Colleen Elep General

Recognizing Multilingual Language Learners (MLLs) in Kindergarten

When conversations arise about MLLs the early years, there are a few curious, skeptical questions that often come up.

Why does it matter if a student is multilingual in Kindergarten?

Aren’t all students the same in Kindergarten when it comes to language and literacy development?

Why bother figuring out who the MLLs are when there won’t be any support?

I don’t believe there is any reason to delay providing program support for MLLs at any age. If a student is learning English for the first time, even in the Kindergarten years, it helps educators to know the learner better, which is essential for understanding their language and literacy development and how we might support their growth. In this post, we will take a closer look at why educators should consider recognizing MLLs in Kindergarten. Next, we will take a look at what tools we can use to support English language acquisition for some of our youngest learners.

1. Students from Multilingual Homes May have a Completely Different Oral Language Foundation from their Peers

I have a friend who shared with me that they were born in Canada, but spent most of their time at home with a grandparent that spoke Chinese. Her parents also spoke Chinese at home. When she arrived in school, it was her first experience with English. “I didn’t know what was going on,” she shared.

It is not uncommon for students to arrive in school without any prior exposure to English whether they are born in Canada or not. And as educators, it is important to encourage and honour home languages because multilingualism is an asset and critical cultural fund of knowledge that serves many important purposes.

When educators know that a student is arriving with a different language foundation from their English-speaking peers, it puts the student’s oral language development into context. Oral language is a key indicator of success in reading, so knowing who the MLLs are in the classroom would signal that a student might need more support in building their comprehension of English words and sounds. The teacher might consider using gestures and pictures to communicate instructions and information in English. They might also teach essential phrases for self-advocacy and play.

2. Understanding a Student’s English Language Proficiency Supports Reading Instruction

Knowing the student’s language background also helps to contextualize data gathered from screeners. Most literacy screeners are developed with the assumption that a student already has knowledge of English vocabulary and sounds (phonemes) from exposure to the language at home. This is not to say we shouldn’t administer screeners to MLLs; rather, we should interpret those screener results from a perspective informed by an understanding of a student’s English language development.

For example, a student may perform poorly on a screener simply because they do not know what is being asked of them. The student might need additional modelling to understand exactly what they should be doing. The educator administering the screener may consider repeating parts of a screener without a timer to see what the student can do with more processing time.

Take note that MLLs are not a monolithic group – the needs of one student may vary from the next depending on their exposure to English at home, in the community, and what their home language is.

3. Creating MLL Portraits in Kindergarten Supports Learning in the Primary Grades

In my board, the typical practice has been to create MLL portraits after they have started grade 1. This has always struck me as an odd practice because becoming an MLL doesn’t suddenly happen overnight; if the student is in the process of developing their comprehension of English in grade 1, then it is quite certain they were learning English in Kindergarten.

Which brings up the question – why wait? Starting conversations with families about ESL programming adaptations sooner is better than later, especially when it happens with educators that have already built that relationship with the family and know a student’s language skills and behaviours well. So many important observations about a student’s language behaviours in English and their home language can be gathered in Kindergarten, and there is no reason to only start collecting that information in grade 1.

4. Recognizing MLLs in Kindergarten is a Curriculum-backed Practice

The latest iteration of Ontario’s Kindergarten Curriculum (2026) states, “many young students starting Kindergarten are entering a new linguistic and cultural environment, while acquiring English-language proficiency.” To provide responsive and inclusive Kindergarten programming, educators need to understand who their MLLs are, including their linguistic strengths, experiences, and learning needs. This understanding helps us to build on children’s full linguistic repertoires, partner meaningfully with families, and provide culturally responsive learning opportunities that support literacy and learning across the Kindergarten program.

Understanding our MLLs is a Culturally Responsive Practice

It’s important that educators frame the process of understanding MLLs in the Kindergarten as a culturally responsive practice that supports teaching and learning. When we acknowledge and honour the cultural funds of linguistic knowledge that our youngest learners bring when they start school, we are not noting an “English deficit”, we are building a more fulsome learner portrait that will help us to leverage teaching strategies and resources with more intention.

