us that this was the right amount of time between sessions for educators to integrate new strategies into their practice.
Our goal was to build on the strategies we had initially introduced over a summer training. These strategies were simple to model, easy to implement, and immediately useful in the classroom. Each session focused on a new strategy: Conversational mapping, extensions and recasting, and open-ended questions. We used multimodal methods to provide teachers with time to learn with and from each other to incorporate the strategies into their practice. These included
› Role-play scenarios: Together, teachers acted out interactions that included conversational mapping, extensions and recasting, and open-ended questions. This allowed them to practice how to apply the linguistic scaffold in an authentic learning situation. Role-playing can be especially helpful for those who do not speak the children’ s home language( s).
› Photo and video analysis of educator practice: Reflecting on recordings opened up conversations in which teachers walked through what they did when using a strategy and how it impacted children’ s engagement and learning. Even when teachers do not understand the language spoken in the videos, they can observe nonverbal gestures, displays of children’ s excitement, and signs of scaffolding, such as the use of visual aids.
› Cooperative learning strategies: These included reading jigsaws, think-pair-shares, and partner-based activities, all of which offer teachers opportunities to talk, process, and learn from each other. Engaging in these activities provided a nonjudgmental space in which educators could explore new approaches and ways of implementation.
Program leaders, coaches, or mentors can model these practices during one-on-one, small group, or larger professional learning sessions. Teachers can then reflect on and discuss what they observed. Photo and video documentation can further support reflection by helping them notice how they use specific language strategies with children. These multimodal methods can be adapted for programs of any size or language and can nurture educators’ growth in teaching multilingual learners.
Individualize Classroom Support
After each targeted discussion, teachers can implement the selected strategy with their multilingual learners before the next professional development meeting. This is a time when a program leader, coach, or mentor can observe and offer individualized feedback.
In the district we worked with, instructional strategists asked teachers to identify areas of focus for their observations. Some teachers wanted the strategists to capture the language they were using with multilingual learners and when they were using it. Others asked to be recorded, so they could watch the recordings together and discuss. Some only asked for general feedback. In all cases, strategists
Fall 2026 Educating Young Children 55