Powerful Practices for Supporting English Learners
Elevating Diverse Assets and Identities
- Fern Westernoff
- Stephaney Jones-Vo - Starfish Education, LLC
- Paula Markus
Foreword by Jim Cummins
Bilingual/ELL Learners | Cultural Competence | Teaching Strategies for Diverse Students
Students do better in school when their voices are heard. For English Learners, that means not only supporting their growing language proficiency, but also empowering them to share their linguistic and cultural identities.
This practical guide, grounded in compelling research and organized around essential questions and answers, is designed to help all educators build on their current competencies to authentically harmonize home languages and cultures in the classroom. Inside you’ll find
• The emotional, social, linguistic, cognitive, and academic rationale for incorporating cultural and linguistic assets
• Creatively illustrated powerful practices with concrete examples of successful implementation
• Myth-busting reflections to spark critical thinking about diversity, inclusive education, and family engagement
• Curriculum connections tied to American and Canadian standards
By recognizing and validating every student’s linguistic and cultural assets, you create a supportive environment for academic success.