6) Bilingual classrooms
How can I support bilingualism in the context of a dual language or bilingual classroom?
Video: Jim Cummins on Language Teaching Methods and Translanguaging
In this short video, researcher Jim Cummins explains translanguaging and the recent shift to acknowledge all languages in the classroom.Read More
Video: Multilingualism and Translanguaging
This video provides an overview of the benefits of multilingualism and translanguaging in schooling, including how language abilities are interconnected, how these abilities are used in complex ways to create meaning, and how students are able to effectively communicate using all the linguistic resources available to them.Read More
Video: Home Language as Foundation for English-Language Development
This video promotes the importance of supporting the child's home language along with learning English. Both languages should receive supports through intentional instruction, specific language interactions, and a culturally sensitive engagement with children and their families.Read More
Video: Barrier Games
This video shows PreK students engaged in barrier games, a fun activity that builds speaking and listening skills.Read More
Booklist: libros en español—”espejos y ventanas”
For students to feel affirmed and visible at school, it is critical that their identities and experiences be reflected in the stories read in the classroom. This includes the language in which it is written. The books in this bibliography provide “mirrors” and “windows” into the myriad of identities for which we hold space. Through these books, listed in alphabetical order by title, students will have opportunities to see themselves and others and educators will have opportunities for rich discussion, follow-up lessons and exploration.Read More
Booklist: Spanish Literature for P1-3rd grade
This is a booklist of Spanish-language texts for 1-3rd grade.Read More
Booklist: Spanish Literature for PK-1st Grade
This is a booklist of Spanish-language texts for PK-1st grade.Read More
Strategy Overview: Haciendo conexciones lenguajes con nuestros niños
This guide (in Spanish) is designed to help families tap into the linguistic genius of their Multilingual children. It provides some common areas of transfer between Spanish and English and offers some suggestions for how to aid children in connecting their two languages at home.Read More
Strategy Overview: Making Cross-language Connections with our Children
This guide (in English) is designed to help families tap into the linguistic genius of their Multilingual children. It provides some common areas of transfer between Spanish and English and offers some suggestions for how to aid children in connecting their two languages at home.Read More
Strategy Overview: Así se dice
This strategy, designed by Literacy Squared, engages students in translation as a means of providing them with a deeper understanding of how ideas are conveyed across languages and cultures. It is designed to raise cross-language awareness.Read More
Strategy Overview: Metalinguistic Anchor Charts
This transfer strategy provides students with a clear visual method for looking at two languages side by side and comparing them. The strategy highlights the ways in which the languages work similarly and differently in order to strengthen students' mastery of both languages.Read More
Planning Guide: Teaching for Spanish-English Transfer
This K-6 Planning Guide aids teachers in preparing grade-level appropriate transfer lessons. It is organized using both the Common Core State Standards in Spanish and the ELA standards. Implications for transfer lessons are offered for each grade level.Read More
Strategy Overview: Transfer as a Means of Leveraging Linguistic Genius
This is an overview of the concept of transfer for teachers, and explains how bilingual brains make use of both languages. Three types of transfer are introduced and the idea of how to leverage transfer in the classroom is explained.Read More
Video: Bridging from Spanish to English—2nd Grade
This video shows a teacher helping her students transfer from one language to another through the use of cognates.Read More
Video: Cross Language Connections
This video shows a variety of language-transfer lessons to help Multilingual Learners develop meta-linguistic awareness and compare and contrast their two (or more) languages.Read More
Strategy Overview: Fostering Multilingual Pride
This strategy outlines ways teachers can foster multilingual pride with students.Read More
Planning Template: El Dictado
The Dictado is a routine in which the teacher dictates a series of phrases or sentences, and the teacher and students collaboratively correct them. The Dictado serves to teach and reinforce basic writing skills within each language, and to highlight cross-language transfer. This template helps teachers analyze their Dictados.Read More
Video: El Dictado
In this video, the teacher dictates a series of phrases or sentences, and the teacher and students collaboratively correct them. The Dictado serves to teach and reinforce basic writing skills within each language, and to highlight cross-language transfer and reinforce the teaching points presented over the three days of implementation.Read More
Template: Oral Language Analysis—K-3rd
A template designed to guide the analysis of student's oral language record to identify follow-up instruction they can provide during upcoming Designated ELD time.Read More
Video: Oral Language Analysis—K-3rd