Diane Kim General

The Shoehorn Dilemma

Accommodations, Differentiated Instruction (DI), I think we can all agree DI is hands-down indispensable. Really, what could be better than those rich and varied instructional strategies that we add to our regular teaching, to meet the diverse needs of diverse students?  It could be speech-to-text or other technology to help students with written output challenges; it could be sensory-friendly lighting or sound field systems; it could be providing alternative performance tasks to demonstrate learning, such as visual art, drama presentations, or oral assessments instead of written tests. The possibilities are endless.  But no matter which accommodation is used, it’s safe to say that these pedagogical “extras” can only be a positive thing, and one hundred percent awesome all the time. End of story.

Except for the shoehorn dilemma.

Yes, shoehorns may be great for dealing with stubborn footwear, but metaphorically speaking (when it comes to inserting pedagogical supports into our classrooms) shoehorns may not always serve us well.

The potential problem arises when DI is an afterthought. If it is only used in a reactive way, with differentiated strategies shoe-horned into established learning programs in response to a new student suddenly needing them, it can sometimes – not all the time, but sometimes – have the unintended consequence of highlighting how inequitable the original learning space actually was. There are many instances in which this may occur, but here I will use ESL as an example: if a new multilingual language learner arrives, we may hastily scramble to add dual language books, multilingual classroom labels, and translation tools…while the other students in the class wonder why they are suddenly seeing these resources in their formerly English-only zone. Yes the change is good but, in some circumstances, the very techniques that are meant to create an inclusive environment may also shine a spotlight on who the learning environment was initially and instinctively constructed for, and for whom it was not; which students’ identities were automatically included in the classroom, and whose were not; and by implication, which students may inherently belong, and which may not. You know, those “different” kids who we now have to change everything for.

So the issue becomes not whether to use DI, but how and when. And using the MLL example above, I have some wonderings. What if it were normal to see, use, and discuss the value of other languages in the classroom, regardless of whether there are any MLLs in the class? What if every classroom used multilingual resources from time to time, giving students a chance to explore new languages they are interested in, or strengthen and complement their French program, or make cross-linguistic connections between English and other languages, thus deepening their understanding of English etymology, morphology, and spelling patterns? If it is “normal” to use other languages in learning, would we really be changing the learning environment so drastically if an MLL arrived? And instead of lamenting their lack of English in English-only classrooms, might that new environment encourage us (both students and teachers alike) to view that MLL as skilled and linguistically adept, and a perfect fit for our classroom? Perhaps class introductions might move from “He can’t speak any English, let’s help him” to “She speaks three languages! She can teach us a lot”.

ESL is only one area of consideration in building learning environments for everyone, but it raises an important question for educators: how can we ensure our learning spaces are equitable and inclusive from the outset so that any student might wander in unannounced and access the lessons and learning, and find a space that reflects their identity, already waiting for them?

With woefully lacking supports and funding, it would be quite difficult to anticipate and include all the learning variations we would want in any given classroom. But there are small ways, every day, we can move towards it, such as collaborating with colleagues, sharing ideas, reaching out to Special Education teachers, ESL consultants, and other specialists may broaden our awareness of the types of learning supports that all students need.

The Frayer Model is one of my favourites. Designed by educator Dorothy Frayer and her colleagues at the University of Wisconsin in 1969, this student organizer is meant to be used in vocabulary study, with the aim of enhancing students’ understanding of words by encouraging a deepened exploration of them. Students record the word right in the middle of the planner and, in the spaces around it, list not only its definition but also its important characteristics or features, as well as examples and non-examples. Here is a basic copy of the Frayer Model planner:

Template created with Gemini AI

 

And here’s the simple, beautiful addition to the planner that builds multiple languages into your learning program: just add a space for students to write the word in another language as well. Jim Cummins and Margaret Early offer their own variation on the Frayer Model in their book Big Ideas For Expanding Minds, with a spot for “Word in Home Language” as well as slight tweaks to the surrounding quadrants (having MLLs write synonyms and antonyms in the lower left quadrant instead of examples, and simply writing a complete academic sentence using the key word in the lower right quadrant). It is a great variation for MLLs, and you can check out their thoughts on page 60 of this useful book. But classroom teachers can use the traditional model above too, for everyone in the class, by just adding a space for “word in another language” and let the multilingual learning begin! Any student could check with their French teacher, a French dictionary or a translation app to find the French equivalent of their target word. Or if they speak another language at home and already know the translation they could record it right away in home language – or better yet, ask their parent or caregiver and do a little multilingual homework together. Students who speak only English could explore a language they are interested in learning. All rich and meaningful options for everyone in the class, not just MLLs, and a simple way to embed and highlight the value of languages in the classroom.

