A Toolkit for School Librarians to Facilitate the Success of English Learners

Teaching ELLs Using Audio Tools

Communicating with ELLs using audio tools means employing audio-based resources to facilitate communication and to support ELLs in their language acquisition journey. *Audiovisual material* is a technology-based strategy that has yielded many positive results for ELLs and is valuable in enhancing language skills, including listening, speaking, pronunciation, and overall comprehension (Epp, 2017; Kathirvel & Hashim, 2020).

Four primary skills are required in English language learning: listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Speaking skills are essential as they help learners communicate effectively (Kathirvel & Hashim, 2020). Gilakjani (2011) views pronunciation as a subskill of speaking, and the concepts should not be used interchangeably. Gilakjani further posits that good pronunciation makes the speaker intelligible despite other errors. Learning English can be difficult, and hearing the language is essential for fluency (Zhang, 2020). Hence, utilizing audio tools supports learning by allowing ELLs to hear the pronunciation of words.

Videos

How to Use Free Tools to Communicate with the Families of Non-Native Language Speakers!

●     This video shows how to use free Microsoft tools to communicate with families of non-English speakers. The tools allow educators and schools to communicate with the families of non-native speakers. These tools quickly translate Word documents and facilitate communication through messaging and emails. Details about using the immersive reader to translate text and pictures into different languages are included.

English Listening Practice – Language Learning

●     This video was posted by an English teacher about three years ago. It provides ELLs an opportunity to learn about listening and comprehension. It can help improve listening skills, help reduce grammar errors, and boost conversation confidence.

Speaking Practice for ELLs Using Google Tools

●     This video demonstrates creating speaking tasks for English language learners using Google Drive and MicNote. MicNote in Google Drive provides speaking practice for English language learners using the Chrome browser and an Gmail account. It helps teachers provide different speaking tasks for ELLs and track them throughout the year.

Articles

●     Epp, C. D. (2017). Migrants and mobile technology use: Gaps in the support provided by current tools. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, (1).

The current understanding of how migrants utilize mobile tools for communication and language acquisition is insufficient. Therefore, this study emphasizes the necessity for enhanced assistance and proficiency advancement, presenting a promising prospect for developing innovative mobile tools.

●     Gilakjani, A. P. (2011). A study on the situation of pronunciation instruction in ESL/EFL classrooms. Journal of Studies in Education, 1(1), 1-15.

In the realm of ELL teaching, pronunciation holds immense importance. However, it often gets overlooked in ESL/EFL classrooms. This article delves into the historical significance, benefits, and various types of pronunciation materials, in addition to providing valuable suggestions for enhancing its teaching in ESL/EFL classrooms.

●     Kathirvel, K., & Hashim, H. (2020). The use of audio-visual materials as strategies to enhance speaking skills among ESL young learners. Creative Education, 11(12). https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2020.1112192

Using audiovisual materials is a practical approach to improving the speaking abilities of ESL learners. This article addresses problems like insufficient exposure, low self-esteem, and anxiety toward the English language. The findings suggest that this method has yielded encouraging outcomes and advantages in enhancing speaking skills.

Websites

Teaching Forward

●     This website provides information about free audio tools that can support vocabulary and literacy skills for ELLs in the general education environment. The webpage aims to help teachers keep ELL students using educational technology tools in their classrooms.

Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab

●     Since 1998, this website has provided online English listening comprehension activities for ESL and EFL learners. Additional language practice is also available on DailyESL.com, EZslang.com, and Trainyouraccent.com. The activities are designed to improve everyday English comprehension skills at three levels based on content, voices, vocabulary, and natural speed. They include a combination of adult, teenage, and children's voices.

Discovery Education

●     This website utilizes audio to boost student motivation and enhance their pronunciation, comprehension, and vocabulary. The podcasts benefit English language learners, providing listening opportunities for authentic conversations.

BusyTeacher.org

●     This webpage provides 230 free pronunciation worksheets for ESL teachers and learners with speaking or listening exercises. It offers pronunciation worksheets, such as homophones, intonation, rhythm and stress, tongue twisters, and words to practice the /ɔ/ pronunciation sound.

Reflective Practice Questions

●     How can we communicate more effectively with ELLs?

●     Who are some people whom we can collaborate with to support ELLs more effectively?

●     How can I adequately adjust my practices to support diverse ELLs?

Creating Student Advisory Boards

A student advisory board is a group tasked with eliciting student perspectives (So et al., 2022). Dorney (2013) quotes research to indicate that student advisory boards are vital in running the library; they offer fresh insights and excellent public relations. The board meets with library staff regularly as external advisors (Lindsay & Datig, 2016).

Videos

Did You Know? Superintendent's Student Advisory Board

●     The School District of Philadelphia produced this outreach video about the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Board, which occurs biweekly between the superintendent and senior leaders. The board calls on high school students who want to be change agents to apply to become part of the student advisory board to share ideas and provide insights that will inform policy design and decision-making.

Treutlen County (Georgia) Schools Library Student Advisory Board

●     The video explains the contribution of the student advisory board to the library media center, encourages students to apply, and explains the application process. A critical part of being part of the student advisory board, as captured by the video, is ensuring that students have a voice in the library's affairs, such as choosing the books that should be in the library.

MVHS Student Library Advisory Board (SLAB)

●     School librarian John Sadzewicz describes the mission of the his library advisory board. Viewers can see the board in action and learn about their activities. The president of the advisory board is also interviewed.

Articles

●     Doshi, A., Scharf, M., & Fox, R. (2016). The role of student advisory boards in assessment. Evidence-Based Library and Information Practice, 11(2), 34-38. https://doi.org/10.18438/B8NP76

This article assesses the overall value of library student advisory boards, evaluating their development and logistics. Results show that the libraries leverage the relationship fostered by the advisory board to obtain feedback directly from the students on things learned from focus groups, observations, and surveys. The library then uses this feedback to iteratively refine methods of obtaining information or reassess already-gathered information.

●     Dorney, E. (2013). Students as stakeholders: Library advisory boards and privileging our users. In the Library with the Lead Pipe. https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2013/students-as-stakeholders-library-advisory-boards-and-privileging-our-users/

This article explores the concept of student advisory boards at the libraries as a medium for building more student-focused libraries in higher education, its benefits and measures of success, and the value of following up on received feedback.

●     Lindsay, B. D., & Datig, I. (2016). Optimizing library services –- SAGs to the rescue: Student advisory groups in the library. Against the Grain, 28(1), 56. https://doi.org/10.7771/2380-176X.7287

This article discusses student advisory groups (SAGs) as an essential facet of academic library efforts. It then discusses how SAG was implemented at the New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) Library.

●     James, C. (2016, October 6). Voice and choice: Student library advisory team. Retrieved June 19, 2023, from https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/voice-choice-student-library-advisory-team/

This is a blog by a practicing Library and Media Services Specialist for Charleston County School District in South Carolina and a former middle school librarian. The post discusses the activities of the Student Advisory Board in the local library, how the members are recruited, and when they meet.

Websites

Teen Volunteers and Advisory Boards

●     This website, created by the Texas State Library and Archive Commission, provides resources for teen volunteers and advisory boards. Resources include proposed activities and necessary forms.