In this video, the teacher gathers a small group of Multilingual Learners to engage in a brief discussion in response to structured prompts regarding an artifact from the class' ongoing content learning. The teacher records each child's oral responses, and then analyzes the record to identify follow-up instruction they can provide during upcoming Designated ELD time.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
Video: English, Spanish, and Chinese, too
This video is an example of an interaction between a teacher and a child that respects and promotes all types of language learning in the classroom. The teacher and child read together and build a conversation about speaking in English, Spanish, and Chinese.Read More
Video: Toy Animals
This video clip shows both English and Spanish-speaking teachers developing student content knowledge about animals through oral conversations. Students then paint animals using toys as examples and share knowledge about their paintings so teachers can write down what each child says.Read More
Video: Sharing at the Easel—Transference
This clip is an example of a teacher listening to a child narrate what she has drawn, and carefully labeling it with the child's exact words. The teacher acknowledges responses given in both English and Spanish.Read More
Video: My Pumpkin Story—Metalinguistic Awareness
A teacher works with Wendy to orally discuss and write a story about a recent pumpkin project. When the teacher asks Wendy to take her writing home, the interaction changes to Spanish so Wendy can talk to her Spanish-speaking mother about her project.Read More
Video: Dr. Linda Espinosa—A Commentary on Brand New Words
In this video, Dr. Linda Espinosa reminds teachers that when Multilingual Learners are acquiring new languages, they also must learn how to make new sounds. Video clips show a bilingual teacher working on this phonological awareness with children, and allowing them to share the expertise of their home language.Read More
Video: The Stages of Preschool Second Language Acquisition
In this video, the term the four stages of second language development for early education are described and then exemplified through teaching vignettes between one teacher and one Korean-speaking Multilingual Learner.Read More
Early Childhood Guidelines for Multilingual Learners
This document provides guidelines for what key critical design features instructional materials should have in order to be high quality for Multilingual Learners.Read More
Early Childhood Examples and Definitions for Multilingual Learners
This document illustrates how to integrate concrete representations, realia, and objects from home to support oral language and vocabulary.Read More
Blog Series: Beginning with Biliteracy-A Kindergarten Story
This series includes 10 blog posts that share information from a bilingual Kindergarten classroom perspective. Some posts are written in English and some in Spanish. They cover topics such as setting up a biliteracy classroom environment, making language connections and bridges for young learners, and instructional strategies for biliteracy.Read More
Article: The Bridge Between Languages
This article introduces the term "the bridge" as the purposeful work to connect, compare, contrast, and transition between languages in lessons and activities for Multilingual Learners. Examples and instructional tips are shared.Read More
Stragegy Overview: El dictado
"El dictado" is a strategy that a teacher can use in Spanish or English to model and structure language practice for students in spelling, grammar, and fluency. This overview includes an example sequence for instruction, a rubric for assessment, and tips for differentiating the activity.Read More
Website Article: Early Literacy Instruction in Spanish
This article is a research overview for teachers about the early literacy development of Spanish-speaking children. The content covers stages of literacy development, explicitly notes the differences in reading instruction between English and Spanish, and includes some example literacy strategies and tips for parents.Read More
Website: Primero Lee
This is a Spanish language website with a variety of literacy content for children, including reading and phonics games and read-aloud stories.Read More
Website: SALSA Spanish Language Series
This is a collection of 30 episodes of puppet-based Spanish language programming for children. Each episode is roughly 20 minutes long and comes with supporting materials and vocabulary lists.Read More
Blog: Dictado with Dr. Mónica Lara & John Seidlitz
This blog post introduces the Dictado strategy and shares tips and pitfalls for teachers who hope to implement this strategy with Multilingual Learners.Read More
Website: Árbol ABC
This is a Spanish language website of digital learning games for children 3-10 years old. Many games are free and support both literacy and math skills.Read More
Website: Amigos Bilingües
This website offers many video read-alouds in both Spanish and English. Many of the texts can be found in both languages, allowing the teacher to preview content in a home language and then let students transfer that knowledge to the text in their second language.Read More
Resource Guide: Barrier Games
This is a list of resources for barrier games to use in the classroom. These games are designed to encourage oral language practice since one student is given information that another student needs.Read More
Digital Book: Developing Oral Language with Barrier Games
Barrier games are designed to promote oral language since one student is given information that another partner student needs. The lesson design encourages students to ask information of one another. This resource provides many example barrier games.Read More
Blog: Should Multimodalities be Incorporated into Testing and Assessment?