So as we begin establishing what our learning environments look like this year, I am going to consider the diverse ways I can use DI right now, even if there is no apparent “need” as yet. And honestly, I’m always learning, always uncovering possibilities that did not naturally occur to me, simply because they are not within my lived experience. But that’s the beauty of teaching, of creating better learning environments that include everyone, isn’t it? May new and beautiful discoveries find you this year too.

 

 

References

Cummins, J., & Early, M. (2015). Big ideas for expanding minds: Teaching English language learners across the curriculum. Rubicon Press/Pearson.

 

 

 

 

Tracy Jansen-Sequeira General

Learning Stations or Centres aren’t just for Kindergarten!

Quite often, centres or learning stations are associated with kindergarten, and the reasoning being that its instructional approaches focus on play- and inquiry-based learning. However, the same can be said for any grade. Just like in kindergarten, strategies and approaches are developmentally appropriate; with that in mind, play and inquiry can be developmentally adjusted for older grades. It may look and feel different, but that explorative and curiosity-supporting learning experience is still present. 

THE WHY

Transferable Skills 

In an age where technology is moving so rapidly, we need to provide opportunities for students to develop transferable skills. 

Inquiry-based learning provides learners with the opportunity to critically question and analyze real-life problems, which further engages learners. Imagine there is a concern in the school community, and students are able to discuss and try to problem-solve for that issue all while following curriculum expectations? Inquiry also provides learners multiple means of expression, which makes the learning more accessible. 

The transferable skills and inquiry are also interwoven in the curriculum. Being able to weave through the process of inquiry at centres (indoors or outdoors) helps to chunk the learning process into smaller more manageable stages where students can collaborate, explore ideas, test them out, reiterate, and even consult with an educator. It also provides you the time and space to be responsive to students’ needs. Read this ETFO Voice article to get inspired about an outdoor inquiry-based learning experience.

In a coding class, an educator used learning stations to support learners, specifically small group instruction and problem-solving tasks. While the students worked collaboratively in flexible groups to debug a code at one station or write the code at another, the educator is making observations and having conversations with students. In a French class, an educator is leveraging digital tools, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), at learning stations. (ETFO has published some Members’ Guides to Artificial Intelligence.) Students are sequencing images and then writing the story in French, another centre requires developing a prompt to generate a similar image to infer about, all while the educator is working in a small group to develop and strengthen vocabulary. 

THE HOW

The Environment as a Third Teacher

To encourage learning stations/centres, it is important to consider the learning environment. Flexible seating or being able to move and shift when exploration time is occurring is important in the fluidity of this kind of  learning. There’s a quick read about co-creating a learning environment in ETFO’s Building & Enriching Partnerships in Kindergarten, and most of the self-reflection questions are relevant for any grade. ETFOpley.ca also provides more insight. 

Self-Reflection

Prior to engaging in learning stations/centres, there needs to be detailed thought on the flow and roles to focus the explicit/direct instruction needed to develop the routines. 

For example:

  • What are you doing while the students are at centres?
  • What skills and knowledge are students developing and for what purpose?
  • How do students access the information at each station (e.g., visuals, audio, video, etc.)? 
  • How are the open-ended invitations to learning displayed at each centre (e.g., sign, audio recording, visuals and words, etc.) to support all learners? 
  • Are materials accessible (e.g., magazine folder or tray of all items needed for centre)? 
  • How are students documenting their learning and how is it made visible? 
  • How are you assessing learning (e.g., observations, conversations and products)? 
  • When will learning stations/centres occur (e.g., after lesson, middle/end of a unit)?

Once there is an understanding of these considerations, then there needs to be time to practice for both students and you! 

Success Criteria

Students need to learn how to collaborate with peers, how to engage and then clean up the space for the next group, they need to know how to document or submit learning. Co-creating success criteria on what is expected during learning station/exploration time helps to make it a smoother process.

High Expectations & Check-Ins

Don’t be afraid to stop the learning if the success criteria isn’t being met. Yes, it takes time out of the learning for that moment, but it’s a teachable moment for the learners and reminds them of what they co-created with you. Learning stations take time at first, however, the initial time and energy does pay off as transitions, independence and focus become better. The first step is setting those high-expecations and trying it out together.

