English Language Learners

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has developed a vision for the education of English language learners that utilizes students' cultural and linguistic backgrounds as the assets that they are and provides support that allows all students to excel. This vision is then broken down into four "distinct" pillars that can be assessed on each level of the education system to reinforce the ideology of each pillar.

The TESOL International Association has developed a toolkit for ELL educators to help engage the families of ELL students in classrooms, schools, and communities. The toolkit provides a detailed outline of nine specific modes of engagement as well as specific resources, examples, and materials for each mode of engagement. 

Colorín Colorado, a national website serving educators and families of ELL students, describes the ways in which technology can be used to engage multilingual families, especially during a time when virtual learning is not uncommon. The article provides different ideas for technological engagement through the likes of Facebook, Zoom, and texting apps with steps and suggestions for each platform as well as examples of past successful implementations.