teachers to specifically focus on providing lots of opportunities to develop speaking skills, especially practice using academic language.

However, many multilingual learners are reluctant to speak in class since they may not have the words to express their thoughts completely. They're aware that they aren't completely fluent in the language their teacher and peers speak and understand. The following are 5 ways teachers can encourage students to improve speaking skills.

1. Create the right environment. Few people are willing to speak up or participate in group discussions when they feel anxious or if the setting is intimidating. Establishing a classroom environment where multilingual learners feel respected, welcome, and comfortable when speaking is the first step in building oral language skills. The affective dimension of language learning matters. Multilingual learners take a risk when they use their new language so it's important for teachers to be accepting of all attempts to express themselves, and correct errors gently and only as a means for avoiding confusion. Another way of creating a stress-free environment is to accept translanguaging as an effective communication strategy. Translanguaging is the process by which multilingual students use two or more languages strategically to accomplish a task. For example, at times multilingual learners are able to express some ideas better in one language or the other and may mix the two languages in a discussion or when completing an assignment with a partner. Allowing students the freedom to use all their language resources encourages oral participation and signals to students that their home language is respected and accepted.

2. Select interesting topics. If we want students to talk, we need to give them something interesting and relevant to talk about. Teachers can use students' backgrounds and lived experiences to make connections to nearly any topic. A lot of language can surface in discussions that tap into what students know. For example, when reading about a character in a book or an historical figure, ask: How would you react in that situation? Or What would your family say if you did that? Why? Pictures also can be used effectively to elicit language. For example, show an interesting picture, preferably related to a topic being studied, and ask, What do you think is going on in this picture? What do you see that makes you think that? What else do you see? This process is a less-demanding version of citing text evidence, an important academic skill, and elicits language by having students explain their idea and defend it using the picture.

3. Form groups intentionally. Opportunities to practice and develop speaking skills need to be planned, intentional and purposeful. Research confirms what most educators know: teachers do more than 80% of the talking in class. Speaking with a partner or small group encourages participation and provides each student with more practice speaking English, expressing themselves, and experimenting with the language.

Sometimes during a lesson teachers realize they have been doing a lot of talking and so suddenly ask the students to turn-and-talk. This haphazard approach is not effective. Whether students turn-and-talk with a partner or participate in a more extended discussion with a small group, interactions should have an academic purpose such as making predictions, summarizing information, discussing an experience they've had related to the topic, and so forth. The group interaction should be structured, have an intentional purpose, and be given a reasonable time allotment.

4. Use technology. There are a number of voice and video recording programs available that give students a chance to practice speaking English privately to build oral proficiency. A recording allows students to listen to themselves and identify areas for improvement. Teachers should maintain a digital portfolio so that students can periodically listen to past recordings and hear how they're speaking improved over time. Teachers have reported that some students barely recognize their own voice on recordings from the beginning of the year to the end, which is gratifying evidence of progress and a real confidence builder.

5. Make it fun. Have students pretend to be a news anchor delivering information, a podcaster who engages in discussion with a guest, a game show host who asks questions of peers, a historical figure who tells about her life and accomplishments, and so forth. The purpose is educational, but the language practice activity is low-stress - and fun!

Jana Echevarria, Ph.D. is Professor Emerita at CSULB where she was selected as Outstanding Professor. She is co-creator of the SIOP Model of instruction for multilingual learners and co-author of Making Content Comprehensible for Multilingual Learners: The SIOP Model among other publications.

A colleague who is presenting a session at our upcoming SIOP Virtual Conference requested that I take an opportunity on this blog to publicize the conference and the other resources available to educators of multilingual learners. Great idea!

"Teachers of multilingual learners" means essentially every educator in America since multilingual learners are the fastest growing student population comprising approximately 10% of students nationwide with much greater percentages represented in urban areas. If you don't have multilingual learners in your class today, you will shortly. In many areas of the U.S., the numbers of multilingual students continue to grow and other areas will experience a new influx of students. The resources we offer are designed to make an impact on the lives of our multilingual learners - and their teachers.

For more than 10 years we have hosted an annual SIOP conference where educators can come together and learn from SIOP colleagues from around the U.S. and internationally. There are many excellent sessions offered to teachers and administrators on a variety of topics pertinent to educating multilingual learners. ( See agenda). This year's theme is, Making an Impact.

Also, we're delighted to announce that a new edition of Making Content Comprehensible for Multilingual Learners: The SIOP Model is hot off the presses. Why a new edition? What educators know about effective instruction continues to evolve as we learn more from research and practice. Over the past decade, understanding of effective sheltered instruction and the needs of multilingual learners has grown substantially. As a result, there are new trends in teaching multilingual learners which are included in the book, highlighted below.

Perhaps most notable is that we have added a new author to our SIOP team, Dr. Katie Toppel, who brings a wealth of experience, creativity, and knowledge to the team. (And fun!)

We hope that you'll use this new book as a guide for lesson planning and teaching in general education and ELD classes. SIOP teachers tell us that it's a resource they turn to again and again as they plan and carry out effective lessons. We encourage you to highlight sections, mark pages with sticky notes, and fill margins with application ideas. There is also an e-book available.

Although the format is the same as previous editions, approximately 50% of the content is revised or new.

What are the most significant changes?

Asset orientation. Since the creation of SIOP, we have consistently adhered to an asset orientation, but you will find it more prominently presented in this edition. We emphasize that multilingual learners bring cultural, linguistic, and experiential assets to the classroom and give concrete examples of how teachers can and must acknowledge those assets and build upon them instructionally. Another way we emphasize an asset orientation is a change of the book's title. We have previously used the term, English Learners, but Multilingual Learners more accurately captures the linguistic abilities of these students. Oh, that we all were multilingual!

Use of the home language. There is growing understanding that students benefit from using their full linguistic repertoire in two or more languages purposefully to accomplish a task. Translanguaging in a SIOP classroom is a pedagogical practice that encourages students to use and apply the knowledge they have gained through any language medium (e.g., meaning of words in their home language) to make meaning and perform instructional activities. You'll find more explicit attention in chapters as to how teachers can use translanguaging practices and build upon students' home languages and other assets. Further, SIOP Feature 19 has been slightly reworded to make it clear that using the home language in class strategically can help students acquire English and deepen their content knowledge.

New chapter, Collaborative Practices for Implementing the SIOP Model. Collaboration between ELD/ESL specialists and general education teachers is essential for providing coherent, effective services for multilingual learners. Co-teaching is most effective so that both teachers support one another. This important new chapter provides a detailed explanation of how to implement the co-teaching process effectively. Included are profiles of a general education teacher and ELD/ESL specialist to illustrate the co-teaching process. ELD/ESL specialists and general education teachers will find the content of this chapter to be an invaluable guide for effective collaboration.

New chapter on Multi-Tiered System of Supports for Multilingual Students (MTSS). Many educators are concerned about multilingual learners who exhibit reading or learning problems and are struggling academically because of them. Few books about teaching multilingual learners address the topic of using data-driven supports to improve students' academic performance. We provide an illustrated step-by-step process to help educators navigate MTSS with attention to the special considerations needed with multilingual learners. The chapter also includes three case studies of struggling multilingual learners and demonstrates how these students move through the process.

Focus on technology. During remote learning, teachers found the use of technology to be essential for teaching. Competence in technology went from a skill that was nice to have to one that was a must-have. Accordingly, we've integrated technology throughout the chapters to reflect the competence teachers have developed in embedding technology in their lessons. We've also added more ideas for using technology for remote learning, which remains a reality for some teachers.

Teaching ideas. Teachers enjoy learning a new activity or teaching idea to use with their students that reinforces their explicit teaching. You'll find innumerable fresh, new, use-tomorrow ideas and activities throughout the chapters.

Research. Research studies and syntheses conducted in the past decade are included throughout the book to ensure that multilingual students are receiving instruction that is grounded in proven, tested practices. In sections that address literacy and multilingual learners, studies from the body of research known as the science of reading (SOR) are included.

Additional resources. There are links to new videos, revised teaching scenarios for practice in analyzing and rating lessons, revised discussion questions and application exercises for use in teacher preparation classes or professional learning networks (PLNs), an updated list of resources for further information, including books, journal articles, book chapters, and downloadable research briefs.

Professional Learning. There are links to blogs and a link for information about SIOP professional development, http://siop .savvas.com. You'll find a variety of professional learning opportunities offered by Savvas.

The SIOP authors also have a podcast series, Essentials for Supporting English Learners / Multilingual Learners. We hope you'll find it informative and useful.

We are gratified that for more than 20 years SIOP has provided a resource that, simply put, helps teachers help kids. With SIOP now being used in dozens of countries, and with over 50 peer-reviewed published research studies demonstrating its effectiveness, we hope that the new edition of our book and other resources we offer will continue to positively impact the education of multilingual learners.

