Some strategies for supporting multilingual learners:

• hands on contextual activities and problem solving opportunities

• math word banks with pictures

• activities that invite student participation and student voice such as What do you notice? warm-up routines

• learning routines that build trust and confidence

• small group targeted instruction

• strategic partners with structured talk routines

• math sentence frames with academic vocabulary and opportunities to use them

• collaborative student groups

• tools such as manipulatives, number grids, sorting supplies, colored pencils or crayons, etc.

• a welcoming classroom environment that encourages student sharing and presentations

• bilingual word walls

• home communication that recognizes cultural assets in math and offers ways for families to engage in mathematics

• bilingual or primary language student math presentations

• access to grade level essential standards

• intervention with high quality student learning experiences when foundational gaps are identified

• think time / wait time - allowing learners time to think, process, translate and formulate their ideas into oral language

• teacher collaboration with colleagues focusing on effective teaching strategies

• high expectations for student learning

• multiple options for students to show their learning: speaking, writing, drawing, presenting, modeling, etc. 

Three Ways to Enhance Tasks for Multilingual Learners:  As we plan math tasks or story problems for our students, we want to ensure accessibility for all learners. This article offers three ways to enhance math tasks to provide access to cognitively demanding mathematics and further students' development of academic language in English in mathematics. 

1. Using and connecting multiple representations 

2. Thinking Through Language Obstacles and 

3. Contextualizing Mathematical Concepts and Problem-Solving Activities. 

It contains examples and resources of how you can do this. It's worth the read!  From NCTM

Making math meaningful for MLL Pk-3  article by Platas from DREME

Lower Elementary Slide Deck