Voice and Choice: Student Library Advisory Team

●     In this blog post, school librarian Christine James explains why a student advisory board is essential. James also discusses recruitment and meeting options.

Library R&D: Starting a Student Advisory Committee in the Library

●     In this blog post, middle school librarian Tammy Byram discusses how she started a student advisory group. The group consisted of 9 students who met every two weeks.

Reflective Practice Questions

●     How can a student advisory board help ELLs?

●     What tools will facilitate student advisory boards to facilitate learning for ELLs?

Community Outreach Best Practices and Ideas for ELLs

Schools and libraries can utilize community outreach programs to support students classified as ELLs and their families. Developing outreach opportunities to celebrate and acknowledge students' cultural differences in ELL programs is essential to making them feel connected and accepted by their school communities (Tarasawa & Waggoner, 2015).

Videos

ESL Parent Outreach & Involvement (ELL & Bilingual)

●     This video provides viewers with ideas about reaching out and engaging with parents of ELLs and bilingual students. The focus is on inclusivity, representation, and involvement for the parent to feel connected and heard.

ELL Parent Involvement

●     This video provides parents of students in ELL programs with the opportunity to describe the value of being active in their child’s education and being knowledgeable of the accommodations and supports their students are entitled to.

Bringing It Home: Lessons on Community Engagement

●     This TEDx Talk describes the best strategies to develop community outreach opportunities that meet community members’ needs.

Articles

●     Tarasawa, B., & Waggoner, J. (2015). Increasing parental involvement of English Language Learner families: What the research says. Journal of Children and Poverty, 21(2), 129-134.

This article discusses possible obstacles that prevent parents of ELLs from being involved in their students’ education. Based on identified obstacles, the authors provide strategies to build parental involvement and engagement.

●     Boothe, D. (2018, June). Strategic English language learning through innovative outreach and collaboration. In Conference Proceedings. The Future of Education 2018.

This paper highlights four strategies that can be utilized to encourage outreach and support ELL language acquisition. Along with explaining each strategy, the author provides activities for readers to implement.

●     Murphy, P. (2018). School libraries addressing the needs of ELL students: Enhancing language acquisition, confidence, and cultural fluency in ELL students by developing a targeted collection and enriching your makerspace. Knowledge Quest, 46(4), 60-65.

This article describes the different resources that librarians can use to support ELL language acquisition, confidence, and cultural fluency.

Websites

Connecting with ELL Families: Strategies for Success

●     This article describes five steps to engage and connect with ELL families. The authors encourage educators to “learn about your ELL population, integrate cultural traditions, create a welcoming environment for families, make personal connections with families, and that you value families’ native languages” (Breiseth, Robertson, & Lafond, 2015).

Librarians Collaborate to Support English Language Learners and Their Families

●     This article highlights the collaborative efforts of librarians in Seattle that helped native Somali speakers create picture books to teach the language to their children.

4 Things to Know About Partnering with Families of English Language Learners

●     The National Education Association publishes Juliana Urtubey’s go-to strategies for engaging parents of ELL students. Juliana is a National Teacher of the Year recipient and a bilingual education specialist (Urtubey, 2021).

Libraries and English Language Learners

●     https://www.slj.com/story/libraries-and-english-language-learners

●     This article discusses how school libraries can reach ELL students and their families.

Reflective Practice Questions

●     How can school librarians ensure EL students and their families feel included in the library program?

●     What resources do I have access to that could support EL families?

●     How can the library celebrate the cultures of EL students and their families?

Developing Inclusive Learning Environments

Developing an inclusive learning environment supports all learners, especially English language learners. Educators, including librarians, can support students learning English as a second language in various ways. One way to help create an inclusive environment is to provide books in the students' home language or high-interest books at the students' reading level (Flores & Osorio, 2021).

Videos

4 Ways to Support Multilingual Learners

●     This video produced by Edutopia gives four simple ways educators can support multilingual learners by making their classrooms more inclusive. Educators learn that it is important that those speaking multilingual languages use their native language. Also, research shows that when students act out words and phrases, it helps them learn and recall new vocabulary better.

Effective Classroom Strategies for Helping ELL Students

●     This video shows how one school helped all students feel welcome by integrating cultural studies into the curriculum, having cultural family nights, and hiring paraprofessionals who speak different languages. They also have a lending library in different languages and invite ELL students to make the announcements. This small rural school makes students and families feel respected and welcome by taking these steps.

You Are Welcome Here: Supporting the Social and Emotional Health of Newcomer Immigrant Students

●     This video shows how to make newcomers feel welcome, especially by using books and their home language. Using both books and the home language helps teacher–student relationships, which is critical for students. Training teachers is vital to help them be fluid in making connections with the students.

Articles

● Monteiro, V., Carvalho, C., & Santos, N. N. (2021). Creating a supportive classroom environment through effective feedback: Effects on students’ school identification and behavioral engagement. Frontiers in Education, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.661736

This study looks at student engagement in a supportive classroom. From the study, students who had teachers who used effective feedback had higher levels of school identification and behavior engagement. While other factors are important, such as gender, the mother’s education level, and grade-level retention, which affected school identification and behavioral engagement, the teacher’s effective feedback had a more significant impact.

●     Nuss, S. V. (2020). Instructional coaching for teachers of ELs in inclusive environments: Practical insights for low-incidence EL setting. ORTESOL Journal, 37, 23-32.

This article highlights EL instructional coaching and the benefits of EL coaching in a low-incidence of an EL-inclusive environment. Participation in this program requires special professional development. The article also gives practical steps for schools implementing the EL coaching plan.

●     Okilwa, N. S. A. (2018). The role of the principal in facilitating the inclusion of elementary students. Global Education Review, 5(4), 17-35.

This article reports on one principal’s leadership effort to welcome refugee students to the elementary school. The school was designated as serving refugees. Demographics, reorganization, and restructuring, and the disconnect between the district's priorities and the school’s priorities are some of the challenges faced by the principal. The principal’s longevity and the ability to promote an inclusive culture have helped create a welcoming environment for the refugees.

Websites

8 Tips for Welcoming Newcomer Students and Families to Your School

●     Breiseth (2023) gives readers eight ways to welcome students to the schools. One of the ways to create a safe and welcoming environment is through books. Having books in their native language is helpful, but discussing books that are interesting and on the students’ level is desirable as well.

Web 2 Strategies to Promote a Multicultural Environment

●     The following tips can help teachers develop an inclusive environment that helps students feel welcome and learn better. The tips are to be open and nonjudgmental, embrace language differences in the classroom, build a multicultural library, and celebrate differences.

How to Create a Welcoming Classroom Environment for ELLs

●     This article assists educators with helping ELLs to adjust to their new schools and cultures.

10 Strategies That Support English Language Learners Across All Subjects

●     Joanna Schwartz's article lists ten strategies that help ELL students across all subjects. These ten strategies are intended for all teachers to assist their support for ELLs.

Reflective Practice Questions

●     How can I make all my students feel welcome and safe in my library?