See you at the SIOP Virtual Conference! You can register here.

Multilingual students who have been in U.S. schools for 6 or more years and have not yet been reclassified as fluent English proficient are referred to as long-term English learners, or LTELs. There are significant numbers of these students in American schools, and we need to take a serious look at how to best support their academic and linguistic growth.

Too often multilingual learners are passed from class to class, and grade to grade with the assumption that, given time, they will advance in their English language proficiency. However, academic language doesn't develop simply through exposure to English in school. The best outcomes result from teachers providing consistent instructional supports for making grade-level content comprehensible while at the same time focusing on academic language development.

Apathy can be insidious among long-term English learners. Some students understandably have lost a degree of motivation; they have struggled academically for years. Unfortunately, teachers sometimes also become apathetic about multilingual learners and inadvertently have low expectations for them.

The following are four ways to reduce apathy and to support the needs of long-term English learners.

1. Practice student agency. Capitalize on the assets and interests students bring to the classroom by providing activities that are meaningful and relevant to them. Allow students to complete assignments through alternative means, driven by their interests, with appropriate guidance from teachers. Student agency gives students voice and often, choice, in how they learn. In so doing, students are empowered to take responsibility for their own learning, which is sure to increase motivation.

2. Develop a learning profile. Since LTEL students have been in U.S. schools for at least 6 years, they have a foundation of knowledge and skills on which to build. For each LTEL student find out: What are her strengths? Where are there gaps in learning? Which specific literacy skills need targeted instruction? If a student has strong listening and speaking skills, less time needs to be devoted to oral language activities and more time spent on the area that will get them "over the hump" in attaining proficiency. In creating a learning profile, teachers get to know each LTEL student as an individual learner and can better tailor instruction to meet their academic and linguistic needs.

3. Use proven instructional strategies and techniques. Students who have yet to reach English proficiency likely have not had the benefit of instruction that provides access to the core curriculum and is designed with their linguistic needs in mind. In research with the SIOP Model, multilingual learners whose teachers consistently used proven instructional supports outperformed those students whose teachers were more hit-or-miss in their use of supports. Quality of teaching matters.

4. Collaborate with colleagues. During grade level planning or in a PLC, the progress of LTELs should be part of the discussion. Share ideas that have worked, offer one another suggestions for helping LTELs access grade-level materials, and discuss ways to integrate language development into content lessons. Creating a community of support with fellow teachers benefits LTEL students and teachers alike. It's a win-win.

It has become popular - and accurate - to say that every teacher is a language teacher. Each content area has its own topic-specific terminology such as parameter in math, photosynthesis in science, coup in social studies and character traits in English language arts. In addition, language is used in ways that may be unfamiliar to multilingual learners. The use of various English sentence structures, language forms, and general vocabulary encountered across content areas are examples of language use that may prove challenging for multilingual learners.

Language is learned and practiced most effectively in context rather than through isolated tasks such as fill-in-the-blank worksheets or a list of words to look up in the dictionary. Instead, while students are immersed in a topic, the teacher highlights and discusses key vocabulary and capitalizes on other language-learning opportunities throughout a lesson. The following are four ways that teachers can ensure that they are developing students' English proficiency while teaching content.

By the way, many native English-speaking students benefit from a focus on academic language development as well. Studies have shown that English speakers are not disadvantaged by using techniques that are intended to support multilingual learners.

Design and Post Language Objectives: One of the most effective ways to integrate language and content is by setting clear language objectives for each lesson. This means defining specific language skills or functions that students should be able to use or demonstrate by the end of the lesson. For example, a language objective for a science lesson might be for students to be able to ask and answer questions using scientific vocabulary. By focusing on language objectives in addition to content objectives, teachers help students learn and practice specific academic language which will also deepen their understand of the content.

2. Explicitly Teach and Practice Vocabulary: Vocabulary is a crucial component of language and content integration. Teachers help students understand and remember content by explicitly teaching the vocabulary words and concepts that are necessary for understanding the content. This can include pre-teaching vocabulary before a lesson, creating word walls, or having students create their own vocabulary notebooks. In addition, teachers can use visuals and graphic organizers to help students connect new vocabulary to what they already know. Think about the multiple meanings of the word current. It may be part of the term, "current events" in social studies, the flow of water in science, current meaning up-to-date, and electrical current. Students may know one meaning of the word but be confused when it is used in another subject area with another meaning. The teacher takes time to discuss these homonyms and clarify the meaning of each one. Multilingual learners benefit from developing word consciousness. That is, they begin to see relationships between words, word parts, the connection between English words and words that are like their home language, called cognates ( admit in English and admitir in Spanish) and so forth.

3. Plan for Peer Interaction: Encouraging peer interaction is another effective way to integrate language and content. By giving students opportunities to interact with one another in meaningful ways, they can practice using the language they are learning while engaged in activities that deepen their content knowledge. This can include group work, partner activities, or class discussions. Teachers can also provide support by giving students sentence starters, language frames, or guiding questions to help facilitate communication.

4. Make Content Comprehensible: Finally, making content understandable is key to integrating language and content. This means using strategies to support students in understanding the content, even if they are still developing their English language skills. Effective teachers use visuals and multimedia to illustrate content concepts, break down complex concepts into more manageable parts, use hands-on activities, and provide clear explanations. Additionally, teachers adjust their language by using simpler vocabulary, shorter sentences, and more concrete examples to support student understanding, especially for beginning speakers.

By using these four strategies, teachers help students make connections between language and content, allowing them to use language as a tool for learning and understanding. This can result in improved language proficiency and greater academic success for all students.

Using evidence-based teaching practices is important for all learners, including multilingual learners, because it ensures that the instructional strategies and techniques used in the classroom are effective. We use the term evidence-based because these teaching practices are supported by empirical evidence and have been shown to improve learning outcomes for students.

Some strategies and interventions are appealing to teachers, especially if students seem to enjoy them, but when working with multilingual learners, evidence-based teaching practices are especially important since these learners have unique learning needs. They are learning new material and skills in a new language and, as a result, may struggle with aspects of learning such as understanding the lesson's content, learning and retaining vocabulary words, and expressing their ideas in their second language.

All teaching with multilingual learners should have at it foundation a welcoming classroom environment. A positive and inclusive classroom environment is crucial to the academic success of multilingual students. This includes honoring their lived experiences, displaying cultural artifacts, and recognizing the value of different languages. Within an inclusive environment, the following evidence-based teaching practices can help teachers plan and deliver lessons that support multilingual learners in their content learning and language development.

Use multimodal instructional materials: Supplement grade-level texts without "watering down" the material. Using a variety of instructional materials such as videos, images, audio, and interactive media can help to engage multilingual learners and promote deeper understanding. These materials serve as a scaffold to make sense of grade-level text.

2. Teach key vocabulary: Teaching key vocabulary is an effective way to support the learning of multilingual students. Studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between vocabulary knowledge and student achievement. It is therefore necessary to explicitly teach academic language and academic content vocabulary, including explicitly teaching words that are critical to understanding the subject matter. Perhaps as important, students need adequate opportunities to practice in using the words in context.

3. Connect to student background: Learning is more meaningful when it is relevant to students. Teachers use students' cultural backgrounds and lived experiences to connect to lessons which can enhance student engagement and understanding. Using real- world examples that are relevant to students' lives and experiences helps them see the relevance of what they are learning and make connections to their own lives. Also, make connections between English and the students' home languages so that the relationship between the language they know and the one they are learning is clear. Point out cognates, ask students to translate words and sentences into their home language, and the like.

4. Use visuals: Using visuals such as pictures, diagrams, and videos can be an effective teaching strategy for multilingual learners. Visuals and multimedia help to provide context and promote understanding, regardless of the student's level of proficiency in the language of instruction.

5. Provide clear instructions: Providing clear and concise instructions is essential for multilingual learners to understand what is expected of them. Instructions should be explained clearly and written for students to refer to as the lesson unfolds. Many multilingual learners may be reticent about asking for clarification, especially in front of the class, so it is incumbent upon the teacher to make sure the steps for completing work are clear, concise and posted for student to see.

6. Using probing questions or topics in discussion: A good idea for this type of approach is to open a discussion about a controversial topic. This is a great way to get all students alert and engaged. Make sure that all forms of responses are accepted (e.g., agree/disagree, short answers, and sketching an idea) because although multilingual learners are capable of thinking about higher order concepts and answering higher order questions, their expression may not match their level of thinking. We want to elicit what they think and know, not their level of English proficiency.