Sharon Ethier General

A First Week Story

It was the first day of school when I saw them. Two brothers, arriving at school and standing on the perimeter of the groups of reuniting children on the tarmac. They looked uncertain and uncomfortable; just staying with each other and not really making eye contact with anyone. First days can be hard sometimes, but especially when you are new to a school.

I went over to say good morning to them and introduce myself. They were still uncertain on how to answer when I asked them how they were and even more uncertain when I said, “I’d love to help you find your teachers this morning.” But off we went to introduce them to their new teachers. Every time I saw them at break that day, they were sticking close to each other.

As the first week progressed, every time I saw the brothers I said hello and every time I got a few more words from them. Soon they shared their previous schools, teachers they had, what they missed most about their old neighbourhood. Then one day as they were waiting for their bus home, the conversation shifted. They told me what they liked about their new school, their new teachers, and their new friends. Their smiles came easier and they would wave as the bus drove them home.

While I’m no longer at that school every day, I think about their wonderful homeroom teachers who worked hard to build trust and show interest in those new students during that first week. They welcomed them into their classrooms, making sure they had what they needed every day and asking them what their favourite subjects were in school. They created spaces where those new students could feel welcome and that the adults in this building cared about them.

These are often the unspoken parts of teaching that educators do each day and for students, it is one of the most important. Knowing that there is a safe and caring adult at school who is interested in them and who sees them as people makes a difference in a child’s day. Teaching and learning walk hand in hand with welcoming and belonging.

All the small things you do each day let children know you care.

I wonder about those brothers, though it’s been almost a month since the first day of school. I hope they are having a great time at school, that they feel comfortable to participate in class, and that they go home with good news stories each day. I wonder about the teachers, too. I hope they know the impact of those caring moments in the first week and the change that those cumulative moments brought. I hope you know that about your impact, too.


Jen Reid General

Labour Day

Happy (belated) Labour Day! This is an important day for all working people, who recognize and celebrate our collective history and power. Also a significant day for educators, for in reality it is the New Year’s Eve for the school year. 

Leading up to this, I felt a bit nervous to meet my new class, but I had set up my classroom, and had submitted my order of supplies needed. I have ordered a large number of pencils. 

This year, as with every year, I have shifted my classroom organization a bit, reflecting on what worked last year and what needed to change. I shifted the direction of my reading area, moved where I house chromebooks, and decluttered my games shelf. I also revised my Jobs board, which anchors a routine that is super important for my students and myself. 

At the start of the year, I set up a container with popsicle sticks, each with a student’s name written on it. To select their job, I pull a popsicle stick and each child comes up and puts their name beside the job they want. Students are not allowed to have the same job for more than one two-week rotation in a row, but can revisit a job that they enjoyed. The student who picks last gets to pick first the next time jobs are selected. 

The students like the approach because they get to choose the job they want and the order is random and therefore fair. Inevitably, some jobs are done well and consistently, while others are forgotten. I realized that student choice, while important, doesn’t necessarily create student responsibility. 

Hence the shift: this year, I am changing three aspects of the Jobs system. 

  1. Times of Day:  I organized the Jobs into three categories: Morning, Throughout, and End of Day. This will allow me to prompt students to complete their jobs throughout the day and week. The goal is that as the kids become more accustomed to the expectations, the reminders will diminish (and I hope disappear).
  2. Practice: I am going to spend more time reviewing and practicing each job during the first week of school. This will provide an opportunity for the class to embed the culture of responsibility and contribution into our classroom norms.
  3. Scribe: I have added a new job: scribe. At the end of the day, the scribe will record on a posted piece of chart paper one or two things that happened that day with assistance from the class. At the end of the week, I will send some of these highlights home to parents. I decided to add this job because I wanted to have more student voice reflected in my communication home, and I wanted to make visible to everyone what we are learning and accomplishing on a daily and weekly basis.

The first week of school is important: students are figuring out teacher expectations, we are all getting to know each other, and the class is starting to build a supportive community. Just like Labour Day, launching the year with a strong understanding of how contributions are made collectively to benefit the common good is essential. Our next steps as a community will be to continue that work and understanding.

Diane Kim English As Second Language (ESL), English Language Learners (ELLs), General, Language Learning

Sponge Blog

Just immerse Multilingual Language Learners in English, they’ll soak it up before you know it.

Don’t worry, children are wired for language acquisition; they’ll pick up English quickly.

Young children are like sponges! Just keep talking, they’ll absorb whatever you say.

