5-6 years

Separation of 2 languages of instruction

Focus on high cognitive demand in core academic curriculum

Collaborative learning!!

Teachers must be certified in Bilingual Education (in EC-6 or 4-8 generalist)

Teachers must also be fluent in primary language!!

Also known as early-exit or late-exit programs

In most cases, students are "mainstreamed" after 2 years

Instruction is presented to the students in their native language first

Entire class does a common activity.

Teacher leads students in process of writing about the activity.

The sentences that students write can then be shared to the class or used in follow up activities.

Understand that ELL's come with their own skills and assets already

Helps lower student's anxiety levels and increases participation

Can be used across any grade level, language level, and content area!

Provide a word bank, list of phrases, or pictures to assist students with writing one or several sentences in structuring paragraphs.

Helps students develop their writing and speaking skills

"Speaking in a way that students are able to understand what is being said even when they do not know or understand all of the words being stated" (Garcia, 2021)

Speak slowly and enunciate clearly

Avoid figurative language and idioms

Use gestures & total physical response

Promotes proficiency in oral expression and comprehension

Build relationships with your students' families by getting to know their language, culture, and interests. This helps tremendously in ensuring that you can create a classroom environment that feels inclusive and inviting to the student. It also ensures that families know their child is truly cared for and encourages parents to maintain a stronger engagement in their child's education.

This is a personal example that I have experienced in school. In 6th grade, we had a multicultural club at my school. We met every other Thursday, and it was an amazing experience. Essentially, we would have one student and their parent volunteer to teach the club about their heritage and culture. I remember we had families from Germany, Spain, Ireland, and more. It not only got the parents excited and involved, but the students also got to learn about and experience a brand new culture.

Make sure parents understand that it is so important to speak their native language at home with their children. It helps the student tremendously in maintaining their heritage and identity.

Families need to be informed when students are struggling. Ideally, you already have a good relationship with parents established. Information regarding a child should be given to the parents in their language that they comprehend best. It is so crucial to keep parents informed on their child's progress to keep them engaged in their child's education.