This blog introduces research that challenges the idea of written text as the mode of communication for comprehending written language and assessing Multilingual Learners. Suggestions for alternative assessment, attending to all domains of English, are offered.Read More
Website Article: Family Dichos – Bringing the Language of Home into the Classroom
Bringing proverbs and sayings or "dichos" into the classroom is an instructional move to bridge family language and culture into classroom learning. This article describes this practice and provides resources on familiar "dichos."Read More
Webinar: Designated and Integrated SLD with GLAD® (Spanish)
This webinar, given in Spanish, focuses on dual language programs, and the development of the Spanish language using Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD) strategies. One strategy in particular, using pictorial diagrams, is showcased and discussed.Read More
Webinar: Promoting Oracy in Spanish Language / El desarollo de la oralidad en español (Spanish)
This webinar given in Spanish focuses on developing oracy for Multilingual Learners. The research-based considerations for lesson design and example activities are introduced to support the development of oral expression, fluency, and comprehension during instruction.Read More
Webinar: Starting a Dual Language Bilingual Program for Young Bilinguals
Educators at a newly formed bilingual school in New York City discuss "lessons learned" as they launched their program. They talk through their thinking about curriculum decisions, allocation of time in each language, physical space in the school, staff development, and relationship building with families. The last portion of the webinar is a Q&A.Read More
Webinar: Teaching Practices and Translanguaging Pedagogy
Educators at a newly formed 50-50 Spanish-English bilingual program in New York discuss their program design. They discuss how they systematically implement bilingual curriculum, use thematic units, and purposefully employ translanguaging techniques to integrate content and language instruction. Researcher Ofelia Garcia offers a reflection on translanguaging pedagogy at the end of the webinar.Read More
Blog: Equity Measures in Dual Language Education – Separation of Language
This blog makes the research-based case that language separation is a "non-negotiable" in a dual language program. Giving students access to content in their native language is a key component of accelerating achievement for Multilingual Learners.Read More
Blog: 5 Steps for Ensuring That Your Dual Language Program Is Still A Strong, Equity-Based Dual Language Program
This blog post introduces guiding principles for a successful dual immersion program. The author argues that successful programs are grounded in equity-based decisions, such as providing Multilingual Learners access to content learning in their native language.Read More
Strategy Overview: Translanguaging
This resource offers guidelines on the various ways teachers can implement translanguaging in the classroom.Read More
Strategy Overview: Strategic Grouping for Home Language Supports
Small group instruction is a key part of instruction for Multilingual Learners. In this resource, teachers find guidelines and rationale for different strategic groupings.Read More
Strategy Overview: Do Leveled Readers Help or Hurt My ELs?
Leveled text can be problematic for Multilingual Learners because it does not always expose them to the rich, authentic, and challenging language associated with grade-level texts. In these resources, teachers can read about the dos and don'ts of selecting text and scaffolding teaching for Multilingual Learners.Read More
Blog: 6 Strategies to Elevate the Status of Bilingualism
This blog post offers practical ideas to highlight the benefits and strengths of bilingualism in a school community.Read More
Video: Model Curriculum for English Learners—Justice, Courage and Fairness (2nd grade)
In this video, a designated teacher for Multilingual Learners talks through her objectives for a fairness and justice lesson. The bridge lesson incorporates opportunities for Multilingual Learners to share their thinking and practice oral language in English. The content matches up to prior learning they have done in Spanish.Read More
Checklist: Supporting Emergent Bilingual Children in Early Learning
This checklist provides teachers with several strategies to support Multilingual Learners by providing students with a rich classroom environment that builds their home language and English skills. This resource encourages teachers to consider how to add labels, images, culturally relevant materials to the classroom for children to engage with. This checklist also provides a list of extra resources to learn more about supporting bilingualism, and is available in Spanish and Chinese.Read More
Tip Sheet: How to Use Bilingual Books
This resource explains how to use a variety of bilingual books to support Multilingual Learners’ language and literacy development. This tip sheet also includes a list of books with side-by-side translations, books that include a second language throughout the book, and books available in multiple languages.Read More
Website: Planned Language Approach – Tips for Getting Started
The Planned Language Approach (PLA) is a comprehensive, research-based system for Head Start, Early Head Start, and early learning programs to ensure high-quality language and literacy experiences for all children, including Multilingual Learners. This website provides tips and links for educators and families to learn about implementing PLA.Read More
Article: DRDP – A Strengths-Based Approach to Assessing Young DLLs
This article describes how the California Department of Education’s Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP) helps to assess Multilingual Learners while considering their cultural and linguistic characteristics. The DRDP can be used to assess children’s proficiency in their home language and English and helps educators learn about children’s literacy and oral language skills.Read More
Guide: Assessing Children Who Are Dual Language Learners
