May/June Newsletter Supporting Multilingual Learners Together

Supporting Multilingual Learners Together - Newsletter Overview

May/June 2026

  • Focus: Preventing the Summer Learning Slide

  • Importance of supporting multilingual learners (MLLs) to maintain language and academic skills during summer break.

Empowering Students for Summer Success

  • Challenge: Not all families have access to English-speaking adults or structured learning programs.

    • Solution: Provide simple, independent, engaging activities for continued learning.

Cultural Spotlight: Eid al-Fitr

  • Celebrated by Muslims at the end of Ramadan.

    • Activities: Family prayers, festive meals, gift exchanges.

    • Emphasizes themes of generosity and community, strengthening family bonds.

Encouraging Everyday Learning Activities

  • Home Language Use:

    • Essential for building critical thinking and transferring language skills to English.

    • Examples by Education Level:

      • Elementary: “I Spy” games using home language to enhance vocabulary.

      • Middle/High School: Discuss current events or books in home language to foster critical thinking.

Daily Reading Encouragement

  • Resources:

    • Free digital libraries (e.g., Epic!) and local libraries with multilingual books.

    • Summer Reading Bingo Card:

      • Prompts like "Read a book about animals" and "Read outside for 15 minutes."

Key Strategies for Summer Learning

  • Promote Journaling:

    • Encourage maintaining a journal in English or home language with prompts such as:

      • "What did you do today?"

      • "Describe your favorite place."

  • Neighborhood Literacy Engagement:

    • Activities like writing down English words seen in the environment.

    • Example: Scavenger hunt for specific words (e.g., "open," "exit").

  • Use of Educational Apps:

    • Recommend platforms like Duolingo, Khan Academy, Quizlet for language practice.

  • Family Involvement:

    • Distribute translated guides with simple, engaging family activities.

    • Example: Cooking a family recipe while discussing ingredients in English.

Conclusion of the School Year

  • Gratitude: Thanks for supporting multilingual learners throughout the school year.

Benefits of Summer Reading

  • Research Findings:

    • Reading 4-5 books over summer helps maintain or improve reading levels.

    • Maintaining home language contributes to better academic performance in English.

    • Literacy in home language enhances future English literacy.

Summer Bingo Challenge

  • Bingo card with fun, achievable activities:

    • Example Activities:

      • Write a letter to a friend.

      • Watch a movie in English with subtitles.

      • Count items at the store in English.

    • Encourage students to complete as many activities as possible and share in fall.

Additional Resources

  • List of Free Multilingual Resources for ELLs

  • Video: Fun Summer Learning Tips for Multilingual Families

  • Podcast: Focus Topics on ELL Teaching Tips

Quick Guide to ESL Terms

  • Summer Slide: Loss of academic skills over summer without school.

  • Independent Learning: Self-directed activities for student learning.

Cultural Spotlight: Dragon Boat Festival

  • Celebration in June honoring Qu Yuan.

    • Features: Dragon boat races, sticky rice dumplings (zongzi), hanging herbs for luck.

    • Themes: Teamwork, cultural heritage, and perseverance.

    • Promotes discussions on resilience and cultural pride.

Tips for Families: Supporting Summer Learning

  • Practice English Without Homework Feeling:

    • Use real-life scenarios like grocery shopping for language practice.

    • Watch movies in English, discuss the content.

    • Host a language picnic with shared English conversation.

    • Create a summer scrapbook with captions in English.

  • For Reluctant English Users:

    • Pair English tasks with interests to encourage usage.

    • Involve the family in shared English learning experiences.

    • Set small, achievable language goals to celebrate progress.