Instructional Strategy #2: How do I foster the social-emotional health and development of ML students?

While social-emotional support is critical for all young learners, it is particularly important for ML students. Children who speak a language other than English may need additional support from teachers to make sure they feel comfortable and included in the classroom and to ensure they have meaningful access to all learning opportunities. Engaging with children and families in a friendly and accepting way can help foster self-confidence and family pride and conveys a message of caring and respect for the family and by extension, the child. Inviting families to contribute to their children’s education can be an important support for their social-emotional well-being. Additionally, using the home language and incorporating their culture in classroom activities is a form of social-emotional support for young ML students and represents a form of culturally responsive, asset-based instruction. In fact, research shows positive relationships between teachers’ use of the home language and teacher-reported social-emotional competence among young ML students (Chang et al., 2007). ML children should be encouraged to speak in their language of choice and educators can provide space for their full range of expression, whether this is verbal or non-verbal, and opportunities for ML students to share their own language with the class (Espinosa & Crandell, 2020). Classrooms and schools should be responsive to the strengths, needs, and identities of MLs, and build upon their strengths to create a safe and affirming learning environment (see EL Roadmap, Principle One), including drawing from anti-bias training and trauma-informed practices. Teachers should also know what culturally and linguistically responsive resources are available to refer families to related to health, mental health, and basic needs (e.g., nutrition, housing, legal resources). These efforts can build awareness of and respect for different languages and cultures, which fosters an inclusive and diverse classroom culture that celebrates the strengths and differences of all students and families.

Evidence-Based Strategies and Resources