2C) Peer social interactions
Provide opportunities for ML children to build friendships and relationships, and meaningfully participate in peer social interactions.
Video: T-Graph for Collaborative Conversations—Kindergarten
This video shows Kindergarten students engaged in creating a T-graph for social skills, a strategy designed to teach the skills of meaningful collaboration.Read More
Strategy Overview: Exploring Names
This strategy engages children in learning about and writing about their name(s), in reading literature in which a change in a child's name reflects the dynamics of immigration, and presents an opportunity for opinion writing on the issue of name changes. A list of books with themes about names is also included.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
Video: A Felt Board Story
This video clip shows two Multilingual Learners practicing content vocabulary in both Spanish and English as they reenact a chant they have learned in class. The peer interaction provides an authentic space for them to support one another with language development in a fun, meaningful hands-on activity.Read More
Video: Soyul & Teacher Yvette—Sandcastles
This video is an excerpt of the intentional work Teacher Yvette makes to help Soyul, a Korean-speaking Multilingual Learner, ask a friend to build a sandcastle. It is an example of providing support to help build peer interactions so children can practice language in an authentic context.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
Website Article: Multicultural Books for Beginning Readers
This article tackles a problem found in many early elementary classrooms: the need for books for beginning readers that depict multicultural and diverse characters. A list of recommended books is included.Read More
Website Article: Books That Mirror The Children in Our Classrooms
This article contains a link to a relevant TEDx Talk, along with diverse book titles that will help teachers match the books in the classroom to the identities of their students.Read More
Video: A Study of the Play of Dual Language Learners in an English-Speaking Classroom
This video considers the teacher-assisted supports and interactions that Multilingual Learners often need to develop social and emotional skills in English-dominant preschools.Read More
Video: Morning Meeting – A Daily Strategy for Teaching Social and Emotional Learning to 1st Grade Students
Morning meetings are a routine that can support the socio-emotional health and development of Multilingual Learners, provide space for social interactions, and help build relationships across a class community. This first-grade teacher describes her practice with facilitating these meetings in a first-grade classroom.Read More
Video & Video Guide: Using Reciprocal Teaching to Engage 3rd-Grade Readers
This video shows Multilingual Learners in a 3rd-grade classroom engaged in reciprocal teaching. This small group interaction helps structure student-led discussions about a text and bolster reading comprehension. The accompanying guide suggests moments in the video to pause to notice teachers’ practice, along with prompts for reflection and discussion.Read More
Blog: Lowering the Affective Filter for English Language Learners Facilitates Successful Language Acquisition
This blog introduces the concept of affective filter and lists ways that teachers can establish a classroom environment to minimize stress and support the risk-taking associated with learning a new language at school.Read More
Video: A Study of DLLs’ Play in an English-Speaking Classroom
In this video, presenters emphasize how important it is for teachers to support Multilingual Learners in interacting meaningfully with their peers. When teachers serve as interpreters, provide words for children, and strategically pair them together, they will have more successful peer interactions and relationships.Read More
Website Article: Adapting Morning Meeting Greeting for English Learners
Morning meetings are a common part of the instructional day. This article offers strategies on how to make Multilingual Learners feel welcome and included, along with activity ideas that draw on students' linguistic diversity.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
Website Article: Cooperative Learning Strategies
This article introduces many different ideas and structures to help a teacher define group learning roles. This provides Multilingual Learners with opportunities to work with peers and build both content and social language skills.Read More
Strategy Overview: Collaborative Practice
This set of resources guides teachers in developing the structures and supports that learners need to engage in effective group work. This thoughtful setup can enable Multilingual Learners to engage in positive social and academic interactions with peers.Read More
Strategy Overview: Persona Dolls
This resource describes the purpose of and process for using persona dolls. The resource also includes a planning template and letters that teachers send to children’s families describing persona dolls in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.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: 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
