Multilingual learners are entering classrooms at every grade level and in every content area — often faster than schools can train teachers to support them. This fast-paced “bootcamp” session is designed for general education teachers who want practical, realistic strategies they can implement immediately. Participants will learn: what multilingual learners experience in the classroom, how language acquisition impacts learning, common misconceptions about ELL students, and high-impact supports that improve comprehension without lowering expectations. Topics include: comprehensible input, visuals and sentence supports, vocabulary instruction, classroom talk, scaffolding complex text, grading considerations, and creating classrooms where multilingual learners can thrive. Perfect for K–12 educators, specialists, and content teachers looking for immediately usable strategies that support both language development and academic success.
This session would be geared to teachers of 3rd-5th grade students who may be less familiar with sound walls and the use of the consonant chart and vowel valley for instruction. Depending on the time frame, I would offer a brief explanation of the consonant chart and then dig into the vowel valley and its use in helping students decode syllables leading to accurate and automatic reading and spelling of multisyllabic words.
