6C) Reading, writing, listening, and speaking in both languages
Integrate reading, writing, listening, and speaking in both languages to develop bilingualism and biliteracy.
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
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: 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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: 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