7. Provide opportunities for language practice: Providing multilingual learners with opportunities to practice their language skills can help them develop confidence and fluency in the language of instruction. This can be accomplished through activities such as group discussions, debates, and presentations. Also collaborative learning can be an effective strategy for multilingual learners as it encourages peer-to-peer learning and provides opportunities for language practice. Turn and talk is a common technique but there are innumerable ways to structure peer interaction so that partners work together to accomplish an academic task.

8. Use hands-on activities. Lessons should include multiple opportunities to use hands-on materials or manipulatives to learn and practice the content and should include activities for students to apply content and language knowledge in their learning. Hands-on activities and materials enable students to forge connections between abstract and concrete concepts. Students make these connections most effectively when they are engaged in activities that integrate all language skills such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

9. Keep the focus on the lesson's content and language objectives: At the outset of the lesson, teachers orally share posted objectives for the lesson. The content objectives are often found in the text or are based on content standards. Language objectives make visible the language that will be learned or practiced during the lesson. Once the objectives are reviewed, teachers make sure that the lesson's activities support those objectives. When students know what content and language to focus on - based on objectives - their attention is captured and keeps them more actively engaged.

10. Use a variety of assessment methods: Using a variety of assessment methods can help to accurately gauge the progress and understanding of multilingual learners. This includes both formal and informal assessment methods, such as classroom discussions, quizzes, and presentations. Throughout the lesson, and especially at the end, it is important to determine how well students have understood and have retained key vocabulary and content concepts.

Evidence-based teaching practices can help educators design instruction that is culturally responsive and relevant to the diverse backgrounds and experiences of multilingual learners. To ensure that these practices are present in all lessons, many educators use the the SIOP Model lesson planning and delivery framework which is teacher-friendly and has been shown to be effective in improving student achievement as well as English language development. By incorporating evidence-based teaching practices such as SIOP, educators can create a learning environment that supports multilingual learners' academic success and fosters their engagement and motivation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Reflections on Teaching Multilingual Learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Access a wealth of resources on supporting Multilingual Learners (MLs) and English Learners (ELs) in our Resource Library - SupportEd

# data[].attributes.headline
Newcomers at Grade Level & Beyond - Carol Salva

# data[].attributes.subject
Newcomers at Grade Level & Beyond - Carol Salva

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I'm working in districts where we have been in school for 5-8 weeks. This show is in response to some challenges and reflections on what I want to emphasize more. You can listen to this show right here or on your favorite podcast app.
Listen to "BAP111 Instead of IDK for SLIFE and Newcomers" on Spreaker.
An edited transcript follows with links to what I talked about:

This episode is going to be about lessons learned. I think there's value no matter what you do if you're a teacher, instructional coach, or administrator.

This is that time of the year when the honeymoon is over! LOL. Things are playing out in a certain way depending on what routines you put in place or did not put in place. What I've learned is that in many places where we're not getting things off the ground with students, it's because this strategy is not in place. We are realizing that we did not emphasize the teaching of this skill enough.

So let me offer you the strategy, and then I'm going to tell you why it's so critical for new arrival students. And this one is important for even your highest flyer in your classroom no matter what you teach. And I'm also going to tell you about a fail, so look forward to that. People always say they love hearing about what didn't go right or a non-example when I'm trying things.

So this fail is kind of funny too. All right, so here's the strategy.

The sheltered strategy is to Teach Kids What to Say When They Don't Know What to Say.

Let me say that again. We're going to teach kids what to say when they don't know what to say. Some teachers know this as an "Instead of 'I don't know' poster." We are working to remove "IDK" from our classrooms.

So let's think about it a little bit differently. We're not talking about a poster. Idk is what the students use. Many students text, I don't know Idk. All right?

Teach Ss Day 1 what to say instead of IDK. Opting out is not an option for Learners. @MsSalvac #supportingSIFE #BoostingAchievement @LearnTexas pic.twitter.com/djeBCMzs6p

- Trish Hinze (@TrishHinze) July 17, 2019

Often you will see a poster that says IDK, and it has an X through it in a classroom. The idea is that we are not going to say, 'I don't know' anymore. Instead, we want to encourage other things such as: May I ask a friend for help? Would you please repeat the question? Where can I find more information? May I have some time to think? etc. That's a fantastic poster to have. T he company I work for, Seidlitz Education, sells these great posters of things that say, they're beautiful.

WHY is this Important? Can the Students Tell Us?

If you ask the kids, why is it important to say other things instead of I Don't Know, could they tell us? Have we talked with them about this and let them come up with answers. This offers relevancy.

If I asked you to come up with three reasons why it is important for young people to say something instead of I don't know, I bet you could. As adults, we have built a skill where we might pause and say something like "Could you give me a minute?" Or "Can I ask someone to help me with this?"

Just Google It!

You know, the reality is that we don't use the skill so much anymore. Now we just ask Alexa. Or we ask Google. We google it. That's kind of dangerous for the world, don't you think? In the Boosting Achievement book that I wrote with Anna Mattis, we cite researchers that talk about how a part of our brain is starting to atrophy because of technology. We don't have to think deeply anymore. So then it is more important than ever that our classrooms are places where we can practice thinking, be more curious. Be more curious. Don't just default to I don't know.

It's a teenage culture kind of thing, right? I'm sure you can appreciate, even for your own child, do you want them to be okay with not knowing? So the first one that I always teach is, May I ask a friend for help? Because I'm trying to create a culture of conversation. And as soon as the student says that, we say, yes. And I'm going to hover around that student, and I'm going to make eye contact, and I'm going to ask them, Are you ok to answer before we come back. I might have to give them the answer. We need them to have a win in that moment in front of everybody. And if they didn't know the answer, they may not be the only one. They're likely not the only one that doesn't know.

Why is QSSSA not Working?

I'm going to talk about the Newcomer classroom. I am always talking about the newcomer student. This week, I was in a newcomer classroom where the majority of the students have missed large amounts of formal education, and we are at high school. The issue is that the students are not turning and talking when we want them to. And we have a really good structure, QSSSA, for students to turn and talk. But they're still not talking to each other as much as we would like for them to, even when we encourage the use of native language. We just don't have it off the ground.

Modeling for Teachers

A part of my job is modeling for teachers. So I decided I would model how to get this strategy off the ground with a class where most of the students are new to the target language of English. I never promise that I can pull off a spur of the moment lesson well. It is a challenge to model because I don't know the kids and I don't know the content. But I'm willing. I feel that it is important to be vulnerable enough to do these things to support the teachers. Even if the lesson doesn't go as planned, we get a chance to debrief and so we are both going to come out better.

Using Native Language

So remember that most of the kids in the classroom don't understand what I'm saying. Now, a lot of these kids speak Spanish, so I'm going to just be honest, my first instinct would be to just say it in Spanish. I speak Spanish. And this is not the moment to worry about language acquisition. This is the moment to worry about teaching a skill so that we can acquire more English! Routines, directions, telling a student how amazing they are...Those kinds of messages we need to get across, however we can get them across. Use your entire language repertoire to communicate these things. We have Google Translate and I will use it or whatever I need to use to help me , might use whatever I need to make sure they understand.

#SeidlitzEdChat
If anyone needs an "Instead of IDK" poster for thier #virtualclassroom here you go! #KeepItSimple #ells pic.twitter.com/BoEbq8SaQY

- Dr. Carol Salva (@DrCarolSalva) May 20, 2020

A key word or phrase is always okay. - Said by Nancy Motley in one of my first ESL trainings.)
But as the instructor, I want to stay in English as much as possible. I'm the model. I would only just pop out of English for a moment and come right back in. I don't want them to think that I will be translating everything. I want them to get comprehensible input (understandable messages) with me staying in English as much as possible. But again, this is so important that I would use my Spanish. Absolutely. Not a problem for me. It always has worked out just fine.

Translation Can't be our Go-To Strategy for Comprehensible Input

I have no problem using Spanish from time to time but the teacher I was working with does not speak Spanish! And another thing is that several kids in there don't speak Spanish! I could use Google Translate and I would still use some Spanish translation, though. I would still do it because the majority were Spanish speaking kids and they just communicate kid-to-kid better than they can with me often. They're friends. So I would do it, but I would be thinking "What about my student that speaks Farsi? What about the child that speaks Arabic? Are they getting it?" And so translation cannot be our comprehensible input default. And as the year goes on, I want to make sure it's not because more kids have more comprehension and I should not need to translate at all anything pretty soon. So anyway, the teacher I was working with didn't speak Spanish, and I want to make sure that I'm trying to model something that they can do easily.

How do I Get Buy-In for This Norm?