I have heard these types of statements my entire career. They pop up not infrequently in ESL discussions and seem to imply (at least on some level) that when you have a beginner MLL in your class, it’s fine to carry on as usual. That a classroom teacher can continue instructing and speaking as they normally would. That mere exposure to words will result in the eventual learning of them. That English is largely being “soaked up” with no intentional scaffolding or supports necessary. While young children do have some inherent advantages in acquiring language, the “sponge” approach to language acquisition may require some unpacking… Consider the following excerpt from a grade 4 science lesson:

Look at this big rock everyone! This is obsidian. It is a deep, rich black and very smooth. And this smaller one, it’s called sandstone. It feels rough but I love its vibrant orange. Over here we have another smaller one, lapis lazuli. What a vivid blue! And glossy… Look at how the light reflects off it. Oh, and feel the rock’s texture…it’s smooth isn’t it? Not at all like this one, it’s name is pumice… so sharp and porous and rough! This pointy pink one over here is named quartz…

The above lesson intro seems fine so far. The teacher is using realia, holding up actual rocks and minerals as they speak. Perfect for engaging students and demonstrating concepts. There are also some rich and varied Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary in there, always helpful for expanding student lexicons. Yes, by all accounts, this short script could effectively begin a grade 4 lesson on rocks.

But what about a beginner MLL sitting in the class? Would any of this rich language and meaning be accessible to them? Maybe. Maybe not…

Notice how the grammatical structure changes in every sentence – the teacher uses five different grammar constructs to achieve one purpose: introducing rock names (this is obsidian … it is called sandstone, here we have lapis, it’s name is pumice, this one over here is named quartz…). While fluent speakers of English may follow this chain of sentences easily, a beginner MLL may find this jumble of constructs confusing. They may be able to expertly name items in varied ways in their first language but may not yet have learned even one way in English and need support to do so. And notice how the teacher jumps about from colour to size to texture to lustre… So is “pointy” a colour? Is “blue” a texture? Is “smooth” a size? What may be a language-rich description for fluent speakers of English soon becomes a confusing maze for MLLs, with so many linguistic twists and turns it may be difficult to glean any new words from it.

Instead, at least for part of the lesson, the classroom teacher could use a patterned, repeated, and predictable construct to introduce rock names.  In addition, if the learning task involves sorting by texture, an initial focus on those adjectives rather than an onslaught of all descriptors at once may help beginner MLLs understand more linguistic and academic content in the lesson:

This is obsidian. It is smooth. This is lapis lazuli. It is smooth. This is sandstone. It is rough. This is pumice. It is rough.

Couple the above with gestures, choral reads for emphasis, and sorting of physical rocks by trait on a graphic organizer, and you have a turbo-charged recipe for language acquisition and curriculum access. And the above speech need not be a robotic read either. I have seen teachers deliver patterned sentences like this with panache, slowing their rate of speech, pausing dramatically, and adding expression and flair that would engage even the most determined naysayer. Some are more subdued, adding the sentences with natural ease. Everyone finds their own style eventually.

So how do we determine which language to intentionally highlight in our lessons? Establishing the level of English proficiency of your student, in collaboration with your ESL teacher or system ESL staff, is a first step. From there, Jim Cummins and Margaret Early offer a helpful planner for teachers, that assists in isolating not only the academic content they deliver to the whole class, but also the related language and linguistics objective:

I love this planner because it encourages consideration of the types of tasks and texts that occur during lessons, and which vocabulary and language structures are likely to emerge from them, that the MLL will need to know. The planner helps us to clearly identify both the curriculum and language objectives in any given lesson and emphasizes that they are related. Learning language and curriculum hand-in-hand, as the saying goes… And if you want to explore this type of planning further, ETFO offers an excellent guide: Program Adaptations for MLLs.

So, should classroom teachers speak in patterned and repetitious ways throughout the entire lesson? No, of course not. I have seen brilliant educators seamlessly weave in highlighted and intentional patterns of speaking in their lessons, at just the right moments, ensuring there are entry points and growth in the lesson for everyone. It just takes a little practice to find your stride. And so with use of realia, gestures, and language scaffolding, MLLs do begin to “soak up” the language … but not because of mere proximity. Rather, they absorb it because the teacher makes it comprehensible.

