Best practices are intended to support multilingual learners (MLs) in all classes, no matter their proficiency level. These strategies are expected to be used by all teachers within lessons, assignments, and assessments to support MLs and all learners. Best practices are strategies that educators can quickly implement within daily instruction, activities, and classroom assessments.

Description

When working with multilingual learners (MLs) the incorporation of multi-sensory learning is key. Meeting all of these learning styles can be best achieved by infusing activities that incorporate all four language processes (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) into practice, instruction, and supplemental support.

Teaching in multiple modalities means incorporating various learning styles in teaching to ensure student engagement throughout a lesson.
One such strategy is “QSSSA" which stands for:

• Question: Ask a question
• Signal: Gesture that it’s a student’s turn to answer the question (try a thumbs up, or a light tap on the shoulder, for example)
• Stem: Begin the answer for the student and then let them fill in the rest of the sentence
• Share: Allow a student to respond and fill in the blank
• Assess: Only provide feedback or a response after the student has completed their thought.

Examples:
“I read about …… and I learned that…..”
“I wonder why ……”
“I am going to listen to the passage and I am going write down thoughts and then record my responses or my reflection about it.”
“I am going to do the online quizzes and games from the link that my teacher gave me.”
“I make illustrations, drawings, or concept maps as I study or plan projects or papers.”
“I am going to use photos or other images related to what I am  learning and I am going to write about it.”

Reading/Writing strategies

• taking notes
• reading course content and re-writing it in your own words
• translating notes into different active study strategies, for example taking visual information from charts and graphs and describing them in writing
• reading over and summarizing handouts or information posted on class web pages
• writing out questions and answers as you read
• watch or read current events, and discuss the main ideas from the news

	Teacher	Student
	The teacher provides students with the opportunity to listen to and read passages. Additionally, the built-in translator feature of some of the programs can help students translate unfamiliar words or phrases in their native language, making decoding easier for them.	The student actively engages in listening, reading, writing and speaking activities as provided by the teacher or participate in peer or group conversations/dialogues.  For example, a teacher may provide a sentence prompt for students to reflect or respond to orally or in writing. The student is reading passages aloud or silently, and later engage in pair-share activities with their classmates.

	Teacher	Student
	“Please read selected paragraphs in our textbook (pages 34-36) and respond orally or in writing to the questions written on the board or at the end of the paragraph." "Discuss your answers with your elbow partners."  “Read the article about ‘Immigration’ on your handouts.” “Write down one question from the article.” “Share and discuss with a partner what you read about." "Listen to each other’s summary of their passages." “Practice your speaking skills with your peers and your instructors, by using the vocabulary words you just learned about in paragraph 1-5.”	“I read about …… and I learned that….." “I wonder why ……” “I am going to listen to the passage and I am going write down thoughts and then record my responses or my reflection about it.” “I am going to do the online quizzes and games from the link that my teacher gave me.” “I make illustrations, drawings, or concept maps as I study or plan projects or papers.” “I am going to use photos or other images related to what I am  learning and I am going to write about it.” “I am going to record lectures or discussions and listen back to them later.” “I am going to ask questions and discuss course content or ideas.”

Recommended Domain(s)	Recommended Level(s)
Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing	All levels* *accommodation is adjusted  for levels 4-6