Okay, so here's how it looks if everybody speaks English in my classroom. I would write "I Don't Know." on the board and talk about how it is OK not to know answers. I'd give them a scenario in life like if I'm at the bank and they ask me, "What is your husband's mother's maiden name?" I might just need a minute. I might know it, but I might just say, "Can you hang on just a moment? Can you give me a minute to think?" My husband might be in the car, and so I might instead ask them if I could go ask him for help.

Most importantly, I want them to talk to each other. I'd like the students to talk and to tell me why is this important. I want their buy-in. This is a lesson. It is not just, 'Hey, we're going to start doing this today.'

We can just write one thing on the anchor chart and add to it throughout the year. But they need to buy-in. They need to understand why it's important. So I would have that "I Don't Know" written on the anchor chart and at that point, I would cross it out. Then I would add "Instead of..." and we can start writing other things we could say onto that poster.

Poster vs. Anchor Chart

Instead of 'poster,' let's call it an anchor chart. It needs to be big enough for the kids on the other side of the room to be able to read it. Any environmental print needs to be big enough, written in big enough print, that it's usable no matter where you're sitting in the class. And it needs to be referenced. Otherwise, it is just decoration.

On a mission to increase engagement for early ELs, @PantherNation_1 Ms. Carter begins virtual classes with a purpose statement (doubles as fluency practice), images to support growth mindset and @MsSalvac IDK chart 🙌🙌. @MNPS_EL pic.twitter.com/BfUzlt7lb3

- Heather W. Goodridge (@h_woodroof) September 3, 2020

NO FORCED OUTPUT

That's how it goes when everybody speaks English. So now I will explain what I do when they don't comprehend much English.

I want to say, before I start to tell you about the simulation, No Forced Output. That's a mantra in my mind that I'm saying to myself as I walk in front of a class of new arrival students or any students, no forced output. I am not going to force anyone. I'm never going to force a kid to speak in English. When they're acquiring English, it's just so cringy. And it is doing the opposite, the exact opposite of what I want, which is a low-stress environment where they can acquire, consume, and comprehend as much English as possible.

I want that to go as fast as possible. And there's a researcher named Steven Krashen who will tell you it's really all about reading. And he's right, in my experience. I want to get them reading with support, high interest, compelling things, acquiring and understanding these words as they start to understand how they sound and as they start to use them, we get it off the ground, and it starts going so fast.

They have to be comfortable for that. They have to be really comfortable. Not freaked out. So whatever I'm doing in front of the class, they can attend to it, they can see it, they can get it. They can start getting little things. They can be comfortable enough to talk to their partner in a low-stress way.

QSSSA

One-to-one is low stress, so use whatever language, but I want them to talk to each other. Some of them won't even talk to each other in their native language.

Think about that. A turn-and-talk. What could go wrong with a turn and talk in a regular math class? I'm sure you're thinking a lot of things.

They're not talking about what I want them to talk about....

One of them is doing all the talking...

They weren't paying attention, so they don't know.

And on and on...

QSSSA is a routine that helps solve for so many of the challenges we face when we want students to Turn and Talk. It's a top tip. It is our top tip. I work for a company called Sidelitz Education, and QSSSA is always a Top Tip! Chris Hagy of Charleston, SC has a padlet on the technique here. And this script by Michelle Gill is popular:

That routine is one of John Seidlitz' Seven Steps to a Language-rich, Interactive Classroom. It is a fantastic routine. But guess what step one is? Step one is teach kids what to say when they don't know what to say.

Teaching Students what to Say instead of IDK is STEP ONE.

That is step one for a reason. We need low-stress environments where everybody is willing to take risks. See, I don't want to force them to speak in English, but I do want to arm them with something they can take anywhere they go in the building and also not be so worried that they're going to be called on. So this "Instead of "I don't know" poster that we're creating, I have a little one for you.

They're about six to a page and you can just print them out and cut them up and tape them to the desk. Tape them to their agenda. Have a big one on the wall and also tape these on their Chromebook and everywhere so they can take it with them because it's a skill. It is what they might need at the doctor's office. To use in math class. To use everywhere.

The Fail

Okay, so I'm walking to the front of a classroom where kids do not speak English. The class is for that. And these are new arrival students. And it's at the beginning of the school year and it's specifically for students who have missed education. So imagine there's not much comprehension across the board. So I went up there and I wrote, I don't know on the board. And you see kids, they're looking at it quizzically. So I think, "I'm going to explain this like I always do, but I'll just use gestures."

So for whatever reason, I pointed to my eye in my face. Ha! I'm going to try not to laugh because it was so ridiculous. So I pointed to my eye, but then immediately I was like, no, not that kind of eye .. I. And I pointed to my chest and I saw a kid mouth "me" as soon as I pointed to my chest. He mouthed me and I was like, yes, like me... I. And another student pointed at me, like at the teacher, and said, I? No, no, no... now my mind is racing. I'm thinking, God! Because you know what? I did this for a living, for years. But every time I go in front of a class, I get slapped back into reality of how hard it really is. It is not easy to teach, period. But you forget how intentional you need to be to teach newcomers effectively. But I need this vulnerability. I need to be up there so that I can help. I don't have to have a magic wand and do anything perfectly. Or say "just do this!" I was up there so we can figure out things together. And I know there's a way to do this with newcomers. I'm just thinking, "Why didn't I think about this before I walked up here??"

I was like, no, I (pointing at my chest). Of course some kids got it. "I" is a very common high-frequency word. I like, I am here. Okay, let me just go on to "Don't"... the word "Don't." So I pointed to the word don't, and I said, Say "don't", and everybody repeated it.

I wagged my finger like, no... like you're shaming somebody.

Don't... don't... Don't

And one of them said, "no." And I said, yeah like "no." But he was saying, "I no?"

No. So when I was shaking my finger back and forth, they were getting "no" like yes or no. So I was like yeah, it's no...but it's don't. And I'm trying to think, how do you say don't? How do you convey don't without saying no? Because the next word is know!

I don't know.

So then I was like, okay, don't. Just say don't, and then no. And then point into my temple....know.

I know they're thinking, "I no no? And that no is with a K??"

Okay, right there. Let's just stop. This all happened in just a few seconds, right? To me, it is so funny.

Making Things Harder Than They Need to Be

It is so funny because I'm just making it so much harder than it needs to be. As always. As always, I'm making it way harder than it needs to be. Let's back up. I could have said it in Spanish because one kid finally did say "No Se?" That's beautiful. Yes! Throughout the school year, if they say it in Spanish, I'm going to say, yeah, exactly. Or if they get it, yeah. I don't care if they translate to each other all year long. I just don't want that to be their go-to either. But anyway, as soon as he said , I wrote And they're like, yeah, okay. But there were still kids in the class that don't speak Spanish. But I did see that they can help each other understand this. I saw a kid turn to another kid and make the gesture like shoulders up, palms up. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Yes. That kids should be teaching. LOL!

That kid should be teaching. Because here's how I'm going to always do it from this point forward. They all got it when I made this noise, when I shrugged my shoulders, when I put my palms up, and when I made the "I Don't Know" sound... it isn't even a word. It is a sound. So that gesture with your shoulders up and your palms up, that resulted in 100% of them getting it. And they started laughing, and they're like, okay, we get it.

I can also invite our kids who do have literacy in Arabic or something else to come and write that over here on this anchor chart. There's nothing wrong with the native language. In fact, it's powerful. But I want the English words big as that is our target language in this class.

So they understand this is what we're talking about. But they needed to understand, just like any class, what does it look like in a class? So let me circle back that little moment that I had in front of that class. That little fail, I call it, was such a fantastic learning opportunity for me and for the teacher. At least I know it was for me and I hope for him because we debriefed afterward that we're just making it harder than it needs to be.

Collaborate with Like Minded Educators

This is the kind of thing I get better at because I reflect on it. I am reflecting on it right now in this podcast. But I want to talk with or communicate with other educators to remind me of the basic things that are most powerful. And things like 'When is native language okay?' Again, A keyword or phrase is always okay for the teacher. I mean, when is native language okay for the students in an ESL classroom?

Always, always allow and honor their native language.

Students can use your entire language repertoire in this class because I have a language target. I have a language objective today. Our language objective is "We will use language such as "May I ask a friend for help?" and "Would you please repeat the question?"

That's our language target today. And we all repeated it at the beginning of class in unison because that is low-stress. I'm not forcing anybody, but if we say it all together, you know, and we used it several times in the class, and I'm constantly bringing them back into English. The ones who can speak English, the ones who are able to repeat, the ones who are we're constantly coaching for that through the entire 39 minutes. But you have to use your native language.

It's a source of comfort. Your funds of knowledge live there... everything that you're able to express.

I have a kid who speaks Spanish and a kid who speaks Arabic sitting together. And they do great, but they do use some of their native language. Their common language is English, but they can communicate with each other using everything they have.