●     Who are some people whom I can collaborate with to curate high-interest books or books in my students' home languages?

●     How can I adjust my practices to make students new to the country feel welcome?

Foreign Language Collection Development

Library collection refers to both resources and materials that the library possesses physically and also those that it can provide access to (Hepler & Horalek, 2023). Some examples of physical resources include but are not limited to books, journals and magazines, videos/DVDs, CDs, and digitally provided resources, which may include eBooks, audiobooks, and online journals/magazines (Hepler & Horalek, 2023). When the collection is curated explicitly for foreign languages, it is called a Foreign Language Collection.

Videos

Library Books for Foreign Language Speakers

●     This video discusses foreign language books and programs offered by the very diverse county of Fairfax, Virginia.

ELL Online Resources

●     Librarian Caroline Mixon shares various online resources librarians can utilize to serve ELs.

Free E-books in World Languages from the International Children’s Digital Library

●     The International Children’s Digital Library explains how books from various world languages can be accessed on the library’s website.

Building a Collection and Library Program that Celebrates Diversity and Inclusion

• This video by Future Ready Librarians discusses how to build inclusive library collections and programs. The video also discusses outreach.

Articles

●     Kester, B. (2021). Diversifying an academic library’s children’s and young adult collection: A case study from the University of Florida’s education library. Collection Management, 47(2-3), 136-156. https://doi.org/10.1080/01462679.2021.1910888

This case study focuses on diversifying an educational library’s children’s and young adults’ literature collection. It details how the plan was created and the start of the implementation stage. The first phase focused on adding bilingual books, immigrant and refugee stories, and graphic novels. Phase two focused on improving the metadata of award books and procuring books with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color as main characters.

●     Gomez, A. (2020, May 4). How to start your Spanish-language collection. Library Journal. https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/collection-development-spanish-language-resources

This article is specific to Spanish language library collection development in libraries. It speaks to the selection, acquisition, and maintenance of the collection of Spanish resources.

●     Schlosser, M. (2021, December 13). Culturally responsive teaching in the school library. https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/culturally-responsive-teaching-in-the-school-library/

Maureen Schlosser’s article focuses on a culturally responsive teaching approach and discusses Dr. Geneva Gay’s cultural diversity video. It also discusses multicultural lesson ideas and children’s book day.

Websites

Spanish Language Collection Development

●     Brodart’s blog post emphasizes the development of Spanish language collections. It provides tips about the appropriateness of books, knowing your community, and English language titles in Spanish.

IFLA/UNESCO Multicultural Library Manifesto

• The IFLA/UNESCO Multicultural Library Manifesto emphasizes libraries' role in promoting cultural diversity and dialogue to strengthen communities. It outlines principles for inclusive library services and highlights key missions, including cultural awareness and linguistic diversity.

Guidelines for Multilingual Materials Collection and Development and Library Services

• These guidelines from the American Library Association were provided for adults. However, they provide sound advice that can be adapted. These guidelines for multilingual library services emphasize equitable service provision for all community members, regardless of linguistic or cultural background. These guidelines cover collection development, programming, outreach, and staffing, aiming to integrate multilingual services as an essential part of overall library operations.

Reflective Practice Questions

●     What foreign languages are spoken in my school community?

●     Where can I find books and resources for a culturally and linguistically diverse population?

●     What should I consider when developing my collection?

Sheltered Instruction Strategies

Sheltered instruction began as an observation tool for educators and evolved into the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) through a research study funded by the U.S. Department of Education and sponsored by the Center for Research on Education, Diversity and Excellence (CREDE) (Markos & Himmel, 2016). SIOP is a type of instructional model used in delivering and planning lessons for non-native English speakers for easy comprehensibility (Kareva & Bytyqi, 2022). SIOP comprises eight components: lesson preparation, lesson delivery, background building, comprehensive input strategies, review & assessment, practice & application, and interaction (Kurniawati et al., 2023).

Videos

Sheltered Instruction – Essentials of Working with English Language Learners (ELLs)

●     The video covers classroom strategies and routines when working with English language learners. The lesson focuses on three components of sheltered instruction: planning, engagement, and assessment. The entire video is about 8 minutes long.

ELL & ESL Teaching Strategies

●     The video is about educating ELLs and addresses sheltered instruction cultural studies, realia, total physical response (TPR), and the language experience approach (LEA).

Sheltered Instruction Method

●     The author covers the basics of sheltered instruction and the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol.

Articles

●     Markos, A., & Himmel, J. (2016). Using sheltered instruction to support English learners. Center for Applied Linguistics, 1-16.

This article provides an overview of sheltered instruction and describes when and how to use it to support ELLs. It provides a list of sheltered instruction resources for teachers and discusses components such as instructional strategies, content and language objectives, and the assessment of content learning.

●     Buxton, C. A., & Caswell, L. (2020). Next-generation sheltered instruction to support multilingual learners in secondary science classrooms. Science Education, 104(3), 555-580. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21569

This study used results from a 4-year research effort to propose updates to the sheltered instruction model for middle and high school science classrooms, leveraging the opportunities provided by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The study revealed that the teachers preferred a slightly modified implementation of the general principles of sheltered instruction practice, such as adapting or rejecting practices based on perceived need or knowledge about the multilingual students’ specific context of science.

●     Shi, Y., Zaier, A., & Maina, F. (2020). Sheltered instruction observation protocol model: An effective way of promoting teacher candidates’ self-efficacy in teaching English language learners. The International Journal of Diversity in Education, 21(2), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.18848/2327-0020/cgp/v21i02/1-17

This study explores peer and self-evaluations, reflective writings and observations, semi-structured interviews, and procedures of English as a Second Language (ESL). Teacher candidates (TCs) were used to implement the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) model for Pre-K–5 English Language Learners (ELLs). The results showed that implementing SIOP can be a positive model for enhancing TCs’ self-efficacy in teaching ELLs.

Websites

CAL SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol)

●     This website explains the SIOP Model and highlights who benefits from its application. It also contains resources for all levels of English learners from early childhood to GED/Adult. The website also contains FAQs concerning the implementation of SIOP.

TESOL Trainers: K-12 Education Consultants

●     As the name suggests, this website hosts information for TESOL trainers. TESOL is an acronym that denotes Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. The site gives an overview of SIOP, its history, the benefits of using SIOP for guiding and planning teaching, and how TESOL can help educate teachers and students on the use of SIOP.

Reflections on Teaching Multilingual Learners

●     This website is a great resource for understanding SIOP. It contains tabs for developing the SIOP model, an overview of the model, components of the model, the SIOP model program and contexts, and the SIOP protocol. It also hosts information for SIOP books and the research evidence for the SIOP model.

What Is Sheltered Instruction?

●     The site gives information about the origin of sheltered instruction and its basic elements. It also discusses how sheltered instruction is applied to educational environments.

Reflective Practice Questions

●     How can sheltered instruction be utilized in the library with English Learners?

●     Why is sheltered instruction necessary for English Learners?

