For Classroom Teachers
ML stands for Multilingual Learners
When we have Multilingual Learners (MLs) in our classroom, it is important not only to know their English language proficiency but also to learn about their prior academic experiences (or lack thereof), cultural and religious traditions, hobbies, personality, family circumstances, and background info about their home community or native country.
This can inform instructional decisions in the classroom. Gathering this information not only opens the doors to better meeting the student’s needs and addressing challenges that may arise but also provides an opportunity to create a welcoming classroom environment, engage the student and family, increase the student’s confidence, and create opportunities for classmates to learn from each other.
Teachers can build upon the student’s strengths and successes, which is particularly important as students are acclimating to a new classroom and potentially a new country and culture. It also has the potential to improve classroom management and teacher interactions with the student as certain behaviors are explained and understood (e.g., not looking a teacher in the eye out of deference and respect).
Some great articles to assist with teaching Multilingual Learners
Guiding Social-Emotional Learning for Multilingual Learners:
Inclusive strategies for building community with MLs are key when considering the social-emotional development of our Multilingual Learners.
Our students come to us from many backgrounds and at various challenging points in their lives. Newcomer students have experienced an enormous transition in order to arrive in your classroom. They likely do not speak the dominant language used in the room, adding another stressor to communication. Including supportive visuals, using the student’s first language, and allowing them to share their personal stories are ways that we support inclusion and help the students see themselves in the classroom.
Considering the Language Development Stage of your ML, incorporating effective visuals, providing accommodations, differentiating, modeling, and continuous practice are all important to your ML’s success.
ML Language Development
Anyone who has been around children who are learning to talk knows that the process happens in stages—first understanding, then one-word utterances, then two-word phrases, and so on. Students learning a second language move through five predictable stages: Preproduction, Early Production, Speech Emergence, Intermediate Fluency, and Advanced Fluency (Krashen & Terrell, 1983). How quickly students progress through the stages depends on many factors, including the level of formal education, family background, and length of time spent in the country. It is important that you tie instruction for each student to his or her particular stage of language acquisition.
Visuals
We can support students by giving them the means to communicate. Initially, it is their basic needs (washroom, drinking water, quiet space), but it should grow to encompass their emotional needs as well. As educators, we need to provide support in order for these students to demonstrate how they are feeling and to give them the tools to manage their relationships with those around them.
Modeling & Practice
Modeling effective communication and teaching about healthy relationships is important for MLs. Show students how to use ‘I messages’, give compliments and practice often. Good friends Do, Good Friends Don’t
Practice encompasses practicing positive social-emotional behaviors like showing gratitude and working on conflict resolution through role-playing. But it also includes practices such as yoga and mindful moments, such as sit spots.
Collaboration is Key
Collaboration on behalf of English language learners (ELLs) can take many forms - sitting together to talk about a lesson, a quick chat in the hallway, or sharing an article from Colorín Colorado! These resources offer ideas from educators who started from scratch in building collaborative relationships and highlight the secrets of their success.
5 ways teachers can collaborate to support MLs:
Collaborative planning
Intentional partnership building
Content and language integration
Technology integration
Coaching and consultation
MTSS & Special Education Considerations
MLP services are not intervention services; they are direct instructional services for MLs, also considered part of their Tier I instruction and supplemental to the general curriculum. Therefore, MLP services and accommodations should be treated with the same importance as any other core instruction.
If an ML is suspected of having a disability, referral and placement must happen in a timely manner. Sometimes students with IEPs have come to the point in their English language development where their remaining needs should be matched through the Special Service program, not the ML program. This should be documented in a monitoring report in Ellevation with good justification to support the decision.
Reference the Multilingual Learners with Disabilities memorandum, which describes the guidelines for properly identifying potential multilingual learners with disabilities (MLWDs).
Attention to Myths regarding MLs and Special Education.
Accommodations
An accommodation changes how information and concepts are presented or practiced, ensuring that each student has the opportunities and support needed to learn. Accommodations do not reduce the learning expectations and should be chosen based on the student's individual needs and not applied arbitrarily to all MLs. Accommodations are not to be viewed as an advantage to the student; accommodations provide access to the content for the student.
Classroom Accommodations READ MORE
State Assessments Accommodations READ MORE
Grading & Retention
All grades must reflect the student’s accommodated and modified curriculum objectives, presentation, and assessment.
A regular classroom teacher may not:
Require an ML to do the same assignments as an English-fluent student, without regard for the ML’s level of English proficiency or the ability of limited English proficiency parents to help at home.
Penalize an ML for work missed while in ML/ESOL class.
Assign an ML a failing grade if the reason for that failure is his or her limited English proficiency.
REPORT CARDS - You MUST NOT include ML identifiers in the comments section.
There are many adverse effects of retention and retaining MLs. There are several considerations for MLs who may be at risk of retention. Mastering academic L2 language takes a minimum of five to seven years. It is imperative that an ML not be retained due to acquiring the English language or English language proficiency level. Other alternatives to retention must be explored before retention conversations.
All MLs who are at risk of being retained must be discussed with the MLPC. A notice of student performing within at risk of retention criteria form must be completed and signed by the school's principal, ML program district lead, and parent. A copy must be placed in the student's cumulative folder - ML yellow section. The classroom teacher must provide proper documentation supporting the recommendation for retention.
Ellevation
Choose a higher level of EL solutions. Ellevation empowers teachers, administrators, and ELs with the only system designed to go beyond compliance and impact instruction. With greater access to information and effective measurement, Ellevation creates a higher level of accountability, helping everyone reach their highest potential. Empowering teachers with skill and confidence to effectively differentiate instruction for ELs.
ML's proficiency level and ML Program records
Tailored strategies based on ML proficiency
Monitoring reports
Talking Points
Communicate with families in their home languages to build strong partnerships all year long. Join the millions of teachers and parents who already use TalkingPoints. Always free for teachers. Available on the web and mobile app.
Up to 200 students per account
Multiple classes for organizational purposes
Over 125 languages available
ML Classroom Accommodation Support - COMING SOON
NEWCOMER MATERIALS
Many teachers have expressed the need for additional resources for newcomers and support with classroom accommodations. Our ML team is compiling a few items to help you. Please visit our drive to access these resources. They are categorized as elementary, middle, and high school.
For additional support and questions, please contact your school's assigned Multilingual Learner Program Specialist. See the list below.
Interpretation & Translation Procedures
