2A) Build relationships
Engage individually with Multilingual Learner (ML) children in a warm and inclusive way. Take time to build trust, respect, and strong relationships with children and families of ML children.
Video: Supportive Emotional Climate for Relationships
This video highlights the importance of language to make Multilingual Learners feel comfortable; if they hear their home language spoken and see their culture represented in the classroom, it will create a more warm and inviting environment for them. Another key item to foster a supportive emotional climate are positive interactions between the educator and the child.Read More
Video: Being Responsive to Home Language and Culture
This video focuses on the importance for educators to remain flexible and responsive in order to support Multilingual Learners. Educators can create meaningful relationships with children and their families by getting to know them and respecting their preferences and practices (asking them about specific food needs as an example).Read More
Video: Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Communication
This video reinforces an asset-based approach towards supporting Multilingual Learners. It highlights the importance of family engagement and social-emotional development strategies to help create a warm and inviting environment for ML children.Read More
Strategy Overview: The Classroom Audit
A classroom audit involves a non-judgmental reading of the messages conveyed by the materials and arrangement of the classroom as well as interactions through the lens of equity and diversity.Read More
Strategy Overview: I am Poems
The portrait, persona, or “I am” poem is an autobiographical and descriptive personal statement. The poems are self-expressive vehicles for students to introduce themselves to others and describe themselves.Read More
Strategy Overview: Name Acrostics
This strategy engages students in writing free verse acrostic poems about themselves using the letters of their names to begin each line. The use of children’s names can bring personal meaning to writing; and valuing children’s names is a part of a strong, respectful classroom community.Read More
Strategy Overview: Family Empathy Interviews
A template designed to support conversation uncovering each family's "funds of knowledge" so teachers can design a culturally responsive and sustaining approach to instruction.Read More
Webinar: Family School Partnership—PreK
In this webinar video, building strong family partnerships is explained as well as providing some tangible strategies for early learning educators.Read More
Strategy Overview: Promoting a Sense of Identity
This strategy outlines ways teachers can work with families to promote children's sense of identity, connection to home language and culture, plus respect for diversity.Read More
Video & Video Guide: Adventures in Preschool Second Language Acquisition
This video showcases the relationship between one teacher and one Korean-speaking Multilingual Learner and her family. The video includes vignettes of teaching, interviews with the teacher, the family, and administrators, and many rich examples of English development teaching strategies. The accompanying guide suggests moments in the video to pause to notice teachers’ practice, along with prompts for reflection and discussion.Read More
Website Article: The Right to Be Seen
In this article, an English Language Development teacher shares a vignette about a recent newcomer joining her school community. The author reminds educators of the asset-based lens that helps support newly arrived Multilingual Learners and their families.Read More
Tip Sheet: How to Support Your Child’s Social-Emotional Health – 8 Tips (in 16 languages)
This tip sheet helps parents, providers, and teachers communicate with children about their feelings in both home and school environments.Read More
Newcomer Toolkit: Social-Emotional Needs
This is one chapter from the U.S. Department of Education Newcomer Toolkit. This chapter focuses on meeting the social-emotional needs of newcomer Multilingual Learners.Read More
Educator Toolkit: My Name, My Identity- Creating an Inclusive and Respectful School Community
This digital book supports the socio-emotional learning of students by introducing example lesson plans that center on Multilingual Learners' identity. The resource includes videos, book lists, lesson plans, and many extension activities and further resources to help teachers build a healthy, asset-based community in the classroom.Read More
Newcomer Toolkit: Social Emotional Needs
This is one chapter from the U.S. Department of Education Newcomer Toolkit. This chapter focuses on meeting the socio-emotional needs of newcomer Multilingual Learners.Read More
Website Article: Developing Empathy to Build Warm, Inclusive Classrooms
This resource provides a list of eight strategies to engage with Multilingual Learners in a warm and inclusive way. This resource also provides a link to a more comprehensive article, “Culturally Responsive Strategies to Support Young Children with Challenging Behavior."Read More
Newcomer Toolkit: Welcoming Newcomers
This is one chapter from the U.S. Department of Education Newcomer Toolkit. This chapter focuses on how teachers can welcome both newcomer Multilingual Learners and their families into a school community.Read More
Checklist: Diversity of Experiences
This simple checklist helps teachers identify the diversity across a classroom of learners. Reflecting and gathering information about family and student backgrounds helps build relationships and trust.Read More
Strategy Overview: My Name
Nothing is closer to a Multilingual Learner's identity than their name. This resource offers culturally relevant examples of how to engage in meaningful activities with children about their names.Read More
Video: Persona Dolls
In this video, educators discuss how they use persona dolls in classrooms with Multilingual Learners. Persona dolls provide children with the opportunity to build their relationship skills and participate meaningfully in social interactions.Read More
Video: Home-School Connection and Projects
Opportunities for curriculum-based learning at home help build relationships with families and support language development for Multilingual Learners. This video showcases an example of a home-school project presentation in a preschool classroom where educators provide high-quality extended talk in multiple languages and provide hands-on, inquiry-based experiences.Read More
Video: Affirming Language, Culture & Identity
This video shares asset-based strategies for teachers to engage with families, develop the socio-emotional health of children, and set up a classroom environment to support Multilingual Learners. This resource focuses on preschool but the content applies to all grade bands. Examples come from dual language classrooms.Read More