We want to create a culture of conversation. And that conversation, we cannot force it all to be in English. But there's more and more English as we are going through the year. I promise this is the answer. Low-stress environments, low-stress opportunities for output.

Opportunities for output. No forced output. And tons of comprehensible input. Tons of messages that you start to understand, what does that person mean? What are they trying to get across to me in this language?

Comprehensible input would be in the target language of English in that classroom. But comprehensible. So me making that gesture really exaggerated...it's comprehensible. It was more comprehensible than anything else I was doing up there. So we just played around with it. We're just playing around with it.

Partner with Students. Be Transparent

And you know, what is great about what happened is the kids don't forget it. The kids won't forget it if it's a fail like that. I'm just transparent with them. I was always telling my students that I'm learning how to be a better teacher every day. That's what other people say, too.

I have heard Instructional Coaches say they don't model because they don't want to take the power away from the teacher. NO. You won't take the power away from that teacher. I don't believe that for a minute. Let's hold students to a higher regard. Partner with the students. I'm trying to get better about that. Right when I walk in, if they let me introduce myself, I want to say "Hi, I'm Dr. Salva. Your teacher and I are both learning. We're always learning. I hope for you that your whole life you will be learning. So today we're going to try some things together because I want to learn, and he wants to learn. And we're always working together to get better at things, to get better at teaching you. And so what I learned from you, too. And you guys learn from us. So we're going to try some things in here and see how they go."

I mean, that's just transparent because we're all still just on this journey, all of us, me, the teacher, the principal, the kids, all of us. Hold them in high regard. We are all learning together, okay?

So Instead of, 'I Don't Know.'

Here are some things for my journey of learning lately on supporting teachers:

It's not a poster. The strategy is not a poster because a poster is just decoration. If the kids aren't using it, if we haven't implemented it. And so if you look around your room and it is a small thing where kids can't access it, or if we only talked about it one time, that's where we learned, okay? We haven't emphasized it enough.

We haven't made it a norm. We haven't made it our default. We haven't spent time making sure our highest kid in the class uses it, because we ask them questions that they would need to use it like, "Can you tell me more about that?" Or "Can you say it another way?" Or "Why? Why do you think that?"

Are we using this to help with rigor? Those kinds of higher-order questions would have your highest kids going, hhhmmmmmmm.... So you can offer them, "Okay, do you want a moment? Do you want to use something from the poster?" We want all the kids to see that it's for all the kids. So your highest kids have to buy into it. And if we want our students to buy into this technique, we need to give them the relevancy. We need to explain all of this and make sure they all understand why it's important.

Motivation - Helping Them Find It

We had kids speaking in their native language to each other and coming up with ideas of why it's important because that was the thing. We need buy in from students. We need them to buy into this.

Larry Ferlazzo has written a lot on how to help kids be intrinsically motivated. I'll link to one of his articles. Here are the four things.

I say them all the time. (I'm a Larry Ferlazzo groupie.) The researchers agree. If you want kids to be motivated, if you want people to find their motivation, intrinsic motivation, put these four things in the environment.

Relevancy like I just said, why is it relevant? How is it relevant? Why is it relevant to you? Why should you care.

Relatedness that's relationships. Teachers have relationships with students, and students have relationships with each other, and we want to work on those because it really helps motivation. So relevancy, relatedness another one is:

Autonomy or choice. So I give them that anchor chart, and you can choose whatever one you want to say. But how much choice you have in anything helps you be more motivated about doing it. And then the fourth thing that Larry writes about is:

Competence. A sense of competence. That doesn't mean I've mastered it. It means I feel myself getting better at it. I've had a little win.

So that whole technique instead of I don't know, it's not a poster, it's a skill. What do you do when you don't know what to say? What can you say? So that's what I was saying.

Recap on Some Things That Can Go Wrong

What can go wrong is that we can have it to where it's just a poster. It may even be a poster that they can't read. So to offset that, to mitigate those challenges, we would use it more often. Explain it. Explain the relevancy.

Have kids talking to each other, your relationship with them, hold them in high regard that you want their opinion about why it's important and even using it, explain to them, we're doing it in here, not because I'm the teacher and I want you to answer it's because your voice is important. Your voice is important. And you may just need a moment. You may just need your friend to remind you of something. You may not know the answer, but that's okay. You know a lot of other things, and together we know a lot.

Don't Force Output but Expect Them to Use These Phrases?

So it may sound counterintuitive. Like what I'm saying is make sure they know what to say, but don't force output. Okay...I don't care if they say it in Spanish. I don't care. I mean, once they're comfortable. If I get a brand new student that come this week, I'm going back to relatedness. I'm going to have a conversation with them one on one, and I'm going to use Google Translate to make sure they know that they are in a safe place. That I'm not going to randomly call on them. They're new. I'm going to respect their need for support, but I'm going to have a lot of conversations with them. They're going to be pretty comfortable sooner versus later. They will be ready because they're in a classroom where we do these things and they're going to see this is how we roll in here. This is a very safe place. So when I do finally call on them, it's okay for them to answer in whatever language. It's okay for them to use their entire language repertoire to answer.

Or they can even give me a signal.! They can even point to it in the book when they are new or nervous. And I'll say, "Yeah, right! The answer landforms. You see this? Landforms. What he's saying is 'This week we are studying landforms'. That is the right answer! Let's all say that..."

If I'm trying to get complete sentences out of everyone's mouth, we can do them in unison. And I can honor this child, whatever their language.

So think about your language learners. If you're teaching language learners, they have different proficiency levels, and so a brand new student is not the time to force output, but they can be included. Inclusion! They can understand way more than they can say usually. So let's make them comfortable. They can attend, they can repeat, and in low-stress environments it all works better. Remember, low stress opportunities for output.

Low-stress output could be one-to-one. That would be a whisper read to my teacher. That would be with the students getting comfortable talking to the person next to them one-to-one.

A Culture of Conversation

And I can walk around and listen. I can get a formative assessment. That's better than me calling on one student that doesn't know the answer or only calling on the professional answer. Always, if I call on somebody and they don't know the answer, they can ask me something from the poster, or they can even point to the one on the poster and I can say "Yeah, this one says, May I ask a friend? Let's all say that. May I ask a friend? Yes. Okay... everybody. Ask your friend what do they think? And we'll come right back to this person."

But again, I'm going to make sure they have a WIN. See, with QSSSA, and Teaching kids what to say instead of IDK, you're well on your way to a very language rich, interactive classroom. I'm just asking you to respect the need for support of a brand new student, but in a way that allows them to acquire the language as quickly as possible.

I'm going to wrap up the show now and thank you for helping me reflect that's, what I just did. This is my journey of learning. And thank you to everybody that's allowing me to work with them and support them in their classrooms, in their districts, with training, with modeling, with coaching. Reach out. If you have any questions about that, you can find me on Twitter. I'm @DrCarolSalva or Come over to Facebook with us. I'm also on Instagram but I don't check that regularly. Sorry.

Last Thought

One more thing on "Instead of I don't know." Think about the cumulative effect of that over a person's life. Think about a student, what effect you're having if you help someone build that skill right now over the course of their lives. A person who doesn't just go, "I don't know," especially in this age of technology. What does that do for them in their working groups, in their lives, as they walk through their day, as they get their first job, as they get their next job? Look at the long game, always. Let's look at the long game and realize the effect. That's what I'm asking you to do is realize YOUR effect. Little things add up and they have major effects over a person's life. So that relatedness that relationship you're building with that student, it makes a difference. Hold them in high regard. Hold every one of them in high esteem. Their voice is important, and you want them to have that skill so that as they go through life, they can show what they know and they can get the answers they don't know, and they can add to their knowledge because the sky's the limit.

Please stop and reflect on the huge impact you're having on students. Thank you for everything you're doing.

Bye.

PS: Check Out Upcoming Events! We have a lot of places we can meet IRL!!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I'm working in districts where we have been in school for 5-8 weeks. This show is in response to some challenges and reflections on what I want to emphasize more. You can listen to this show right here or on your favorite podcast app. Listen to "BAP111 Instead of IDK for SLIFE and Newcomers" on Spreaker.

# data[].attributes.headline
Dr. Andrea Honigsfeld (author, coach, speaker)

# data[].attributes.subject
Dr. Andrea Honigsfeld (author, coach, speaker)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Andrea Honigsfeld - Educator, Author and Consultant

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
ELL Coordinator and SIOP Trainer, Erica Hilliker has complied a wealth of teacher resources to assist with the instruction of ELL students in the classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Blueprint for English Language Learner and Multilingual Learner Success
Blueprint for English Language Learner/ Multilingual Learner Success in PDF
The mission of the New York State Education Department's (NYSED) Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages (OBEWL) is to ensure that all New York State (NYS) students, including English Language Learners (ELLs) and Multilingual Learners (MLs), attain the highest level of academic success and language proficiency. We strive to ensure that all students' individual educational paths and socio-emotional needs are met in multiple languages leading them to college and career readiness. NYSED believes that all teachers are teachers of ELLs and MLs.