There are many ways to intentionally highlight language in lessons, the above is just one example. But beyond improved curriculum access and linguistic development, perhaps the most important benefit of such lesson delivery is student well-being. Being able to understand and participate in the same lesson as your peers is essential to belonging, and knowing you have a place in the classroom community. So whether you are teaching students in the classroom, ESL tutorial groups, or a pineapple under the sea, good luck highlighting those beautiful words that welcome all your students into the lesson.

References

Cummins, J., & Early, M. (2015). Big ideas for expanding minds: Teaching English language learners across the curriculum. Pearson Canada.

Diane Kim English As Second Language (ESL), English Language Learners (ELLs), General

Equitable Read-Alouds

Read-alouds have always been one of the more magical parts of teaching for me. Pictures and words bring rich stories to life, and suddenly the class is immersed in tales that might be whimsical, moving, hilarious, suspenseful, heart-breaking, or uplifting… It’s hard to imagine a more powerful learning medium.  As a new teacher I remember marveling at the hush that would fall across a carpet full of students when I took out a book, held it up, and began reading to a suddenly-motionless class. And I remember my own school days, sitting on similar carpets, similarly enthralled.

Most (if not all) of the read-aloud experience back then was in the listening. The teacher would simply open a picture book and start reading, usually without much introduction. Flipping through the pages one by one, the teacher’s voice was the only one that filled the room, until the final sentence was uttered and the cover firmly closed. The End. Back to your seats, everyone. And although that uninterrupted story time was a joyful experience, and valuable in and of itself, I love what we have added to that joy in more recent years: isolating and defining interesting vocabulary that pops up in the story, decoding key words from the text and studying their morphology, exploring curriculum connections found within the book, and using music, art, and drama to explore character, conflicts, connections, and solutions.

But all of that great learning starts with the first reading itself, listening to the tale for the simple and beautiful pleasure of it. In fact, many teaching guides recommend this as the first step: before diving into text study, just read the book for pure enjoyment, like the old days on the carpet.

And it would be heartbreaking if any student were excluded from that wondrous story time with their peers…

We tend to think of read-alouds as universally accessible, that anyone could sit through a cold reading and be included in the moment. But for a student new to English, it is difficult to imagine they would feel much inclusion in that initial read.  Words that fill the air with emotion and story for others may be incomprehensible to a beginner Multilingual Language Learner. Pictures that capture the imagination of everyone in the room may be culturally unfamiliar and equally perplexing – and even if they are familiar to the student, they have no access to the language that introduces and explains them. Instead of enjoying the story along with their classmates, MLLs may sit flummoxed, perhaps fidgeting or staring out the window while their peers listen to the tale, while we educators occasionally remind them to “pay attention” to what amounts to white noise.

So how do we make sure every student is included in that community? How do we make that first reading accessible to everyone, including MLLs? Here are some initial questions and considerations that may help:

 

Planning Stage – Background Knowledge

  • What aspects of the story I have chosen might be unfamiliar to the MLL?
  • If it is unfamiliar, how can I build schema around story content before the whole class reading?
  • Is there a different book I could choose that is more familiar to the student?
  • Is there a dual language book on a similar topic, written in both the language of instruction and the language of the student, that they could preview before the whole-class reading?
  • Can I translate parts of the book accurately for the student before the whole-class reading?
  • Can I use online storybooks that read picture books aloud in both English, French, and many other languages?

 

Planning Stage – Language Features

  • What vocabulary will the MLL need to understand the story?
  • Could I pre-teach this vocabulary with a simple picture walk before the whole-class read?
  • What simple, student-friendly definitions could I prepare for these words ahead of time?
  • Can students easily “chime in” or repeat language in the book for oral language practice?

 

Show Time – The Whole-class Reading

  1. Before the first read, do a short picture walk through the text with the whole class, simply pointing to vocabulary in the pictures and having the class repeat.
  2. Then point to that vocabulary again in the pictures as you read the story naturally to the class.
  3. Slow your rate of speech and add emphasis to highlight vocabulary.
  4. If your read-aloud has patterned, repeated, and predictable sentences, have the class “chime in” at key points for oral language practice.

 

These are just a few ways to make your read-alouds accessible to all students, no matter their level of language proficiency. And regardless of which ones work for your students, I wish you magical journeys into those story times for everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tracy Jansen-Sequeira General

What’s in a name? Oh so much!

A student enters a learning space for the first time, and a million thoughts run through your mind about how you can make them feel welcomed, safe and included.

