Multilingual Learners

CREC Magnet Schools are learning communities that ensure high academic achievement for all multilingual students, develop leadership, and value all cultures. Each school expertly combines rigorous academics with rich school culture as we prepare the next generation for success on a global scale. Once in high school students have the opportunity to achieve the CT Seal Of Biliteracy. The Connecticut State Seal of Biliteracy (Seal of Biliteracy) was established to recognize public high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in English and one or more languages. Learn More

• Elementary (PK - Grade 5):  The program ensures that students have opportunities to engage in social interactions with other children, with the support from adults as they develop the language skills they need to negotiate language in those interactions. There are group activities and opportunities for self-directed activities that match students' interests and their language abilities; students are also encouraged to answer open-ended questions that can have multiple answers to help expand their own utterances.

  Students are exposed to rich language through shared book readings or through teacher talk. Students are encouraged to continue the development of their native language, which supports language and literacy in English.

• Secondary (Grades 6-8): The program accelerates English acquisition through the use of thematic and topic based curriculum. Topic related language and concepts are reinforced to ensure their conceptualization and to provide the opportunity for students to increase their ability to communicate their ideas on the topic. In the process, students develop all four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.

  The purpose is to develop academic language skills and provide explicit instruction and learning strategies for content and language acquisition.

• Secondary (Grades 9-12): Many Multilingual learners arrive in grade 9 after several years in elementary school, where various models for ESL support may be in place. Students will receive ESL support to help them cope with the linguistic demands of the secondary school program. In addition to ESL support, students will receive first-language assistance, where resources are available, by qualified teachers, trained and supervised tutors. In such situations, students can transfer skills and knowledge acquired through their first language into English, promoting the English language acquisition.

How to Support Your Student at Home

1. Engage with your child in the language of your home.  Numerous studies have shown that knowledge and skills students learn in their first language transfer to the new language. Once you know how to read in one language, you have the conceptual knowledge needed to learn to read in multiple other languages.  Here are some things you can do to develop your child’s first language at home which will help your child when he or she returns to school:

• Read to and with your child. Ask them questions about the text.
• Have your child assist you with daily chores and purposefully use language, asking and answering questions about what you are doing.
• Play games, bring out the deck of cards or the board games. You’ll be surprised at how much language you use.
• Use togetherness at family meals as an opportunity to talk about things of interest to your child; again, asking questions that will elicit extended use of language.

2. Seek ways that you might support your child’s second language.  Even if you yourself do not know the second language your child is learning, you can provide other opportunities for your child to engage in receptive language development. For example, your child can participate in age-appropriate activities in the second language, and you can show your excitement by asking your child questions in your home language about what they are learning or doing, Suggested activities include:

• listening to books on tape
• playing online games
• listening to songs that include video with visuals (and subtitles)
• watching TV, films, or cartoons

In closing, you can support your dual language learner in continuing to learn while at home. Your child will be better prepared when they return to school if they grow their home language and knowledge of the world with you at home while you provide opportunities for them to engage in activities in the language they are learning.

 

Resources for Parents at Home

• Empowering MLL parents and families at home
• Recurso para que los padres usen en el hogar
• Colorín Colorado in English
• Colorín Colorado en Español

For more information, please contact the Supervisor of Multilingual Learners, Vanessa Sosa-Briales, at vsosabriales@crec.org