In response to the changing global economy, NYSED has adopted the Next Generation Learning Standards to provide students, educators, and parents with a set of clear expectations leading to college and career readiness. Over the last decade, there has been an increase in the number of ELLs and MLs enrolled in NYS public schools, resulting in a current population of 261,848 students who speak over 200 languages. In order for these students to succeed, NYSED needs to provide schools with the appropriate scaffolds, home language assessments, and materials so that teachers can provide instruction that will enable students to meet rigorous standards. Under the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Part 154, OBEWL affirms that it is not permissible to assume that unsupported immersion of ELLs and MLs into an English speaking environment will enable them to succeed academically.

The Next Generation Learning Standards require that every teacher be prepared to teach academic language and challenging content to all students, including ELLs and MLs. All teachers must be skilled in how to support ELLs and MLs as they acquire content knowledge while also progressing towards English language proficiency. It is imperative that all educators work across the content areas to ensure that all students meet the high demands of the Next Generation Learning Standards.

The principles that guide the Blueprint for English Language Learner/ Multilingual Learner Success were carefully developed as a statewide framework aimed to clarify expectations for administrators, policymakers, and practitioners to prepare ELLs and MLs for success, beginning in Prekindergarten, to lay the foundation for college and career readiness. These principles are intended to provide guidance, resources, and support to districts, schools, and teachers, as well as to promote a better understanding and appreciation of Bilingual Education, English as a New Language (ENL), and World Language Studies.

Best Practices
Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for ELLs in Elementary Grades ELA for ELLs: A Six Part Video Series (Developed in partnership with Stanford University's Understanding Language institute) Helping English Language Learners Rise to the Challenge of Complex Texts Student Learning Objective Road Map for ENL and Bilingual Teachers Understanding Language: Language, Literacy, and Learning in the Content Areas (Stanford) USDE Office of English Language Acquisition Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL)
NYS Next Generation Learning Standards
Bilingual Common Core Progressions New York State Bilingual Common Core Initiative Stanford Online: Constructive Classroom Conversations: Mastering Language for the Common Core State Standards
Co-Teaching
Co-teaching for ELLs--A list of resources posted by the Language RBERN at NYU Honigsfield & Dove: Seven Co-teaching Models
General Resources
Classroom Resources List (published by Long Island Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network) Colorin Colorado National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition NYU Language RBERN links

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ELL and ML Educator Tools & Best Practices

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Blueprint for English Language Learner/ Multilingual Learner Success in PDF The mission of the New York State Education Department's (NYSED) Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages (OBEWL) is to ensure that all New York State (NYS) students, including English Language Learners (ELLs) and Multilingual Learners (MLs), attain the highest level of academic success and language proficiency.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Introduction

Chapter 1 - Who Are Newcomers?

Chapter 2 - Welcoming Newcomers to a Safe, Inclusive and Thriving School Environment

Chapter 3 - Supporting Newcomers' Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Needs

Chapter 4 - Providing High-Quality Instruction for Newcomers

Chapter 5 - Establishing Partnerships with Families

To request the toolkit in an alternate format as a reasonable accommodation, i.e. large print, CD Rom or audio, please contact Melissa Escalante by phone, 202-987-1745 or email at: Melissa.Escalante@ed.gov.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To request the toolkit in an alternate format as a reasonable accommodation, i.e. large print, CD Rom or audio, please contact Melissa Escalante by phone, 202-987-1745 or email at: Melissa.Escalante@ed.gov.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Vision | What's New | Terminology | Multilingual Education | English Learner Students | Research and Guidance | Technical Assistance | Special Populations of Multilingual Learners | Social Media and Communication

California's Vision and Mission of Success for Multilingual Learners

California provides a world-class education that closes the achievement and opportunity gaps for all migrant, immigrant, and multilingual students, including English learner (EL) students and dual language learners (DLLs), preparing them to live, work and thrive in a multicultural world.

What's New

The resources below change regularly to reflect the newest and most salient topics related to multilingual learners.

Terminology

Multilingual Education

The resources below provide information and guidance on multilingual education, including multilingual programs and recognitions.

Multilingual Education (For Families, Teachers, and Administrators)
This page offers information on the benefits of multilingualism as well as the types of multilingual programs, implementation resources, frequently asked questions (FAQs), parent resources, and a multilingual program directory. This web page includes resources and information for both families and LEAs and is available in English or Spanish.

Parent Toolkit for Multilingual Education (For Families)
The Parent Toolkit includes PowerPoint presentations and printable parent guides (available in 11 languages) about the benefits of multilingual education, multilingual programs, and how to become involved in their children's education.

State Seal of Biliteracy (For Families, Teachers, and Administrators)
The State Seal of Biliteracy program recognizes high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing one or more languages in addition to English.

Biliteracy Pathway Recognitions (For Families, Teachers, Administrators)
The Biliteracy Pathway Recognition program recognizes preschool through grade eight students who are on the path to developing biliteracy.

Global California 2030(PDF) (For Families, Teachers, and Administrators)
Global California 2030 in Spanish (PDF) (For Families, Teachers, Administrators)
The mission of Global California 2030 is to equip our students with the world language skills to succeed in the global economy and to fully engage with the diverse mixture of cultures and languages found in California and throughout the world.

The CA Education for a Global Economy (CA Ed.G.E.) Initiative (For Families, Teachers, and Administrators)
This page includes information regarding the CA Ed.G.E. Initiative which authorizes school districts and county offices of education to establish language acquisition programs for both native and non-native English speakers and requires school districts and county offices of education to solicit parent and community input in developing language acquisition programs.

World Language Reading Challenge (For Families, Teachers, and Administrators)
The World Language Reading Challenge is an annual event taking place during National World Language Week in March. The World Language Reading Challenge was developed in partnership with the California Language Teachers' Association Underrepresented Languages Special Interest Group.

English Learner Students

EL Roadmap (For Families, Teachers, and Administrators)
The California State Board of Education-approved EL Roadmap Policy provides guidance to LEAs on welcoming, understanding, and educating the diverse population of students who are English learners attending California public schools.

Resources for Parents (For Families)
This page includes information and resources for parents about establishing language proficiency in English, types of programs, and many other resources.

Title III Programs and Funding (For Administrators)
This page contains information regarding Title III including parent notification, authorized costs, FAQs, the Federal Addendum, the EL Program and Immigrant Student Program Requests for Applications, and more.

Reclassification (For Teachers and Administrators)
This page includes information on how an LEA determines whether an EL student has sufficient English proficiency to be reclassified as a fluent English speaker.

English Language Development (ELD) Standards (For Teachers and Administrators)
This page includes the ELD standards, ELD video series, information, and resources to assist LEAs design, implement, and enhance integrated and designated ELD instruction for EL students.

English Language Arts (ELA)/ELD Framework (For Teachers and Administrators)
The ELA/ELD Framework is the blueprint for the implementation of the California State Standards for ELA and Literacy and the California ELD Standards.

English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) (For Teachers and Administrators)
This page includes information and resources regarding California's statewide test for English language proficiency, the ELPAC.

Parent Guides to Understanding (For Families)
The Parent Guides to Understanding are two-page flyers written in easy-to-understand language that answer key questions (what, why, who, how, and when) about California's assessment programs, including the ELPAC. Information is also included about how parents can support their student's success.

More Resources and Programs

Research and Guidance

Technical Assistance

Technical Assistance and Monitoring (For Administrators)
This page provides Federal Program Monitoring and technical assistance regarding services to EL students. The resources on this page are for LEAs and include links to the EL Program Instrument.

Bilingual Coordinators Network
Information regarding the Bilingual Coordinators Network (BCN), including meeting calendar.

Regional EL Specialists (For Administrators)
The Regional EL Specialists (formerly known as Title III Regional County Office of Education Leads) provide guidance and support to LEAs within each of the 11 County Superintendent regions focused on the implementation and continuous improvement of Title III programs.

Special Populations of Multilingual Learners

Dual Language Learner Support (For Early Childhood Educators and Administrators)
This page includes technical support, guidance, FAQs, and resources for the identification, reporting, and support of dual language learners (DLLs) in the California State Preschool Program.

California's Best Practices for Young DLLs (PDF) (For Early Childhood Educators and Administrators)
This publication provides early childhood educators with valuable information on the most current research on the development of young DLLs.