Criteria for Evaluating ELL-Friendly Resources & Environments

The process of evaluating ELL-friendly resources involves considering various aspects, including demography, sociopolitical status, and the distinctive traits of diverse cultures. In order to fulfill their role effectively, the evaluators must engage in self-reflection and critically evaluate their own cultural perspective towards the diverse cultures coexisting within their community, as noted by Cerna et al. (2021). The focus of this particular section in the guide is to provide a comprehensive overview of assessments, best practices, and the indicators that are essential for establishing ELL-friendly environments.

Videos

Cultural Relevance Versus Construct Relevance: How Do We Create Culturally Responsive Assessments?

●     This webinar has a panel of experts discussing ideas on how to develop equity-focused assessments.

ELL-Friendly Classrooms: What to Notice

●     This video discusses how to make a learning environment ELL-friendly.

Understanding and Using ELL/MLL Assessment Resources

●     This NYC Department of Education video stresses understanding and using ELL assessment resources.

Articles

●     Diverse City, White Curriculum. NYC Coalition for Educational Justice. (2020). http://www.nyccej.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Diverse-City-White-Curriculum-3.pdf

This report offers a summary of an analysis of the racial and ethnic demographics of more than 1,205 books across 15 commonly used curricula and booklists from 3-K and Pre-K through 8th grade in comparison to the demographic composition of NYC public schools.

●     Cerna, O., Condliffe, B., & Wilson, A. (2021). Guiding questions for supporting culturally responsive evaluation practices and an equity-based perspective. https://www.mdrc.org/sites/default/files/Equity-Guiding_Questions.pdf

This document is a project-based report that offers guiding questions to facilitate culturally responsive evaluation and offer an equity-based perspective.

Websites

Evaluating Materials for Culturally Responsive Practices: A Landscape Analysis

●     This report discusses how educators review their instructional materials to practice culturally responsive teaching.

Laura Candler’s Teaching Resources

●     Laura Candler’s blog posits some guiding questions to determine if a classroom is ELL-friendly.

Culturally Responsive Evaluation (CRE)

●     The website discusses CRE methods, challenges, and limitations.

How to Conduct a Diversity Audit

●     The post discusses the steps for conducting a diversity audit. The blog reflects the core competencies of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC).

Reflective Practice Questions

●     How can the ELL friendliness of the library be measured?

●     What steps can I take to design ELL friendly programs?

●     How can one evaluate the success of the ELL resources included in the library?

●     How can I align my practices to be ELL-friendly?

Engaging in Culturally Relevant and Competent Teaching Practices

According to Mayfield (2020), cultural competence is the ability to interpret how cultural values and beliefs influence conscious and unconscious behavior. It involves using critical thinking to recognize how inequality can be perpetuated through socialized behaviors. Additionally, it requires knowledge and a determined disposition to disrupt inequitable practices to achieve greater personal and professional success for yourself and others.

Engaging in culturally relevant teaching practices involves acknowledging students' cultural backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to develop an inclusive and worthwhile learning environment. This approach recognizes and values diversity and students' cultural identities (Brown et al., 2019), promotes positive representation (Aronson & Laughter, 2016), and ensures that instructional materials and methods are relevant and responsive to diverse cultural contexts (Hyter, 2022; Ladson-Billings, 2014). Therefore, Ladson-Billings (2014) encourages educators to consider embracing “culturally sustaining pedagogy” (Paris, 2012), which has its foundations in culturally relevant teaching. Culturally sustaining pedagogy acknowledges that multiple layers impact pedagogy and that it constantly evolves. These layers include changing cultures and sociopolitical contexts that interplay with students as learners and conveyors of knowledge.

Videos

How Culturally Responsive Practices Help Students Connect to School

●     Teachers explain how acknowledging students’ cultural background and passion can drive instruction to enhance learning. When students see themselves in the examples, with their names in the situations and solutions, they want to be at school every day, which reinforces their retention.

What Is Culturally Responsive Teaching? Ask the Expert

●     Professors explain how to help students become more fully engaged and motivated in the classroom and to help them better develop their identities.

Increasing Engagement by Using a Culturally Responsive Curriculum

●     Teacher Vanee Matsalia demonstrates how she uses a culturally responsive curriculum in her eighth-grade classroom. She shows how she determines what text to use with her students and discusses how a culturally responsive curriculum and teaching keep her students engaged.

Articles

●     Aronson, B., & Laughter, J. (2016). The theory and practice of culturally relevant education: A synthesis of research across content areas. Review of Educational Research, 86(1), 163-206.

https://doi-org.libproxy.library.unt.edu/10.3102/0034654315582

This study analysis presents compelling evidence of the benefits of culturally relevant education (CRE) on student outcomes across various domains. Adopting CRE can steer the discourse on education away from neoliberal individualism.

●     Brown, B. A., Boda, P., Lemmi, C., & Monroe, X. (2019). Moving culturally relevant pedagogy from theory to practice: Exploring teachers’ application of culturally relevant education in science and mathematics. Urban Education, 54(6), 775-803. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085918794802

This study reports that, at first, elementary teachers in urban areas had a basic understanding of the importance of cultural relevance in their classrooms. However, after additional professional development, they were able to connect theory to practice better. This finding emphasizes the necessity for further research on the significance of cultural relevance in teaching STEM subjects.

●     Hyter, Y. D. (2022). Engaging in culturally responsive and globally sustainable practices. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 24(3), 239-247. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2022.2070280

The article emphasizes the importance of culturally and linguistically responsive practices in speech, language, and hearing education. It suggests critically examining and reconceptualizing practices to eliminate ableism, racism, and colonialism and adopting a social model of disability. The strategies aim to make practices culturally responsive and globally sustainable.

●     Ladson-Billings, G. (2014). Culturally relevant pedagogy 2.0: Aka the remix. Harvard Educational Review, 84(1), 74-84. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.84.1.p2rj131485484751

In this piece, Ladson-Billings contemplates the development of her culturally relevant pedagogy theory and proposes an updated version called culturally sustaining pedagogy. This new approach focuses on issues of fairness and equality and is demonstrated in the author's involvement with the First Wave program.

●     Underwood, J., Kimmel, S., Forest, D., & Dickinson, G. (2015). Culturally relevant book-talking: Using a mixed reality simulation with preservice school librarians. School Libraries Worldwide, 21(1), 91-107. doi:https://doi.org/10.14265.21.1.006

The study demonstrates that school librarians are vital in promoting cultural diversity and social justice reform in education. They achieve this by using book-talking to introduce multicultural literature to preservice librarians. This method helps develop their understanding of culturally relevant pedagogy while addressing personal bias and systemic racism in schools and literature.

Websites

Engaging in culturally relevant teaching practices

●     This website is a great resource for learning how to engage in culturally relevant practices. It also provides an understanding of academic success among students of color, setting expectations for them and seeing cultural differences as assets to learning rather than barriers.

How to Practice Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

●     This website provides an explanation of culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP), cultural competence, sociopolitical consciousness, and how to be culturally responsive, among others.

"My Curriculum Has No Soul!": A Case Study of the Experiences of Black Women Science Teachers Working at Charter Schools

●     This study examines the experiences of three Black female teachers who encountered and participated in the failings and triumphs of today's charter school system while teaching Black and Brown students.

Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies: Importance, Benefits & Tips

●     This website offers excellent resources for culturally responsive teaching and a guide for creating one with associated tips and benefits.

Reflective Practice Questions

●     How can I become more culturally responsive in my instruction?

●     Who are some people I can collaborate with to develop culturally responsive library programming to support the school curriculum?

●     How can I adjust my practices to foster respect between cultures?

Working with Community Partners

For school librarians to successfully support ELLs, it is vital to contact community partners to provide them with resources. A few notable community partners are the public library and the local parent-teacher organizations like the PTA or PTO. Working with public libraries, school librarians have access to the resources available to the community, and public libraries know what school students are learning at each level (Dotson, Yontz, & Jones, 2018). Parent organizations such as PTA and PTO support schools by providing activities, helping with volunteers, and fundraising (Durrani, 2023).

Videos

Supporting Deeper Learning Through The School Library

●     In this webinar, the topic of discussion revolves around the ways in which partnerships can provide support for deeper learning and standards-based instruction.

Literacy 2030: Partnership between Public Libraries and Schools

●     This webinar from the South Carolina State Library discusses collaboration between public libraries and schools.

How to Design a Library that Makes Kids Want to Read

●     While this video shows how to make a library where students want to read, it also shows how to connect with people outside the school system to make a school library inviting to all students.

Articles

●     Kammer, J., King, M., Donahay, A., & Koeberl, H. (2021). Strategies for successful school librarian and teacher collaboration. School Library Research, 24, 1-24. https://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/pubs/slr/vol24/SLR_StrategiesforSuccessful_V24.pdf

This article is a meta-analysis of three action research studies of school librarians collaborating with teachers. In one of the studies, the high school librarian used action research to work with the ELL teacher to understand the barriers ELL students were facing when using the library.

●     Ammar, A. A., Sondergeld, K.P., & Delaney, B. (2021). Exploring the impact of a community school reform initiative on the literacy achievement of middle-level English language learners. Research in Middle Level Education (RMLE), 44(4), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/19404476.2021.1893909

This article shows how community schools successfully make marginalized students feel welcome and help them perform better. The community schools used a community partner, the refugee center, to support all students and their families. The study demonstrated that those students who attended the community refugee center, with the support of the community partners, outperformed students of comparable demographics.

Websites

English Learner Toolkit

●     This toolkit can be downloaded in various languages. It is also divided into 10 chapters. Each chapter of this comprehensive toolkit provides support for English learners.

Supporting Emergent Bilingual Students in Texas

●     This website helps families and communities learn how to support the emergent bilinguals of the state of Texas. The T3 section directs learners to the engagement series, such as community engagement.

Public Library & School Library Collaboration Toolkit

●     This collaboration toolkit helps school librarians walk through the process of setting up a collaboration with a public library. While these steps are initially designed for public and school libraries, they will also work when collaborating with any organization.

National PTA Position Statement – Libraries and Educational Material

●     This position statement by the National PTA lets school libraries know that PTAs are there to support the school library for every student.

Working with Community Organizations to Support ELL Students

●     This webpage is a wealth of information on working with community organizations. There is a list of services that would benefit ELLs and their families.

Reflective Practice Questions

●     How can I build a network of community partners to help support ELLs?

●     Who are some community partners I can collaborate with to support ELLs?

●     How can I adjust my practices to network and work with community partners?

Fundraising and Advocating for ELL Technology

Technology has become essential to the success of all students, especially ELL students. However, there can be challenges when accessing technology for ELLs. The digital divide is just one of the challenges ELL students encounter. They have limited access to technology, such as internet access at home, and may not know the best way to use technology to learn (Altavilla, 2020). This digital divide also extends to adults, and the pandemic disproportionately affected those students of color (Manspile, Atwell & Bridgeland, 2021).

Videos

Using Tech to Support ELLs

●     This video lists three tech tools that will help ELLS learn. The host also asks for input from the audience. The tech tools listed are Screencastify, MOTE, and Flip.

How to Write a Technology Grant Proposal for Your Campus

●     This video gives tips on how to write a grant for technology purchases. Always include the outcome you would like to see when writing a grant.

Grant Writing For Educators – Where to Start and What You Should Know

●     This guidance will help with writing educational grants. The host explains the difference between education and other nonprofits. He encourages you to take a team approach.

Articles

• Altavilla, J. (2020). How technology affects instruction for English learners. Kappan, 102(1), 18-23. https://doi.org/10.1177/0031721720956841

This article addresses three concerns about using technology for instruction with ELLs. These three technology concerns are 1) accessibility and use, 2) biases, and 3) social engagement.

• Manspile, E., Atwell, M. N., & Bridgeland, J. M. (2021). Immigrant students and English learners: Challenges faced in high school and postsecondary education. Civic. 1-24. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED614148.pdf

This research brief focuses on challenges ELLs face in high school, including access to technology at home. One of the barriers that over 75% of ELLs and immigrants face is internet access at home. They also lack technology support at home.

• Yuan, C., Want, L., & Eagle, J. (2019). Empowering English language learners through digital literacies: Research, complexities, and implications. Media and Communication, 7(2), 128-136. DOI: 10.17645/mac.v7i2.1912

The authors of this article look at the pedagogy necessary to teach ELLs. They refer to the students’ knowledge as assets rather than deficits. As part of the information on empowering ELLs through digital literacy, they also discuss the benefits of ensuring that ELLs become competent in digital literacies.

Websites

How to Use Technology to Engage Multilingual Families

●     This website explains how to work with ELL families through technology. Facebook is one of the most engaging ways to connect with families.

How to Use Technology to Support ELLs in Your Classroom

●     This article from Common Sense Media helps teachers look for ways to support ELLs’ use of technology. The suggestions range from using technology tools students are already familiar with to using those tools that specifically address the needs of the students.

Grants for ELL and Migrant Students

●     This website lists several grants that are available for ELL and migrant students. The deadlines are listed along with the average awarded amount.

Grants for Literacy Programs for English Learners

●     This website lists grants for programs for English learners. While these are literacy grants, technology can be used to support literacy.

Reflective Practice Questions

●     How can I communicate the need for technology for ELLs to my principal?

●     Who are some people I can collaborate with to fundraise to make sure my ELLs have access to technology?

●     How can I adjust my practices to ensure all ELLs have access to technology and know how to use it?

Using Social Media to Engage Students and Families

This practice involves using popular social media platforms to communicate, collaborate, and share information within the educational context. It leverages social media's widespread usage and familiarity to enhance engagement, foster community, and establish effective communication channels between educators, students (Greenhow et al., 2019), and their families (Minero, n.d.; Nielsen, 2014). Nielsen asserts that everyone wins when educators use social media to engage parents and students since parents are informed about their wards' progress, and students can learn better. These platforms include X (formerly Twitter), Facebook groups, or messaging apps to convey class schedules, project details, upcoming events, and other relevant announcements.

Videos

Promoting Equity in Education Through Family Engagement

●     This video presents an overview of education equity and proposes strategies for fostering more significant educational equity through meaningful family engagement practices. It features the voices and lived experiences of students, families, and school administrators.

