Author: Seidlitz Education

Do Multilingual Learners Really Struggle with HOTS?

by Natalia Heckman

Multilingual Learners and HOTS

For quite a while, I’ve been wondering how to understand the statement I’ve often heard that “English learners struggle with critical thinking, analysis, and inferences.” Is it really true? Or is it possible that this idea might actually reflect deficit thinking? Could it be that it’s actually insulting to assume we have to teach multilingual students to think critically when, in fact, they already do? 

Multilingual learners juggle two language systems (quite a high-order thinking task!) and navigate multicultural spaces on a daily basis. Translanguaging requires not only building a mental map of complex linguistic systems but maneuvering between nuanced similarities and differences of both. So, why would MLs (as a group) struggle with HOTS more than any other students? 

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What I Wish I Knew: Reflections From An ESL Teacher

by Valentina Gonzalez

Before becoming an ESL teacher, I was a general education classroom teacher for several years. I taught language arts in elementary school and loved every single year and every set of students. You see, I didn’t set out to become an ESL teacher. But it happened, and I’m grateful that my journey led me here. It was a beautiful, surprising next step in my career as an educator. 

Looking back on those first years as an ESL teacher, there are many things I wish I had known. There are many things I wish I could go back and whisper into the ear of the younger Mrs. Gonzalez. Here are a few: 

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The Seidlitz Blog’s Top Posts from 2021

by Sarah Welch, for Seidlitz Education

We started the Seidlitz blog in January of 2019, three years ago now, and we couldn’t have predicted what a blessing it would become just over a year after we published our first post. Throughout 2020 and much of 2021, our blog became a powerful way to stay connected and start conversations with teachers across Texas, the United States, and beyond when we couldn’t come together in person to share strategies and ideas for supporting multilingual learners. 

As we looked back on 2021, we wanted to see what blog content was resonating with all of you the most, so we looked at all our published posts, from launch day to now, to see which ones had had the most views throughout the course of the year. We loved the variety we saw in our ten most-read, from making math accessible to MLs to scaffolding reading and writing to lowering the affective filter.

Without further ado, here are the most-read Seidlitz Blog posts in 2021.

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Music to My Ears: 3 Powerful Methods for Using Music in Classrooms with Emergent Bilinguals

by Valentina Gonzalez

On an average Uber drive in the fall of 2021, I sat in the backseat listening to the music from the radio, trying to figure out the language. It somehow sounded familiar and also brought me back to my childhood memories. As the car pulled up to my destination, I thanked the driver and asked him about the music. He proudly told me it was Greek, and it was the sixth language he was learning through music. At that moment, I began to kick myself for not inquiring earlier. Now I wanted to know more. I had so many questions for the seemingly ordinary Uber driver who was actually extraordinary. 

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Dictado with Dr. Mónica Lara & John Seidlitz

by Natalia Heckman

Earlier this year, I attended a session with Dr. Mónica Lara and John Seidlitz titled “The Dictado Method for ESL and Content Areas.” I was anxious to attend for two reasons. First, I wanted to feel validated, since Dictado was a staple activity in my secondary newcomer ESOL class. Secondly, as a big fan of Dictado, I was looking to deepen my understanding of the research and rationale behind the strategy. Everything I had known before the conference was purely intuitive, anecdotal, and empirical—and by no means would I ever consider any of it reliable. So, I jumped at the opportunity to hear about Dictado from the experts and the leaders in the ESL field.

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Cultivating Multilingual Reading Landscapes

by Valentina Gonzalez

For many years I taught on a campus with an ESL program. We served students from around the globe, and our program was well known for the success we had with multilingual children. Families literally sought out our school before signing a lease or purchasing a home, because they wanted to be sure their kids would be zoned to our campus. 

On our campus, we worked hard to be student-centered. Even though the majority of the teachers were monolingual, we nurtured a mindset that embraced students’ assets—all of them, not just their English assets. 

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Four Ways Art, Music, and PE Teachers Can Make Language Flourish

by Valentina Gonzalez

Many children count the minutes until their art, music, or physical education (PE) class period begins. This could be their time to shine, where they find inspiration or feel the safest. On the other hand, some students dread going to these same classes. They might feel insecure about their skills, shrink in the environment because they don’t understand, or feel as if they aren’t seen or valued.  

Dr. Brené Brown says, “Those who have a strong sense of love and belonging have the courage to be imperfect.”  Students need to know that it’s okay to make mistakes. Those mistakes are part of the process, both in language and in learning art, music, and PE. In fact, creating environments that immerse students in engaging conversations can promote a sense of belonging in art, music, and PE classrooms while building language and skills to succeed.

Two ingredients are essential for acquiring language: comprehensible input (Krashen, 2017) and multiple opportunities for low-stress output (Loewen & Sato, 2018). This means that students must understand what they hear or read and have opportunities to express themselves verbally or in writing in safe, risk-free environments. Art, music, and PE can be great places to provide these opportunities for students. The four ideas below bring comprehensible input and low-stress output into art, music, or PE. They will enhance language acquisition for English learners, but they are effective for all students too. 

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