This guide explains how educators can assess Multilingual Learners using the Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP). The guide includes information about code-switching, a typical feature of dual language development, and how assessors can ensure they are collecting the most comprehensive information to accurately assess children.Read More
Presentation Slides: Organizing Instruction for Explicit Skill Transference
This slide deck presentation was used to present research and provide examples on how language skills can transfer from Spanish to English.Read More
Blog: The Potential of Wordless Picture Books with English Learners
Wordless picture books can be "read" in many different ways with Multilingual Learners, both at home or in the classroom, to provide instruction on book concepts, to practice oral language fluency, and make connections between multiple languages.Read More
Blog: A Chat About English/Spanish Pedagogical Connections
This blog offers a quick review of pedagogical connections between English and Spanish. Teachers can make linguistic connections visible for Spanish-speaking Multilingual Learners, and set them up to draw on all of their language resources for learning that they are familiar with, particularly on the differences and similarities between the two language structures.Read More
Online Module: Assessment of Students’ Academic and Language Skills
Initial and ongoing assessments in both the home language(s) and English are critical to determine instruction for Multilingual Learners and understand the full range of their skills. This page on the assessment of diverse learners is part of a larger set of online learning modules.Read More
Strategy Overview: Use of Multiple Languages in the Classroom
In a bilingual classroom, or even when teachers do not speak the home language(s) of Multilingual Learners, there are many things the teacher can do to invite home languages into the classroom. This overview suggests the steps teachers can take to draw on all of their students' linguistic resources during instruction.Read More
Website: Teacher Interactions and Strategies to Support Listening for Dual Language Learners
This resource provides a list of strategies teachers can use to support Multilingual Learners’ listening skills, such as using visual cues and gestures to accompany speech. Teachers can integrate reading, writing, listening, and speaking in both languages. Teachers can also introduce key vocabulary in the home language prior to teaching in English.Read More
Website: Teacher Interactions and Strategies to Support Reading for Dual Language Learners
This resource provides many strategies that teachers can use to support Multilingual Learners’ reading and literacy skills.Read More
Blog: How Can Cognates ‘Beneficiar’ English Language Learners?
This blog discusses how teachers can intentionally use cognates to build comprehension for Multilingual Learners. This practice helps emphasize connections between Spanish and English.Read More
Website Article: Using Cognates with ELLs
This article and accompanying video remind teachers about the power of cognates: words that are almost or exactly the same in two or more languages. When teachers highlight these words during instruction, they help Multilingual Learners develop their own word-learning strategies.Read More
App: Ready DLL
This mobile app is a comprehensive resource that teachers can use to support Multilingual Learners. It includes specific guidance on including labels and other functional print in both languages, engaging in interactive reading, and integrating reading, writing, listening, and speaking in multiple languages. The app also helps teachers learn key words and phrases in children’s home languages (Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, and Haitian Creole), and provides links to articles, tip sheets, videos, and webinars.Read More
Webinar: Measuring What All Children Can Do in All Languages
In this webinar, presenters discuss the trajectory of bilingual development and important considerations for assessing Multilingual Learners. The webinar provides guidance around using a variety of formative assessment tools, using summative assessment, and assessing children in their home language.Read More
Website Article: Young Dual Language Learners-Screening and Assessment
The objective of this article and accompanying video is to focus on Multilingual Learners and "understand some of the unique considerations that educators must keep in mind when screening and assessing."Read More
Digital Book Collection: Level A (Vietnamese)
This is a collection of high-quality Level A books written in Vietnamese. This resource helps teachers access books that depict Vietnamese children's language and culture.Read More
Website Article: Reading 101 for English Learners
This article names specific components of literacy instruction that can be more challenging for Multilingual Learners. Instructional strategies for teaching phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and reading comprehension are shared.Read More
Digital Book Collection: Level B (Vietnamese)
This is a collection of high-quality Level B books written in Vietnamese. This resource helps teachers access books that depict Vietnamese children's language and culture.Read More
Strategy Overview: Supporting Bilingualism
Research has proven that the strongest foundation for academic success and high levels of literacy for Multilingual Learners is the development of both their home language and English. This overview describes strategies that schools, teachers, and families can use to support multilingualism.Read More
Video: That’s How You Say It/Asi se dice- 2/3rd grade
Students learn both literal and conceptual translation skills by engaging in the "That's How You Say It/Asi se dice" strategy. The teacher assigns students to strategic groups and chooses a specific passage of text for them to translate. Students have the opportunity to negotiate word meanings and compare and contrast their two languages as they work together to write and share their translation.Read More
Video: Transfer and Integrated ELD in a Bilingual Classroom