Newcomer Students (For Teachers and Administrators)
The page includes information and resources to support LEAs serving newcomer students and their families.

EL Students with Disabilities (For Teachers and Administrators)
This page includes information regarding support for educators' identification, assessment, differentiation of instruction, and reclassification of EL students with disabilities (Assembly Bill 2785).

Long-Term English Learner Community of Practice (For Administrators)
This page includes information about the Long-Term English Learner (LTEL) Community of Practice and resources and information regarding students identified as LTELs.

Migrant Education (For Teachers and Administrators)
This page provides information, background, and resources on the Migrant Education Program in California.

Social Media and Communication

Multilingual Updates Newsletters (For Administrators)
The Multilingual Updates Newsletter contains the latest information and resources regarding EL and multilingual education. The archives of past issues are available here.

Join the Multilingual Updates Listserv (For Administrators)To subscribe to the Multilingual Updates Listserv and receive the Multilingual Updates Newsletter along with other updates, send a blank email to join-multilingual-support-division-updates@mlist.cde.ca.gov.

Questions: Multilingual Support Division | MSD@cde.ca.gov | 916-319-0938

Last Reviewed: Tuesday, June 18, 2024

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Information and resources to ensure all students who bring the asset of a home language other than English to California schools receive equitable access to a meaningful education and that all California students are afforded opportunities to develop biliteracy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Multilingual learners are the fastest-growing demographic in K-12 classrooms (Language Magazine, 2018). Currently they make up 10.3% of the national student body (NCES, 2020) and are predicted to account for 25% of public school students in the United States by the year 2025 (Language Magazine, 2018). This trend doesn't just apply to urban schools, since the number of multilingual learners is also increasing quickly in suburban and rural settings, where the percentage of enrolled multilingual learners has risen at faster rates in these classrooms than in city schools (NCES, 2020; NCES, 2023). Among them is a group of multilingual learners known as newcomers; a term coined for students that recently arrived in the United States. These students come to the classroom with rich and unique experiences, but also with new and varied linguistic, academic and social-emotional needs.

Read on to learn the five ways you can help in welcoming newcomers into your classrooms with links to helpful resources after each strategy and how you can dive deeper with WIDA's virtual, self-paced offering - Newcomers: Promoting Success through Strengthening Practice. This workshop offers opportunities to reflect on learning practices in your individual teaching and learning context, create an atmosphere and system of shared responsibility and incorporate and build on the rich resources that multilingual newcomers bring.

When your multilingual newcomers and their families join your school community, get to know them, as well as their abilities and strengths and consider what assets they are bringing to your teaching and learning setting. Family and student questionnaires, delivered in an accessible language and format, are great ways to gather this information! They can capture insights on unique experiences, personal interests, hobbies and skills, language, schooling backgrounds and potential resource-based needs.

Once the academic and linguistic screening is complete, adopt an asset-based, can do approach to identify areas in which your multilingual newcomer demonstrates abilities that can be capitalized on for language and content learning. Use student portfolios to highlight academic, linguistic, cultural and experiential assets that can be shared with fellow educators who will also be working with these students.

We know that language and content are not learned in isolation, yet the meaningful integration of language and content is not automatic. How do we draw on students' unique strengths and experiences to bring them into the content of our classroom and ensure accessibility to language and grade-level academic learning? There are several research-based instructional practices that have been found to encourage more equitable engagement and participation of newcomers in the classroom.

Here is a short list of some of these methods:

Culturally Responsive Teaching is important for newcomers as it encourages educators to focus on their students' wealth of assets, languages they speak and heterogenous perspectives they bring to classroom communities.

What is Culturally Responsive Teaching? Education Week Article

Thematic instruction connects all curricula to a chosen theme, allowing students to see the "big picture" and patterns across academic disciplines. For newcomers, research suggests that the more students participate in diverse engagements around a unified theme, the clearer their understanding of ideas and relationships will become.

How do I implement thematic instruction? Colorín Colorado

Structured teaching protocols, including highly structured environments, high-impact teaching and highly structured activities encourage educators to be intentional about learning environments, activities and multimodal supports for communication.
Highly Structured Approach - Open Library Ed Guide
Translanguaging is a nuanced, multilingual practice. Through translanguaging, students make use of their full linguistic skillset creating connections between languages and extending repertoires.

Be multimodal! "In addition to the use of spoken and written language, students also communicate through gestures, facial expressions, images, equations, maps, symbols, diagrams, charts, videos, graphs, computer-mediated content and other means." (p. 19, WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework, 2020 Edition)
WIDA ELD Standards Framework, 2020 Edition
ELD Standard 1, Language for Social and Instructional Purposes, extends beyond the other ELD Standards Statements, applying universally across educational settings. It addresses multilingual learners' diverse backgrounds, identities and their significance in content comprehension. A crucial aspect of ELD Standard 1 is that it emphasizes the language skills essential for both social interaction and academic engagement within classroom communities. For that reason, educators must consistently ensure that students possess the linguistic tools required to fully participate in classroom activities and learning.

With that in mind, we should always ask ourselves, "Did I equip my students with the tools to be successful in understanding and using language necessary to access, participate and equitably engage in the activities and content learning taking place in the classroom?"

To explore how considerations for ELD Standard 1 informs our work with multilingual learners in classrooms across the K-12 sphere, check out the grade-level cluster-specific versions of the 2020 Edition below.

Creating a welcoming and secure environment for newcomers and their families starts from the moment they arrive at the school. Tailoring enrollment systems, policies and practices to multilingual newcomers ensures clarity and equity in navigating school procedures. Familiarizing them with these processes enhances their comfort, equips them for social and academic success and promotes equitable access to school resources.

Additionally, fostering a sense of the classroom as a safe space is crucial. Multilingual newcomers must feel valued and supported within their classroom community before fully engaging in language and content learning. Despite the necessity of high grade-level expectations and authentic participation for equitable academic outcomes, achieving these goals can be challenging for newcomers requiring intentional support and understanding.

Actionable ways to encourage safe spaces at the classroom level include the following:

Acknowledge individual identities and strengths in classroom materials and décor.

Encourage translanguaging to deepen understanding of new content.

Structure group work to promote collaboration among diverse students.

Empower students with choices in their learning process.

Implement regular social-emotional check-ins and restorative conversations.

To foster inclusivity within our school community, consider

Gathering background information to inform decision-making

Providing professional development for staff

Ensuring accessibility to communication platforms and services

Offering supportive resources and clear signage in school buildings

U.S. Department of Education's Office Of English Language Acquisition's Newcomer Toolkit
Family Engagement page
Greater integration and collaboration challenges teachers to make meaning with multilingual learners as they expand their linguistic repertoire while learning rigorous, grade-level academic content. In today's educational landscape, everyone within the school community bears responsibility for the success of all students, valuing their diverse experiences and assets. When we come together - sharing our deep knowledge of students and content through our unique lenses - we build capacity to facilitate greater depth to content learning and greater breadth to language instruction. Fostering purposeful collaboration among stakeholders is a shared responsibility that supports our learners and is particularly essential for our multilingual newcomers to succeed across our nation's K-12 classrooms.

In the fully virtual, self-paced workshop, Newcomers: Promoting Success through Strengthening Practice, participants begin with an introductory opening module then choose their own adventure to continue down a pathway most relevant to their teaching and learning context. These strands include learning and thinking critically about newcomers through three different perspectives: collaborative school systems, school community considerations and administrators as change-makers.

The workshop includes insight from teachers, families and newcomer students themselves. It offers space and place for self-reflection, goal setting and check-ins for understanding of new learning, along with turnkey handouts and templates to integrate considerations for newcomers into school practices.
*Note: Workshops available in the Secure Portal may vary by state.
Ready to dive into a fully self-paced workshop? Follow the steps below.

1. Log in to your WIDA Secure Portal (Valid login required. Don't have an account yet? Visit your member/state page to learn how).

2. Go to "Professional Learning" in the Portal's main menu to view available virtual workshops.

3. Complete a self-paced workshop and print your certificate.

Questions? Contact the WIDA Client Services Center at (866) 276-7735 or help@wida.us.

Hussar, B., Zhang, J., Hein, S., Wang, K., Roberts, A., Cui, J., Smith, M., Bullock Mann, F., Barmer, A., and Dilig, R. (2020). The condition of education 2020 (NCES 2020-144). U.S. Department of Education. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2020/2020144.pdf

Language Magazine. (2018, October 22). 1 in 4 students is an English language learner: Are we leaving them behind?. https://www.languagemagazine.com/2018/10/22/1-in-4-students-is-an-english-language-learner-are-we-leaving-them-behind/

National Center for Education Statistics. (2023). English learners in public schools. The Condition of Education 2023. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cgf

Lauren Bartholomae is a professional learning specialist on WIDA's Educator Learning, Research and Practice team. In this role, she engages in the development and facilitation of WIDA's professional learning with educators of multilingual learners across the consortium. Her research and work interests focus on special populations of multilingual newcomers and students identified as students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE), as well as utilizing STEM initiatives and project-based learning to bridge content and language learning in the K-12 classroom.