7 Ideas on Using Social Media in the ESL Classroom

●     This presentation shares ideas for using social media in ESL. It proposes that teachers must be flexible with technology and digital materials to engage students and assist in achieving meaningful results.

How to Integrate Social Media into Your English Language Teaching

●     This video provides tips to help educators use social media in English language teaching.

Articles

●     Greenhow, C., Galvin, S. M., & Staudt Willet, K. B. (2019). What should be the role of social media in education? Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 6(2), 178-185. https://doi-org.libproxy.library.unt.edu/10.1177/2372732219865290

This study suggests that integrating social media into education presents various benefits, such as promoting student learning, supporting teacher professional development, facilitating educational research practices, and fostering communication of scholarship. These advantages have significant implications for education policy.

●     Nielsen, L. (2013). Using social media to engage students and families. Educational Horizons, 92(2), 16-20.

The author suggests incorporating social media in education necessitates obtaining consent from parents/guardians and students. This is because social media offers a dynamic platform for learning and communication, enabling teachers to utilize digital resources to connect with their students and establish relationships with their families.

●     Minero, E. (n.d.). Parent Engagement in the Digital Age. Edutopia. Retrieved June 15, 2023, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/parent-engagement-digital-age/

This webpage presents communication apps, such as Remind and ClassDojo, allowing for more frequent and convenient communication between parents and teachers, improving parent engagement, and benefiting student success. However, there are concerns about privacy and data security when using these apps.

Websites

A Teacher’s Experience… of Using Social Media to Engage Students

●     This blog post explains social media as an excellent way for learners to engage with their peers and exhibit their creative skills in the English language while keeping them committed and enabling them to showcase their technology literacy skills.

On Their Level: Making Meaningful Connections with Students via Social Media

●     This blog post presents the authors' perspective and advice on social media to connect with students and parents. It follows that motivation for teachers or advisors remains driven by balancing meaningful relationships via academic advising to build relationships based on care and trust.

5 Ways to Use Social Media to Engage with New Students

●     This resource explains how to establish a social media presence to promote a relationship that engages students and families and leverages these platforms strategically.

Engaging Your School Community Through Social Media

●     This resource presents a school leader's experience and strategies for connecting with his community through the school website, staff blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and WeChat.

Reflective Practice Questions

●     What are the most practical ways to use social media to engage students and families effectively?

●     Who are some potential collaborators to make connections with?

●     How can I adjust strategies to foster a healthy community and engage students and families more?

Translation Tools for ELLs

• Seesaw – The Seesaw learning platform can translate any message to the family in the family's home language. Seesaw can also translate messages written by families in their home language to the teacher’s language. Seesaw Basic is free.

• Firefox Translations – This is a free extension for Firefox users that allows for translation without the information leaving your computer. There are eight languages available.

• Simple Translate – A free extension for Firefox. It can translate in real time.

• Safari Translate – Turn on Safari Translate on your Mac, and it will translate the webpage.

• Facebook Translate – Facebook can translate messages sent to families so they can receive them in their home language.

• SayHi – This is a great app to translate live conversations. It can translate 101 languages and dialects.

• Language Translator by Mate – This iOS app works on an iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. It translates into 103 languages.

• Translator with Speech – This app is available for both iOS and Android. It translates over 90 languages and can store searches for offline use.

• Linguee – This is a multilingual dictionary on a search engine. It can search for meaning, words, and text in different languages.

• iTools – This is a website translator owned by Google that can translate beyond words, phrases, or paragraphs up to an entire text. It translates to any choice of language.

• DayTranslations – This free online translator website can translate words or phrases but offers professional translators for more extensive projects for a fee.

• Translation2 – This is a free online tool that is able to translate into more than 104 languages.

• Translationly – This free online tool is able to translate websites, paragraphs, and documents. It was developed by bloggers, entrepreneurs, and students.

• QuillBot AI – This tool leverages AI to translate text online. It can translate text into over 30 languages.

• Onlinedoctranslator – The user uploads a file to the website, the document is translated, and a file generated in the original layout is uploaded.

• Systran – This free online tool is able to translate text, web pages, and even RSS feeds.

• Bing Translator – This tool helps learners break the language barrier at home, work, and anywhere. Learners can ask questions and receive translations on the go.

• Paralink – This online translator helps translate words, text, and phrases for over 100 languages using three translation providers, Google, Firefox, and Bing, for greater reliability.

• Reverso Text-translation – This app can translate text from any application in just one click. It can also translate Word, PDF, and PowerPoint files with a document translator.

• Input Tools – This tool enables learners to type in and get translations in the language of their choice anywhere on the web.

• Dialog Free Translate – This app enables a device with a microphone to translate spoken words and phrases into any language.

• Memrise – Memrise provides valuable vocabulary and phrases for real-life situations. It is available in many languages, from Spanish, French, and Mongolian to Yoruba.

• Microsoft Translator for Education – Microsoft has developed a translation tool for educators. The site includes access to free resources, tools, and tutorials for educators.

• Google Translate – Google Translate can translate single words, common phrases, and even documents. Google Translate can be accessed as an add-on for Google Suite products such as Slides and Docs.

• TalkingPoints – TalkingPoints is a communication software that can translate messages between users.

• Remind – Remind can be used to translate languages to communicate with parents of EL students.

• DeepL – DeepL has the capability to translate while the user reads and writes. Users can translate whole texts, passages, and documents.

• iTranslate – iTranslate provides users with translation services for writing, reading, and speaking.

• Speak & Translate – Speak & Translate is an app that translates texts and speech.

• Dialog – Dialog is an app that allows users to translate speech and text. The app also has a feature where a phone or tablet camera can be used to capture text to be translated.

Student-friendly Tutorial & Reading Resources in Different Languages

·         Duolingo Learn–English – Duolingo uses a gamified approach to language learning, with lessons incorporating translators, quizzes, interactive exercises, and stories to make learning more engaging and fun.

·         italki – This app is a global language-learning community that connects teachers and students on personalized lessons in any language to help students become fluent quickly.

·         BBC Learning English – This is a well-rounded website for ELLs. It provides free materials and English videos to help learners improve pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.

·         Babbel – This app combines effective education methods with advanced technology that enables users to learn English and other foreign languages quickly.

·         Innovative Language Learning – This great YouTube channel offers many different language tutorials for older students.

·         LingoAce – This YouTube channel has various playlists to help students learn Chinese through songs. There is also a website, but the subscription comes with a fee.

·         LittlePimCo – This YouTube channel offers language learning for the youngest learners. LittlePim also has a website with subscriptions.

·         Mondly – This app is available in the Apple or Google Play stores. It is a free app. There is also a Mondly YouTube Channel.

·         Gus on the Go – This is an app-based language-learning system for 30 languages.

·         Book Creator – Now you can create books in ten different languages. It can also be used as a language-learning tool.

·         Memrise – There is both a free and pro-version for this app. There are over 200 languages offered on both. The app uses memes to help students recall the vocabulary.

·         50 Languages – This website has about 100 short video tutorials that can be translated into about 50 languages.

·         Language of Earth – This YouTube channel teaches languages like Spanish, French, German, and Hindi.

