Six Ways to Empower Multilingual Learners in the Classroom
Language is an integral part of our daily lives and identity, and it is more important than ever that educators recognize, celebrate, and support multilingual learners in Early Childhood. As someone who was born and raised in the Phillippines, with English as my second language, I deeply understand wanting to be fluent in English while celebrating – not losing – my home language. Growing up, I realized that learning English was essential for connecting with groups, forming friendships, and engaging in conversations that were necessary to attain my goals and interests. As a teacher, empowering my students to embrace their multilingualism helps unlock their potential.
Language is an integral part of our daily lives and identity, and it is more important than ever that educators recognize, celebrate, and support multilingual learners in Early Childhood. As someone who was born and raised in the Phillippines, with English as my second language, I deeply understand wanting to be fluent in English while celebrating – not losing – my home language. Growing up, I realized that learning English was essential for connecting with groups, forming friendships, and engaging in conversations that were necessary to attain my goals and interests. As a teacher, empowering my students to embrace their multilingualism helps unlock their potential.
When I entered the field of education almost 20 years ago, I could never have predicted what awaited me in 2024. Certainly, longstanding joys such as watching new readers crack the phonics code, students mixing paint using a color wheel to make the perfect purple, or Lower School friends passing along a classic joke (“Why couldn’t the skeleton go to the ball?”) are ever present at Dawson. On the other hand, education in 2024 often feels like some kind of voyage into space – leaving the old precepts of teaching and learning to explore the unknown reaches of what students will need to know when they enter the workforce in 10 years, 20 years, and beyond.
It would be irresponsible to educate the students of today using practices that are no longer relevant. Just as we’ve seen the landscape of education change, so have the needs of our students and their unique learning preferences.
Awkward. Confusing. Change. Exciting. Turbulent. These are just a few words that often describe a student’s middle school journey. Adolescence is a time for self-discovery, change, and tremendous growth. With increasing social, emotional, and physical changes, middle school can feel a little like navigating a maze–filled with twists, turns, challenges, and uncertainty until you find your way out the other side. Most adults, when asked if they’d want to relive middle school, emphatically say, ‘No way!’ So, how can Dawson make these years different from the experiences many of us had? As educators, we strive to create an engaging learning experience for our fifth through eighth-grade students, meeting their current needs while also preparing them for the demands of high school and beyond.
The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain is a nurturing learning community for boys and girls in preschool through grade eight that challenges students to achieve excellence in mind, body and character.
The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain, an independent school located on 33-acres in the community of Summerlin, is Nevada’s first Stanford University Challenge Success partner school for students in early childhood through grade eight. Utilizing the unique Challenge Success framework, Dawson uses research-based strategies and programs that emphasize student academics, wellbeing, and a healthy school-life balance to create more engaged, motivated, and resilient learners and leaders. At Dawson, students achieve their individual potential while savoring life and meeting the challenges of the world.