Elise Sheikh is a marketing specialist on WIDA's Communications and Marketing team. She collaborates with teams across the organization in the development and execution of communications for WIDA projects, products and services.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Five strategies to welcome newcomers into your classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Multilingual learners are the fastest-growing demographic in K-12 classrooms (Language Magazine, 2018). Currently they make up 10.3% of the national student body (NCES, 2020) and are predicted to account for 25% of public school students in the United States by the year 2025 (Language Magazine, 2018).

# data[].attributes.headline
ELL/MA (Oakland Unified School District) comprehensive resource page

# data[].attributes.subject
ELL/MA (Oakland Unified School District) comprehensive resource page

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
ELLMA Central
ELLMA develops guidance, resources, and professional learning to ensure English Language Learners progress toward reclassification and ultimately, the Seal of Biliteracy upon graduation. Together, we prepare OUSD students to thrive in a multilingual world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Social Studies Generation (SoGen) is comprised of three six-week sequences around topics commonly included in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade social studies content standards. These curricular materials can be used in place of the standard curriculum materials, or as a supplement. They provide opportunities to read, write, discuss, and build arguments about central concepts in social studies.

Each week-long unit is comprised of 40-50 minute social studies lessons each day and highlights 5-10 academic words. There are also supplementary activities for other content areas to continue the cross-disciplinary benefits of Word Generation. Students integrate information from multiple texts, often from differing perspectives. All activities relate to the central question or topic of the week, build relevant knowledge, and provide opportunities to encounter the new academic vocabulary in multiple semantic contexts. By bringing the conflict closer to students' lives, and providing them with tools to identify the claims, reasons, and evidence associated with the perspective, students are equipped with both the background and the tools to engage in argumentation.

Download Free SoGen Materials

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Social Studies Generation | SERP Institute

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Social Studies Generation (SoGen) is comprised of three six-week sequences around topics commonly included in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade social studies content standards. These curricular materials can be used in place of the standard curriculum materials, or as a supplement. They provide opportunities to read, write, discuss, and build arguments about central concepts in social studies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Science Generation (SciGen) addresses science topics commonly taught to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. These curricular materials can be used in place of the standard curriculum materials, or as a supplement. They provide opportunities to read, write, discuss, and build arguments about basic questions in science.

Each week-long unit is comprised of 40-50 minute science lessons each day and highlights 5-10 academic words. There are also supplementary activities for other content areas to continue the cross-disciplinary benefits of Word Generation. All activities relate to the central question or topic of the week, build relevant knowledge, and provide opportunities to encounter the new academic vocabulary in multiple semantic contexts. By bringing the scientific knowledge closer to students' lives, they are equipped with both the background knowledge and the tools to engage in scientific argumentation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Science Curriculum with Disciplinary Literacy Strategies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Provide opportunities to read, write, and build arguments about questions in science with Science Generation, our disciplinary literacy science program.

# data[].attributes.body
practice modeling, analyzing, critiquing, and articulating mathematical arguments

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Development of MathByExample was led by Julie Booth (Temple University) through a SERP collaboration with several school districts. Major contributors to program development include: Kelly McGinn and Laura Young (Temple University), Allie Huyghe, Matthew Ellinger, Emily Schwartz, Avery Jones, and David Dudley (SERP). Special thanks! to the teachers, administrators, and students in our partner districts-Baltimore City Schools, Public Schools of Beloit, Public Schools of Brookline, Fort Madison Community School District, Oak Park Elementary District 97, and Penns Valley Area School District-who were essential to the project's success, providing feedback at critical points and inviting us into their classrooms along the way!

The collaboration has been supported to conduct this work by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305A150456 to Strategic Education Research Partnership Institute. The information provided does not represent views of the funders.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
MathByExample assignments give students practice solving problems, as well as practice modeling, analyzing, critiquing, and articulating mathematical arguments.

# data[].attributes.headline
Science Journal for Kids - Research articles at reduced reading level

# data[].attributes.subject
Science Journal for Kids - Research articles at reduced reading level

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hundreds of scientific articles. Written for kids. Approved by scientists.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Principles for the Design of Mathematics Curricula and MLRs | Understanding Language

# data[].attributes.body
Concrete examples of materials with annotations

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The goal of these materials is to illustrate how Common Core aligned math tasks can be used to support math instruction and language development for ELLs at three grade spans (elementary, middle, and high school). We used or adapted tasks from two publicly accessible curriculum projects, Inside Mathematics and Mathematics Assessment Project.

To learn more, see the annotated lessons below and read our Guidelines for Math Instructional Materials Development.

1. Introduction to the Materials describes how the materials were developed, and the types of materials and resources provided.

2. Principles for Math Instruction provide the over-arching principles for teaching mathematics to ELLs.

3. Guidelines for Math Instructional Materials Development can be used to develop new materials or to review already developed materials.

4. "Language of Math" Task Templates are language-focused activities that can be used by teachers to design and write their own language-focused activities. These "Language of Math" tasks were designed to support students in learning to read and understand word problems, communicate about mathematics, and build disciplinary and academic vocabulary, and develop practices in mathematics.

5. Writers, Reviewers, and Contributors handout details the team who led and contributed to the development of these resources.

Additional resources can be found here.
Download all annotated math tasks Download supplementary files A.Pointers to PD Materials 7-2-13.pdf B.Talk Moves 7-2-13.pdf

This fourth grade (elementary school) task provides students opportunities to work with patterns and tables. Students identify whether finite sequences of numbers follow given rules and extend those sequences according to those rules. This task is annotated with suggestions for supporting ELLs, including Mathematically Speaking, a language-focused activity that asks students to solve a problem, explain their reasoning, and discuss how they arrived at their solution while using targeted vocabulary.

MIDDLE SCHOOL TASK-MAKING MATCHSTICKS

This eighth grade (middle school) task provides students opportunities to interpret a situation, represent the variables mathematically, select appropriate mathematical methods, interpret and evaluate the data generated, and communicate their reasoning. Students work with selected formulas to model a situation, interpret given data, make approximations, communicate their reasoning in verbal and written form, and critique solutions developed by others.

This task draws on understandings of rate and proportional reasoning (a CCSS focus of grades 6 and 7), geometric measurement and volume (which begins with right rectangular prisms in grade 5, and is extended in grades 6, 7, and 8), and builds toward the high school number and quantity standard of interpreting units consistently in formulas. Making Matchsticks is part of a Formative Assessment Lesson (FAL), which can be downloaded here: http://map.mathshell.org/materials/lessons.php?gradeid=23.

This task is annotated with suggestions for supporting ELLs, including Mathematically Speaking, a language focused activity that asks students to solve a problem, explain their reasoning, and discuss how they arrived at their solution while using targeted vocabulary.

HIGH SCHOOL TASK-CREATING EQUATIONS

This high school task provides students opportunities to use algebra in different ways: manipulating a given equation, writing equations to represent situations, solving equations, and interpreting solutions of equations in the situations represented.

This task is annotated with suggestions for supporting ELLs, including three language-focused activities: Jigsaw Reading, Reading and Understanding the Problem, and Mathematically Speaking. These activities were designed to support students in learning to read and understand word problems, talk about their reasoning, and discuss their solutions.

HIGH SCHOOL TASK-SIDEWALK PATTERNS

This high school task gives students an opportunity to work with expressions, equations, and functions. The task presents a sequence of three visual patterns created using white and gray blocks, and asks students to write one symbolic expression for the number of each type of blocks. Students build a function modeling a relationship between two quantities, interpret the structure of expressions, and write expressions in equivalent forms to solve problems.

This task is annotated with suggestions for supporting ELLs, including two language-focused activities: Reading and Understanding the Problem, and Mathematically Speaking. These activities were designed to support students in learning to read and understand word problems, talk about their reasoning, and discuss their solutions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Supporting ELLs in Mathematics | Understanding Language

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The goal of these materials is to illustrate how Common Core aligned math tasks can be used to support math instruction and language development for ELLs at three grade spans (elementary, middle, and high school). We used or adapted tasks from two publicly accessible curriculum projects, Inside Math…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
English Learners with Disabilities - Services & Resources (CA Dept of Education)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Information regarding support for educators’ identification, assessment, differentiation of instruction, and reclassification of English learners with disabilities (Assembly Bill 2785).