One in 10 public school students in the United States is classified as an English learner, according to an article in The 74. Still, many educators feel underprepared to support language-diverse classrooms effectively.
Here is some advice for providing a productive learning environment for everyone:
1) Check your own biases
Understand and overcome your own assumptions as an educator. Do you believe all children can learn, regardless of their language background what they look like, and their socioeconomic status? Cognitive research says they can—and any child can learn how to read, write and speak in two or more languages at the same time. But teachers sometimes believe that if a child’s parents don’t speak English, it will be difficult for them to learn English at school. Or their parents aren’t caring/giving/interested in education because they work all the time. Or parents don’t read to their child, making it difficult for the child to learn to read.
2) Honor students’ cultural diversity
Acknowledge and celebrate students’ cultural heritage to create an environment where all students feel welcome—and ready to learn. Learn how to pronounce each child’s name correctly. Build a classroom library that includes books reflecting characters with similar backgrounds and interests. Know what’s important to your students and their parents to help foster deep connections. Science tells us serotonin and dopamine are important aspects to learning, and those chemicals are more likely to flow in a safe, secure and welcoming learning environment.
3) Learn about heritage languages
Some teachers think they must know every language their students speak to be successful. That’s not true. But learning a little bit about each language can help teachers make connections for their students. Artificial intelligence makes it easier than ever for teachers to gain this knowledge. Ask an AI engine which letters and letter sounds are the same and which are different when comparing English to a student’s heritage language.
4) Leverage students’ skills in their heritage language
Children who have grown up learning how to speak another language have already acquired initial literacy skills that can help them learn English. If you know which letters and letter combinations sound the same in a student’s native language and English, this gives you an entry point to help that child learn English.
5) Use curriculum tools that emphasize the science of reading
All children learn to read and write in any language most effectively by following an evidence-based, structured literacy curriculum grounded in the science of reading.
The curriculum should begin with phonological awareness activities, followed by systematic, explicit phonics instruction that leads to decoding simple text supporting this instruction. If you’re introducing the short “a” sound to students, you should have them practice reading decodable texts that emphasize the short “a” sound. Lessons and activities should build on students’ phonics skills in a logical progression, leading to fluency with increasingly complex texts.
Students should also develop their vocabulary and learn about syntax and semantics to extract meaning from the text. These five elements—phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension—should be taught together in a structured approach to literacy.
If your curriculum doesn’t meet these criteria, you probably need some evidence-based materials to use in your classroom, along with professional learning on implementing the science of reading into instruction. A good place to start: the Teaching Reading Sourcebook and the Online Language and Literacy Academy.
By following these five strategies, educators can honor language diversity and create an environment where all students can learn and thrive.
The 74
