Welcome to Teaching Multilingual Learners!: An Illustrated Guide

Engage, Empower, Educate: Unleash the Potential of Multilingual Learners What′s your "why" for being a teacher? Unlike other professionals, teachers often have strong reasons for why they teach and a clear sense of purpose. Acknowledging and understanding this purpose helps educators to not just do what they do but do it well. This illustrated guide was designed for all classroom teachers to emphasize the unique challenges and opportunities that arise in multilingual learner education. Using Simon Sinek′s Golden Circle theory to understand and elevate that sense of purpose, the book is organized into three parts: the why, the how, and the what of teaching multilingual learners. You will learn The benefits and goals of a multilingual education How to design learning experiences for multilingual learners and how to respond when students are not learning Culturally inclusive pedagogy and how it positively supports the identities of your students How to foster oral language skills, build vocabulary, and increase students’ word knowledge How to engage families and caregivers and create a sense of belonging in your classroom And so much more! With a clear understanding of the research-based tools, techniques, and instructional strategies described and illustrated in the book, a solid sense of purpose, and a dash of grace for you and your multilingual learners, you will be well on your way to creating productive and positive learning opportunities that meet the best interests of all students, families, educators, and the community.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Section 1: Why? Section 2: How? Section 3: What? In Closing Endnotes Index

About the Author :
Douglas Fisher is professor and chair of educational leadership at San Diego State University and a teacher leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College. Previously, Doug was an early intervention teacher and elementary school educator. He is a credentialed English teacher and administrator in California. In 2022, he was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame by the Literacy Research Association. He has published numerous articles on reading and literacy, leadership, and curriculum design, as well as books such as The Teacher Clarity Playbook (2nd ed.), Your Introduction to PLC+, The Illustrated Guide to Teacher Credibility, Instructional Strategies to Move Learning Forward: 50+ Tools That Support Gradual Release of Responsibility, and Welcome to Teaching! Nancy Frey is a professor in educational leadership at San Diego State University and a teacher leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College. She is a credentialed special educator, reading specialist, and administrator in California. She is a member of the International Literacy Association’s Literacy Research Panel. Her published titles include 50 Strategies for Activating Your PLC+, The Illustrated Guide to Visible Learning, Welcome to Teaching Multilingual Learners, Teaching Foundational Skills to Adolescent Readers, and RIGOR Unveiled: A Video-Enhanced Flipbook to Promote Teacher Expertise in Relationship Building, Instruction, Goals, Organization, and Relevance.  Valentina Gonzalez is a former teacher who has served over 25 years in education in her own classroom, as a district facilitator for English learners, a professional development specialist for Multilingual Learners, and an educational consultant. Her work’s primary focus has been on literacy, culture, and language. Valentina delivers professional development and coaches teachers of MLs to support language and literacy instruction. She is the co-author of Reading & Writing with English Learners: A Framework for K-5 and the picture book Krofne with Baba. In addition to being an author, her work has also been published in numerous journals and professional publications such as Language Magazine, Edutopia, MiddleWeb, TEPSA, Ed Week, and School Library Journal.

Review :
This book is a fantastic overview for ALL educators! I appreciate the beautiful graphics (what a perfect way to model multi-modal expression) throughout the text. The "elevate your practice" section offers clear advice that offers practical suggestions. Finally, the sentence frames, checklists, and reflection tools are perfect ways to model and teach simultaneously.