Strategies That Help Multilingual Students Learn Content and English at the Same Time

Our classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse, reflecting various cultures, backgrounds, and languages. It is estimated that by 2030, 40 percent of all K–12 students will be English language learners (ELLs). As the population of multilingual students increases, we must ask ourselves, are we fully prepared to support them? 

To better support my fifth-grade multilingual students, I started to incorporate strategies that I learned through Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD) into our small groups. Project GLAD is a teaching method that uses diverse strategies to help bilingual students learn both content and language at the same time. With just a few strategies, I noticed an increase in engagement as measured by participation. 

Strategies That Work for My Students

Know–want to learn–learned (KWL) chart: I introduced the KWL chart at the beginning of our unit after showing students a news clip on extreme weather. By asking, “What do you already know about extreme weather?” I was able to tap into students’ background knowledge. Students started by completing the K (know) part of the chart, where they shared their experiences and knowledge about the topic. They used the graphic organizer to engage with information and make connections to our unit.

After discussing what they already knew about extreme weather, students moved on to the W (what I want to learn) part of the chart. They were eager to write or ask questions about the weather and the destruction it can cause.

After the unit, students completed the L (learned) part of the chart, where they communicated all they had learned about extreme weather (this part of the organizer can also be used as an assessment tool).

This strategy got students excited and engaged to start a new unit on a topic they realized they knew a lot about, which led to an increase in participation. 

Observation chart: The second strategy we used was the observation chart. In a gallery walk format, students moved around the room to look at pictures of extreme weather. By studying real-life pictures related to the unit, students were able to write or draw their observations and questions on each chart.

If you’re working with a small group of students, giving them different-colored pens during this activity is a great way to distinguish who wrote what. Students enjoyed the option of drawing their observations and were engaged with asking weather-related questions about the pictures they saw. 

Sentence patterning chart: Another effective strategy we used was the sentence patterning chart. By cocreating a chart that separates adjectives, nouns, verbs, and prepositional phrases related to our topic, students used them to combine words to create sentences.  

Color-coding each column is a great way to help students understand which part of speech words correspond to. During our unit, students used the sentence patterning chart to write about the weather in a certain region and give advice as to what to wear in order to protect themselves from the elements. Students enjoyed this strategy because they were able to combine a variety of words to create multiple sentences. 

Learning log: A learning log gives students an opportunity to process information learned through sketching or writing. By dividing a paper in half and labeling one side “Text side” and the other “You side,” I was able to check for understanding throughout the unit.

On the “Text side,” students respond to a question by sketching or writing factual information (example: What are the effects of extreme weather?), and on the “You side,” students sketch or draw personal thoughts or reactions (example: Tell me about an experience you’ve had with extreme weather). This strategy allows students to personally connect to the content. 

Chants: This strategy provided my students with oral vocabulary practice. Selecting a tune and integrating grade-level content and academic vocabulary gave students an authentic and engaging way to use language. I took academic vocabulary that related to our extreme weather unit and integrated it to the tune of “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” writing it on chart paper for students to see. When I introduced the chant to students, I used gestures to make vocabulary more comprehensible. The chant helped students develop fluency of language.        

Student Feedback

To measure the success of these strategies, I gave students a pre- and post-survey. In the pre-survey, 17 percent of students agreed with the statement, “I participate during lessons.” After the implementation of the strategies, that number grew to 57 percent. Students were aware that their participation increased through the use of these GLAD strategies. In the post-survey, 57 percent of students also reported that the strategies made the lessons more engaging. 

These strategies helped reduce the affective filter—emotions and attitudes that can hinder second-language learning—making my multilingual students more comfortable participating in class.

As classrooms become more diverse, it is crucial to apply effective teaching strategies to support multilingual students. Incorporating GLAD strategies can lead to increased student engagement and participation by connecting their prior knowledge and personal experiences to new content.