Excited to explore, but unsure where to begin?
This guide is designed to support teachers to find a helpful place to start using the Multilingual Learning Toolkit! As a first stop, visit and bookmark the Starter Guide. This thorough analysis and explanation of research and key foundational principles for Multilingual Learners (MLs) is an invaluable resource to strengthen both your knowledge and day-to-day teaching practice.
Use the Reflection Tool (English PDF or Spanish PDF) to identify priorities for your own practice as a teacher of MLs.
Step One: Self-Reflect
Review the numbered Instructional Topics in the blue rows of the tool. Use the prompt, “When it comes to teaching Multilingual Learners, I am confident about this topic/strategy…” to mark a check in the column that indicates how you feel about the Instructional Topics: (A) “not very,” (B) “somewhat,” or (C) “very.”
Step Two: Review!
Now, go back and look at the Instructional Topics you marked as (B) “somewhat.” (We suggest starting with these because you already have a foundation to build on!)
Pick one that seems particularly important for your context—think about the areas of your teaching that you want to strengthen. Consider your program model and the strengths and learning needs of the children and families with whom you work.
Step Three: Dig Deeper into Evidence-based Strategies
Now read through the white rows of lettered Evidence-based Strategies below the Instructional Topic that you have chosen. Again, use the prompt, “When it comes to teaching Multilingual Learners, I am confident about this topic/strategy…” to mark a check in the column that indicates how confident you feel about the Evidence-based Strategies: (A) “not very,” (B) “somewhat,” or (C) “very.”
Now pick one of the Evidence-based Strategies you marked as (B) “somewhat.” Choose one that you want to further integrate into your teaching practice. You are ready to explore resources that will help you learn and practice more!
Step Four: Explore the Multilingual Learning Toolkit!
Click on Strategies and Resources in the menu at the top of the website. Find the numbered tile with the Instructional Topic you identified. Now click again to find the lettered Evidence-based Strategies and resources. You can watch videos, read strategy overviews or a related article, and explore many other classroom materials.
You can also read through a “Strategy in Action” for each Instructional Topic. Click on the tile for your grade and read how one teacher implements strategies for MLs in their own practice. Consider the reflection questions at the end. As you explore the Evidence-based Strategies and resources in the Multilingual Learning Toolkit, ask yourself:
- What do I see that is already part of my teaching practice that I need to keep doing?
- What do I see that I might try to integrate into my teaching practice tomorrow? This week? This month?
- What do I see that I want to learn more about? What steps can I take? Who can I ask for support?
Step Five: Keep Going!
Go back to your Reflection Tool (English PDF or Spanish PDF). Choose a different Instructional Topic which you marked as (B) “somewhat,” and continue identifying and exploring Evidence-based Strategies and resources that support your practice. Be sure to then move onto Instructional Topics you marked as (A) “not very,” to keep up the learning process. New resources will continue to be added to the Multilingual Learning Toolkit in the future. You may also want to come back to review Evidence-based Strategies that you marked as (C) “very” to see how other researchers and teachers work to implement resources into practice with MLs.
You can search across all strategies by keyword on our Resource Search page. Give it a try!