·         Real Russian Club – This YouTube channel teaches beginners the Russian language.

·         Annenberger Learner Series – This website contains video content taught in Arabic, Chinese, French, Japanese, German, Italian, Latin, Russian, and Spanish.

·         Amharic Basic Course – This website contains audio lessons containing dialogues, narratives, and exercises that teach Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia.

·         FSI Language Courses – Written Arabic – This site contains text and audio resources for learning Arabic.

·         International Children's Digital Library – This site provides access to children’s books authored in different languages, such as Arabic and Afrikaans, and transcribed into English. The books are for preschoolers and middle schoolers. Note: This website has lost most of its sponsorship. Look elsewhere for online children’s books.

·         Miscositas – This site hosts materials taught in foreign languages, including picture books. Languages include English, Spanish, French, and Chinese.

·         Bella – A YouTube Channel that provides tips for learning languages using animation. Bella speaks Korean, English, and Spanish and shares tips on how she quickly learned languages.

·         Annie Long – This YouTube video teaches busy students how to learn a language independently (self-study guide).

·         TokuyuuTU–Japanese – This YouTube channel teaches Japanese from those with no Japanese up to high school level by simple demonstration.

·         Nathaniel Drew–The Solar System Theory – This YouTube channel approaches language learning using solar system theory through conceptualization, visualization, ranking by frequency, and more.

·         Johnny Harris Italian Using the Video Game Theory – A YouTube channel that teaches children and adults Italian using video game theory.

·         Juny Tony Kids – This YouTube channel teaches kids to learn languages through songs and stories.

·         Elementary students get lessons in world languages – Spokane Public Schools teach elementary students the basics of different languages.

·         Spanish with Nate – A YouTube channel that teaches people Spanish.

·         Bilingual Little Stars: A YouTube channel that teaches viewers various languages through song and dance. Languages taught include Spanish, English, and ASL.

·         Language Learners Espanol: A YouTube channel that provides lessons, story read-alouds, and lectures in Spanish.

·         German for Kids: A YouTube channel that teaches children how to speak German through animation, skits, and video shorts.

·         Little Chinese Learners: A YouTube channel that teaches Mandarin through video lessons that rely on songs, stories, and games.

·         Learning with Heba: A YouTube channel that teaches viewers how to speak Arabic by engaging in games and storytelling.

·         Dinolingo: A YouTube channel that exposes viewers to 52 different languages. The videos use song, storytelling, and rhyming to teach language acquisition.

·         Shalom Sesame: A YouTube channel that teaches viewers the basics of Hebrew through animations, songs, and dialog.

·         The French Minute: A YouTube channel that uses video shorts that last one minute to teach French. Each video focuses on one vocabulary item.

·         Rock ‘n’ Learn: A YouTube channel that provides tutorials in various languages.

·         English SingSing: A YouTube channel that provides videos in various forms such as nursery rhymes, dialogue, songs, rap, story, and phonics.

·         The Easy Spanish Lesson: The developer shares lessons in French and Spanish.

·         Bilingually Yours: This website provides educational activities for English and Spanish speakers.

Bilingual Book Vendors

Many authors and researchers have emphasized the need for more books written by people of color. Sharing these books is crucial in helping students understand diverse viewpoints. This list of publishers has been curated to identify those that specifically publish bilingual books. By including books for readers of different backgrounds, we signal to our students the importance of embracing different cultures and experiences.

It is essential to have representation across all genres and categories, including fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. When students read books that accurately represent people of different backgrounds, they can better understand and appreciate different perspectives. Students can learn about different cultures, traditions, and experiences, which can help foster empathy and understanding.

Moreover, the industry must have diverse authors, editors, and publishing professionals to ensure that diverse stories are being told and accurately represented. Therefore, it is necessary to seek books and materials outside of mainstream publishing houses. The more librarians, educators, and the general public support underrepresented authors, illustrators, and translators, the more we will find uncommon voices and experiences recognized for their uniqueness and contributions.

Diverse literature helps students to connect to the cultures around them. Connections and supporting underrepresented voices provide the foundation for inclusive educational environments where students feel comfortable sharing their ideas and truth while learning from others. By incorporating diverse literature into the schools, librarians can help foster a sense of community and understanding among students from different backgrounds.

1. Arcoiris

2. Arte Público Press

3. Barefoot Books

4. Bilingual Books, Inc.

5. BrickHouse Education

6. Candlewick Press

7. Charlesbridge Publishing

8. Children’s Book Press

9. Cuento de Luz

10.  Groundwood Books

11.  Kane Miller

12.  Language Lizard

13.  Lee & Low Books

Elevator Speeches

In order to facilitate your communication with ELL stakeholders, we have curated a selection of elevator speeches that can be used to initiate conversations. Employ these speeches as strategic conversation starters to effectively involve your stakeholders, foster meaningful discussions, and ultimately secure their support for your ELL programming.

1.   Target group: Principal for supporting your ELL program

Scenario: Ask a school principal to invest in diverse literature and multilingual texts to improve ELL student literacy and proficiency.

Elevator speech text:

Good morning/afternoon [Principal's Name],

I hope all is well. I want to take a moment to discuss an important initiative that can greatly benefit the students in the English Language Learner (ELL) program here at [School Name]. As the school librarian, I have witnessed the challenges our ELL students face when it comes to language acquisition and the impact learning a new language has on their academic success.

Research shows that libraries play a vital role in supporting language development and fostering literacy skills among ELL students. With your support, we can enhance the library's resources and programs to create a more inclusive and enriching environment for the ELL population.

The best way we can actively support ELL students is by purchasing and investing in multilingual texts, diverse literature, and language learning resources. By doing this, we will not only be celebrating students’ cultural heritage, but we will also be providing students with the tools necessary to improve their language proficiency and literacy.

I also propose the creation of reading groups or book clubs designed with ELL students and their families in mind. Making the literacy sessions engaging and interactive will increase the chances that students practice any newly acquired vocabulary and will encourage the use of their literacy skills.

Lastly, I plan to collaborate with ELL teachers to develop library programs that are designed to support and reinforce what is being taught in the classroom. Aligning the library lessons and resources to enhance the curriculum will be beneficial for the students. The library is a place where students can learn in an environment that is supportive and nonjudgmental.

With your assistance, I am confident that we can acquire the additional funding to expand the library's collection and implement these initiatives effectively. By investing in our ELL students' education, we are not only helping them succeed academically but also fostering a more inclusive and diverse learning environment for all students.

I'm excited to work together with you to empower our ELL students and ensure their educational journey is both satisfying and equitable. I believe this partnership will contribute to the overall success of all students and positively impact our school community as a whole.

2.  Target group: ELL parent for participating in programming in the school library.

Scenario: An elevator speech for an English learner parent to encourage participation in programming in the school library, specifically promoting a weekly family reading night.

Elevator speech text: Hello! My name is [XYZ], and I am a school librarian at [School Name]. My colleagues and I are committed to providing our students with a high-quality education that prepares them for success in the future. One of our new school initiatives this year is our [Reading Night] program for our students who are learning English as a second language. This program will bring students and families together on [Thursday] nights to learn English reading comprehension and speaking skills.