There are many ways to make a space inclusive, but one of the simplest and most impactful ways is all in knowing, understanding and properly pronouncing students’ names. It sets a tone. It opens the door to discussion about identities as well as developing literacy. 

As I’ve mentioned to students whether in kindergarten or in high school, and even colleagues, the first and most special word should always be one’s name. To show respect and to honour identities, the pronunciation of names is so crucial. Sadly and quite often, when I’ve met students and colleagues, they’ll quite often shorten their name or tell me, “You can just say it this way” because that’s what their normal has become. You’ve probably heard, “Oh, it’s just a name” or “It’s too long to remember,” but that is not okay. It negates one’s identity rather than celebrating it. When learning about names, it reinforces mutual respect for each individuals’ identity and it encourages lived experiences and knowledge to be shared by not only students, but also their families. Here are some ways to help build an inclusive learning space by focusing on names.

1. Write out each students’ name phonetically. For example, you can write it like this: Tracy – (Tray-see).  Yes, it may take a little longer to go through the attendance that day, but it lays the foundation for respect and care.

2. Make it accessible, not just for you, but for students and colleagues, too. Post a list on the classroom wall, your desk, each student’s name/desk tag, in the attendance folder or digitally in an Learning Management System (LMS), like Brightspace or Google Classroom. Think of multimodal ways, such as a visual and audio clip connected to a QR code on a classroom wall, email or within an LMS. The more places the names are, the more everyone feels included.

3. If students are co-creating the learning space with you through their art, name tags, scribe or have students write the phonetical pronunciation.

4. One of my favourite ways to learn about names is through an assignment or unit. However, it’s important to know the situation of home life before beginning. Be considerate of varied backgrounds and family structures, including limited to no connection to birth family. One way to support all students is through a research project. Learning about their names can be the first “research” they need to do, and it’s a great way to discuss the differences between primary and secondary resources, such as name dictionaries. 

5. Ask Administration and the Office to write the phonetical pronunciation of a student’s name on the information card, email or even a sticky note. It can change the culture in the school, not just a learning space within it.

When a student hears their name properly pronounced or is able to share how their name was chosen, it builds another way of community connection. It builds a positive learning community, one that is respectfully inclusive and welcoming in the simplest but kindest manner.

Sharon Ethier General

Beauty and Joy in Mathematics

As a student, I would venture to say that math was felt very different. There were a lot of equations and my teacher would write examples on the board to help us to find the right answer to the problems. I could follow along with the examples and formulas and felt confident in completing my homework and worksheets. 

As an adult in university, I had a really great professor. He was so passionate about mathematics and often talked about the “beauty” of math. Things shifted for me as we spent a lot of time trying different strategies to get the right answers. This was the beauty my professor kept talking about!  Thinking about problems and trying out new ideas for solutions. 

Fast forward a few more years and as a teacher candidate, I was now responsible for helping students to understand math. This was a catalyst for me! I wanted my students to have amazing math experiences that would empower them to become mathematicians. It seemed like some things never changed; I was a math student again, in a different way this time. I had a wonderful professor while studying my Bachelor of Education. His classes were all hands on; there were visuals and there were experiences and he chatted with us about our thinking and learning. He made space for us to explore, to question, to articulate what we saw and thought and wondered about. 

Math continued to be beautiful as I used representations and manipulatives.  Mathematics lived here between what I saw and experienced in magnitude and measurement and what I wrote down on the page.  It wasn’t just magic or following examples, it was a language that helped me to communicate what I was doing and what I saw happening. 

In those early days of my career, I engaged in a lot professional learning opportunities including co-planning and co-teaching with colleagues, watching videos of classrooms, reading research and new resources, and even observed some amazing teacher mentors doing amazing math.  I earned a Math Specialist as an AQ through ETFO and it was such an inspirational experience to engage in thinking about building my knowledge as a math teacher. Teaching math was  was exciting and a space where my teacher colleagues and I found joy. 

At this stage of my math journey, I still find math beautiful, but also enjoy a sense of curiosity and wonder. When I’m planning and reading the curriculum expectations, I always make sure to click on the teacher supports found under the specific expectations. The examples show the kinds of things students might write to demonstrate their thinking and the manipulatives they might use to represent their ideas. I take my time with the key concepts too; they help me deepen my own understanding of the math I want students to explore. The sample tasks are a great tool as well. They paint a picture of what the learning experience could look like in the classroom and spark ideas for how I can frame those moments so students have the chance to experience math in a way that leads them to make sense of the mathematics. All of these supports are there to help math feel vibrant and alive.  