The teacher in this bilingual classroom makes an intentional plan to develop literacy and oral language skills in two languages. She begins content instruction in Spanish to strengthen Multilingual Learners' understanding of key concepts, and then purposefully transitions to an integrated ELD block to offer speaking and writing practice in English.Read More
Strategy Overview: Vocabulary in Context
This resource introduces teachers to all of the ways that vocabulary can be introduced, reinforced, and practiced across multiple lessons and activities. This helps Multilingual Learners learn key academic and content words in context.Read More
Strategy Overview: Testimonios
Testimonio, a Spanish term for "witness account," is a storytelling pedagogy that emerged from Latin American culture and narrative research methodology. Used in the classroom, testimonios can be written, oral, and/or visual representations of Multilingual Learners' experiences that support home language development and engage families in children's learning.Read More
Strategy Overview: Sentence Patterning Chart / La tabla de formación de oraciones
This resource introduces a strategy to model and write good descriptive sentences with Multilingual Learners. It combines language-based supports with opportunities for children to practice academic vocabulary and apply it to structured, content-based writing.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: Celebrating Bilingualism-Pathways to Biliteracy
This document offers a variety of examples for both classroom and school-wide implementation for a Seal of Biliteracy. Now that a biliteracy seal is available in California and other U.S. states, offering high-quality bilingual materials and structuring opportunities to celebrate bilingualism with students and families can begin as early as PreK.Read More
Strategy Overview: The Dictado
The Dictado is a routine in which the teacher dictates a series of phrases or sentences, and the teacher and students collaboratively correct them. The Dictado serves to teach and reinforce basic writing skills within each language, and to highlight cross-language transfer.Read More
Strategy Overview: Draw, Tell, & Label
This resource describes how to implement the Draw, Tell, & Label strategy in classrooms with Multilingual Learners. This strategy provides multiple opportunities for children to engage with and practice content area vocabulary. This resource also includes guidance on building content understanding in the home language(s) and English.Read More
Video & Video Guide: Bilingualism Through the Eyes of a Student
Students share their ideas about the benefits of being bilingual. They explain why speaking two languages is important and a source of pride. The accompanying guide suggests moments in the video to pause to notice teachers’ practice, along with prompts for reflection and discussion.Read More
Strategy Overview: Bridging School to Family Assignments
This resource offers examples of projects and activities that provide families with opportunities to connect school-based content with learning at home. Examples demonstrate how teachers can also invite home language into the classroom.Read More
Tip Sheet: Communication with Parents / Comunicación con los padres
This bilingual (Spanish) document explains to parents the benefits of speaking a home language. Advice is shared on how to develop oral home language proficiency and provide high-quality and extended talk opportunities for children.Read More
Video & Video Guide: Complex Oral Language
This video emphasizes the importance of immersing Multilingual Learners in an environment with high-quality and extended talk in each language. Teachers can ask questions to elicit complex oral language from children. The accompanying guide suggests moments in the video to pause to notice teachers’ practice, along with prompts for reflection and discussion.Read More
Video & Video Guide: Bilingualism Through the Eyes of Families
Family members share their ideas about the benefits of being bilingual. They explain how speaking two languages is critical to maintain family life and cultural identity. The accompanying guide suggests moments in the video to pause to notice teachers’ practice, along with prompts for reflection and discussion.Read More
Video: Bilingual Provider Preview and Review
In this video, a teacher explains how to preview books in children’s home languages. The teacher introduces and explains new vocabulary words and reads a text in the child's home language before reading the text in English. The teacher also uses the home language to preview concepts to activate and build background knowledge.Read More
Video: Monolingual Provider Preview and Review
In this video, a teacher explains how monolingual English-speaking teachers can support Multilingual Learners. The teacher previews books with children, uses props and tangible materials, and provides parents and other speakers of the home language with books and materials for them to use with children.Read More
Template: Thinking about Home Language Support
This resource helps teachers and administrators think about the staff and/or community members that serve as language models for Multilingual Learners. Language models can integrate the home language(s) and English and join classroom activities to speak and read in children’s home languages.Read More
Video: Personalizing Instruction through Environmental Supports
This resource explains several ways that teachers can provide high-quality language support materials. For example, teachers can display culturally relevant materials and labels in each language. Teachers can also learn key words and phrases in children’s home languages, including cognates, to emphasize the connection between English and the home language.Read More
Video: Supporting Home Language through Language Models
This video discusses how "language models" can support Multilingual Learners by integrating English and the home language(s) into classroom activities and conversations throughout the day. Parents and other speakers of children’s home languages can join classroom activities to support children’s development of multiple languages. Language models can provide high-quality and extended talk in each language, including a variety of questions to elicit talk from children.Read More