We are excited to invite you and your family to our weekly family reading night at the school library. It is a wonderful opportunity for you and your children to bond over books and language. The program will be from 6:00–7:30 PM [CST] and will last an hour and thirty minutes. Join us as we explore captivating stories, engage in fun activities, and play games suitable for different age groups relating to the themes of the stories, watch brief videos to generate short conversations, and create a vibrant reading and speaking community.

The combination of these activities will captivate the participants' attention to create an enjoyable experience for all. It's a chance for your children to enhance their English language skills while enjoying quality time together. We value your presence and assure you it will be time well spent.

We look forward to your support and seeing you and your family at our family reading nights in the school library as we strive to make our library and community worthwhile and dynamic.

Thank you!

3.   Target group: Public or academic librarian

Scenario: Pitching for collaboration on a project that can support ELLs in the community/school.

Elevator speech text: Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I am a [occupation] at [affiliation]. My team and I have curated a robust list of resources that can support K-12 ELL students to succeed in their education. Would you be interested in hearing how some of these programs can be applied in your library?

We discovered that the United States has about [percentage] of ELLs in our various schools and communities. So it is imperative that resources are made available to enable them to succeed in their education. We have a list of vendors where you can source books and materials depending on the prevalent school/community interests.

To evaluate your library’s ELL resource friendliness, we can offer guidelines that will assist you in achieving that. We have a list of free translation websites and tools that your library staff can adopt in learning and facilitating foreign language learning to serve the ELLs in your school and community better.

We recently received a grant from [organization] to advocate, train, and disseminate these resources. Would you be interested in collaborating with our team in adopting and instituting some of these interventions to support the ELLs in your community?

4.   Target group: Nonprofit organizations supporting ELLs

Scenario: Approaching a nonprofit to collaborate with you in the school library to provide programming.

Elevator speech text: Hello, My name is [Your Name]. I am the school librarian for [your school] in [your school district]. We have a very diverse group of students from all over the world. Many of them are learning English as a second language (ESL).

One of my goals this year is to help our English language learners (ELLs) feel more welcome in the library and in the school. One way I would like to do this is by inviting speakers and/or authors from diverse cultural backgrounds to speak to the students, especially our ESL students. These speakers/authors would represent those who have come to this country as English Language Learners (ELLs).

As our district’s educational foundation [or any nonprofit that supports education], this would be a great opportunity for you to highlight the benefits of learning how all students, especially ELLs, can be successful by providing the financial resources necessary to bring in great speakers/authors. We would like to start by having four evenings, once a week for nine weeks, as part of our “Opportunities for Success” series.  Our goal is to start with local success stories and expand the opportunity as our program grows.

We will coordinate with the school and the PTA to make sure we have advertising that will reflect your sponsorship of the program. We will also make sure that we provide refreshments for our guests.

We are seeking [$$$] to invite [Guest #1, Guest, #2, Author #1, Guest #3]. Thank you again for supporting our students on their journey to academic success.

5.   Target group: Business Owners

Scenario: The school is starting a new program that will bring together ELLs with their peers to learn English and reading comprehension skills.

Elevator speech text: Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I am a school librarian at [School Name]. Thank you for giving me some of your time today. My colleagues and I are committed to providing our students with a high-quality education that prepares them for success in the future. One of our new school initiatives this year is our [XYZ] program for our students who are learning English as a second language.

The [XYZ] program is designed to help students develop their language skills and their reading comprehension. All students in school can attend because reading is a foundational subject. We want to provide a variety of resources and support services to help our students succeed, including specialized instruction, tutoring, and access to technology. 

However, to continue to offer these important services to our students, we need the support of our local community. That's why I am reaching out to businesses like yours to ask for your support. By investing in our [XYZ] program, you will be helping us to provide our students with the resources they need to succeed at [XYZ School] and beyond.

Your support will not only benefit our students but will also help to strengthen our community as a whole. By investing in our program, you are investing in the future of our community and helping to ensure that all students have access to the resources they need to succeed. If you support us, you will be honored in our yearbook, a plaque in our library, and [XYZ].

Thank you for your consideration, and we hope that you will choose to support the [XYZ] program at [XYZ school].

Reflective Practice Questions

• How can I effectively communicate the unique value that library resources and services offer in supporting English Language Learners to potential partners such as ESL teachers, subject teachers, and administrators?

•  What specific collaborative projects or initiatives could I propose to different stakeholders that would leverage both library resources and their expertise to enhance the educational experience of English Language Learners?

• How can I identify and approach potential community partners (e.g., local literacy organizations, cultural centers) to create a more comprehensive support network for English Language Learners beyond the school walls? 

Collaborative Planning Sheet

Collaboration is a cornerstone of effective education, particularly when it comes to supporting English Learners (ELs). This Collaborative Planning Sheet is designed to facilitate meaningful partnerships between school librarians, educators, and community leaders, with the ultimate goal of enhancing educational outcomes for EL students. By bringing together professionals from various fields, we can leverage diverse expertise, optimize resources, and enhance cultural competence in our educational approaches. Collaborative efforts allow us to address not just academic needs, but also social, emotional, and cultural aspects of EL students' development. Through tailored instruction, increased engagement, and enhanced language support, collaboration can significantly improve educational outcomes for ELs. Partnerships can help bridge the gap between school and home, involving families and community members in the educational process.

Title of the Activity:

Targeted collaborator (e.g., teacher, school administrator, community organization, community member, public or academic librarian).

Targets school community audience (e.g., student learners, parents, faculty, staff).

Collaborative partner’s Information

·         Name:

·         Roles:

·         Contact Information:

·         Experience:

Activity Goals and Objectives

·         Supported AASL and State Standards:

·         Overall Goals:

o   __________________

o   __________________

·         Specific Objectives:

o   ________________

o   ________________

Programming Ideas

·         Activity 1

·         Activity 2

·         Activity 3

Roles and Responsibilities

·         Collaborative Partner 1:___________________________________

o   Responsibility

·         Collaborative Partner 2:___________________________________

o   Responsibility

·         Collaborative Partner 3:___________________________________

o   Responsibility

Project Timeline

Planning Phase: Start Date___________ End Date________

Marketing Phase: Start Date___________ End Date________

Implementation Phase: Start Date________ End Date________

Evaluation Phase: Start Date________ End Date________

Follow up Meeting Phase: Start Date________ End Date________

Marketing Plan

Promotional Outlets (e.g., groups, student organizations, listservs, TV channels,  radio stations, newspapers, social media channels, websites, digital and print flyers, local businesses, local influencers, local organizations)

·         List

·         List

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Promotional Materials (e.g., elevator speeches, social media posts, short articles, commercial blurbs, flyers)

·         List

·         List

·         List

Evaluative Processes

·         Formative assessment methods:

·         Summative assessment methods:

·         Methods used for collecting feedback:

·         Indicators of success

·         List

·         List

·         List

Project Reflection

·         What went right?

·         What could have been done better?

·         What activities would you like to do in the future?

·         Lessons Learned:

·         List

·         List

·         List

·         Future Collaborative Projects

·         List

·         List

·         List