While I’m not a mathematician like Sophie Germain or Maryam Mirzakhani, I find beauty and wonder in math. Of all possibilities, this journey has led me to becoming a math teacher and maybe that’s the kind of mathematician that students need.

Sharon Ethier General

Taking a Break

There is a moment in the classroom when the students are curious.  You’ve probably noticed this moment because it changes the energy of the entire room.  There’s a certain buzz of anticipation; maybe it’s the moment when they are waiting to see what happens next in a science experiment or listening for the next exciting part in the shared reading.  It’s the moment of pure engagement. 

On the other hand, there are other moments when it seems like the students feel disengaged. The classroom feels sleepy and dull, the students are clearly disinterested. I’m sure you’ve felt that moment, too.  The vibe in the room feels like I’m putting on a performance and getting a one star review. 

It’s at these moments that I recognize we need to take a break; we need something to re-energize our systems and get us back on track.  Over my years in teaching, I’ve learned the importance of breaks.  As a student, I can remember many moments of just listening to information or sitting and working for (what felt like) hours and eventually being unable to absorb any more information. My students feel the same way sometimes!  I’m not always the best ‘edutainer’ and sometimes I’m focussed on getting stuff done, but deep down I know that if the students are hitting a plateau then they are no longer in a place of learning. 

This is a great opportunity to take a break!  Reading the body language and emotions of students also means that we can respond to them.  If you’re feeling the energy start to dip or frustration start to grow, consider taking a break to bring the students back to a learning stance. I know that when I’ve spent a lot of time in heavy thinking, a break is always welcome.  While there are many different kinds of breaks to offer, there are a few of my stand by favourites that can easily be incorporated into the classroom.

Movement Breaks

Have a class that likes to get up a move?  A movement break is a great body break that helps students to move their bodies and have a little fun.  This could look like a dance break. Have your students choose a few of their favourite songs and have a moment of music and fun!  You might choose a movement break that gets them to use their imaginations, such as move around the room like you’re at 1.5 speed or 0.5 speed.  I’ve even had students share their own favourite movement break with me, whether it’s Simon Says or Silent Ball, honouring student voice is a great way to let them be creative and feel heard. 

Talking Activities

I love a good moment to chat with my friends.  You might try some talking breaks that incorporate movement, such as Would You Rather where students move to one side or another when making a decision and share their ideas with their peers.  Another fun talking break we use is Mingling to Music; students move about the room to music and when the music stops they must discuss a question or statement with a friend standing close to them. You might even ask students to create questions or topics that they would like to discuss with their peers.  You will likely find out some cool things about the students’ interests!

Brain Teasers

Not all breaks need to involve movement, sometimes a quick brain teaser or game will do the trick.   A fun strategy game we play are counting games, such as Count To  Ten, where students can strategize how to eliminate their friends from the game. One year my students loved a game we called Top Ten where we would try to guess the Top Ten of something, such as Top Ten Disney Movies, or Top Ten Animals You Would Find on a Farm.  I’d Google the answers beforehand and, in teams, the students would try to guess the answers on the top ten list. I learned a lot about what my students liked that year because they all wanted to submit their top ten subjects which ranged from baseball teams to R&B artists.  

In the rush to get through the lesson plan, these breaks might feel like time away from learning, but they’re actually part of the learning. I consider them an investment that helps students return to engagement, that energy we all feel when the room suddenly comes alive again. In all honesty, they help me return to that place too. We all benefit from a break when tasks feel heavy or our thoughts feel sluggish. Our brains need variety, our bodies need movement, and all of us need moments of connection and play.

When the room feels heavy or the energy dips, this is an opportunity to understand more about my students.  An invitation and a reminder that we are building a learning community together and these fun activities can help us to learn about one another and share some smiles. When we honour these moments, we make space for the magic to return. And that’s when the real learning begins.

Check out these links to some of the games in the post: 

Silent Ball: https://www.playworks.org/game-library/silent-ball/

Simon Says: https://www.playworks.org/game-library/simon-says/

Count To Ten: https://greatcampgames.ca/casual-games/ten/

Mingling to Music: https://www.eleducation.org/curriculum/protocols/musical-mingle/

Would You Rather: https://www.weareteachers.com/would-you-rather-scenarios-elementary/