8B) Instructional tools
Use instructional tools (e.g., videos, graphic organizers) to develop language in context.
Video: Spacial Relations
This link includes a series of videos and activities designed to notice and discuss how one teacher introduces key concepts for students to engage with mathematical thinking around spacial relations in a read aloud. Key strategies for Multilingual learners are seen in the video, including the Describe, Draw, Describe strategy, gestures, inventional prompting, turn and talk and drawing to represent thinking.Read More
Podcast: High Quality Instructional Materials as Equity for English Learners
This podcast covers some of the systematic issues in schools that keep Multilingual learners from adequately progressing. The discussion then shifts to specific supports and considerations for curriculum design that make grade-level content accessible for all learners.Read More
Article: Caught in the Crosshairs: Emerging Bilinguals and the Reading Wars
This article raises questions about how to meet the needs of Multilingual Learners during reading instruction. For example how to ensure that phonics instruction focuses on word meaning as well as decoding.Read More
Video: Language Function Wall—1st Grade
This video shows a first grade class engaged in the creation of a "Language Function Wall." This strategy helps students develop powerful academic language over the course of a thematic unit.Read More
Resource Guide: A Deeper Look at Early Literacy
This interactive guide offers a comprehensive approach to literacy for Multilingual Learners. It is an overview of the language and literacy skills and instruction that children need at different stages of development. Common literacy terms are defined, instructional strategies are offered, and a picture of instruction, aligned across the grades is explained.Read More
Website Article: Selecting Texts for Strategy Teaching with English Language Learners in Mind
This article reviews multiple ways that teachers can think about text selection to provide additional supports for Multilingual Learners. Pairing texts by similar theme or text structure are two examples discussed in the article.Read More
Strategy Overview: Fractions, Factors, and Functions, Oh My! Are My ELs Attaching Meaning to Math Words?
This guide helps teachers plan meaningful activities to make math accessible, hands-on, build on students' prior knowledge, and be language-focused. In these resources, teachers can read about the dos and don'ts of math vocabulary instruction for Multilingual Learners.Read More
Strategy Overview: Anchor Charts for Synonyms – A Vocabulary Strategy
The use of anchor charts in the math classroom creates rich opportunities for teachers to collect, discuss, and practice vocabulary with Multilingual Learners.Read More
Strategy Overview: Narrative Input
After a shared reading of a text, students retell, act out, and/or capture key vocabulary and content information with a variety of experiences. This multi-day strategy builds on student's storytelling and oral language skills.Read More
Video: Model Curriculum for English Learners- How Do I Feel? (Kindergarten)
In this video, a designated teacher for Multilingual Learners talks through her objectives for a read-aloud lesson. She builds in practice opportunities for the students to use the language of feelings, the language of sequence, and specific use of pronouns. She also uses instructional tools like graphic organizers and an end-of-unit rubric to support student experiences in reading, writing, speaking, and listening in English. A link to the whole unit plan is available on the video's YouTube page.Read More
Video: Draw & Label Strategy- 3rd grade
In this demonstration of the "Draw & Label" strategy, the teacher teaches academic and content vocabulary while drawing and creating a language resource for the Multilingual Learners in the class. This resource helps them engage with and practice content area vocabulary and concepts in multiple modalities.Read More
Video: Draw & Label Strategy- Kindergarten
In this demonstration of the "Draw & Label" strategy, the teacher teaches academic and content vocabulary while drawing and creating a language resource for the Multilingual Learners in the class. This resource helps them engage with and practice content area vocabulary and concepts in multiple modalities.Read More
Video: Shared Research Project- 1st grade
In this video, the teacher provides guidance on how to conduct research projects with Multilingual Learners to investigate a topic in which children are interested. The shared research project provides a hands-on, inquiry-based experience to help give content meaning and develop academic language and literacy skills.Read More
Strategy Overview: Graphic Organizers
A graphic organizer is a visual map or diagram that displays relationships between facts, concepts, or ideas. For Multilingual Learners, this kind of visual display of information can lessen cognitive load and support transfer of knowledge across languages.Read More
Strategy Overview: Draw and Label
The teacher talks about a content concept while drawing and labeling an image with academic vocabulary. Through this strategy, the teacher uses oral and visual cues to help students develop and practice the language in context and learn key content.Read More
Video: Language Functions and Graphic Organizers
This video highlights the importance of using graphic organizers aligned to specific language functions, to help Multilingual Learners begin and develop writing. Graphic organizers can support children’s conceptual knowledge and several cognitive skills as they develop language in context.Read More
Video: Making Language Visible, Tangible, & Comprehensible
In this video, educators explain and demonstrate how to add meaning to words by making concepts more visible and tangible. For example, teachers can explicitly teach words through multiple modalities of writing, speaking, and listening, and use visual cues and gestures to accompany speech.Read More
