This document discusses the benefits of culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms. It provides background information on a student named Sebastian, who is an English language learner from a Spanish-speaking migrant family. It outlines Sebastian's academic challenges and cultural funds of knowledge. The document also discusses literacy expectations of the Common Core State Standards for English language learners and recommends instructional strategies teachers can use to help English learners meet those expectations.

1. Benefits of Culturally and
Linguistically Diverse
Classrooms
AMY KOEHN
WALDEN UNIVERSITY
MARCH 14, 2015

2. The Value of Diversity
“All students bring cultural values and experiences to
their education, yet schools frequently disregard them,
particularly teachers who are unfamiliar with their
students’ cultures. …It makes sense for teachers to
learn about the students in their classrooms as well as
about their families, prior experiences, cultural
practices and values,” (Hawley & Nieto, 2010, p. 69).

3. “Sebastian”
(not his real name)
 Male
 8 years old
 Second grader
 Youngest of
three siblings

4. Background Information
Home Language
 Parents are native Spanish speakers.
Mother speaks very little English. Father
speaks some English, but is very limited.
Older siblings are bilingual in Spanish and
English
 Sebastian speaks nearly proficient English
and also speaks fluent Spanish.
Socioeconomic Status
 Parents are migrant workers
 Family has traveled to Texas, Florida,
Arizona, California and now Michigan
 Live in a small sub-community of migrant
families on the east side of town
 Children all qualify for free/reduced lunch

5. Academic Challenges
 Written communication is significantly affected
by language and mobility
 Gaps in learning due to family mobility
throughout the school year
 Vocabulary development and oral reading
fluency are significantly behind grade level
benchmarks
 Cultural differences with majority of the class
(beliefs, traditions, experiences, etc.)
 Lack of connection to peers

6. Funds of Knowledge
“Teachers who truly embrace culturally responsive
pedagogy recognize the importance of helping EL
students make meaningful connections between their
existing schema and content area concepts and skills,”
(Brooks & Karathanos, 2009, p.47).

7. Funds of Knowledge
Linguistic
 Fluency in Spanish
 Orally near proficiency in English
 Basic sound-letter correspondence
understanding in English
Cultural
 Understanding and experience of
Hispanic traditions and beliefs
 Diversity of food experiences
 Music, sports and video game
diversity

8. Funds of Knowledge
Family
 Bilingual
 Sibling support for school,
academics and social behaviors
 Strong work ethic
 Agricultural experience that relates
directly to our community
Experiences
 Extensive travel in the United States
 Holiday and Cultural celebrations
 Experience with harvesting fruits
and vegetables
 Multiple school experiences

9. Funds of Knowledge
Practical
 Could provide translation help with
instructional materials that include Spanish
words, phrases or references
 Could help students during plant unit
providing personal experience with
harvesting local crops
 Peer support for new students and other
migrant children and families

10. Literacy Expectations
of the Common Core
State Standards
“[the] goal is to provide all English-
language learners, regardless of
their language proficiency levels, the
same opportunities to demonstrate
their content knowledge and skills
as their peers who are native
English-speakers or former
English-learners,”
(Maxwell, 2013a, p. 1).

11. Schools are Recommended by the CCSS to Provide:
 Appropriate instructional supports to make grade-level course work comprehensible
 Modified assessments that allow ELLs to demonstrate their content knowledge
 Additional time for ELLs to complete tasks and assessments
 Opportunities for classroom interactions (both listening and speaking) that develop concepts and
academic language in the disciplines
 Opportunities for ELLs to interact with proficient English speakers
 Opportunities for ELLs to build on their strengths, prior experiences, and background knowledge
 Qualified teachers who use practices found to be effective in improving student achievement
(Common Core State Standards Initiative, n.d.)

12. Strengths of the Standards for Language Learners:
 Prepares all students, including ELLs for college and careers and to participate fully in
what has become a global workplace (Language Magazine, 2015).
 Encourages significant collaboration between content area teachers and teachers of ELL
students, which my increase scaffolds and support for ELLs in the general classroom and
content area instruction.

13. Challenges of the Standards for Language Learners:
 Making CCSS content accessible to ELLs who are deficient in oral and written
communication skills, (Coleman & Goldenberg, 2012).
 Schools need to establish a school-wide focus on literacy, (Language Magazine,
2015).
 Extra scaffolding needs to be in place to support ELLs for vocabulary as well as
oral and reading fluency in English
 Text complexity and the focus of the standards on the learner creating meaning,
puts additional burdens on ELL students who could previously rely on the teacher
to help with vocabulary and meaning construction.

14. Overcoming these
Challenges
Maxwell suggests teachers
spend time, “…picking apart
the standards, stripping them
down to the essential concepts,
simplifying the language and
developing strategies that all
of them can use to support
English-learners in both
content and ESL classes,”
(2013b, p. S9).

15. Instructional Strategies to Help Overcome
Challenges for ELLs and the Standards:
 Collaboration between ESL and content-area teachers
 Including language and content instruction throughout the academic day
 Utilizing “push-in” support to provide additional scaffolding for ELLs
 Helping teachers develop a deep understanding of language acquisition
 Time devoted to getting to know individual students and their specific learning needs
 Identifying and addressing cultural and linguistic differences that may enhance or hinder
learning
 Explicitly teach academic language related to content
(Maxwell, 2013b)

16. References:
 Brooks, K., & Karathanos, K. (2009). Building on the cultural and linguistic capital of English learner (EL)
students. Multicultural Education, 16(4), 47–51.
 Coleman, R. and Goldenberg, C. (2012). The common core challenge for English language learners. Principal
Leadership, 12, 46-51.
 Common Core State Standards Initiative. (n.d.). About the standards. Retrieved
from http://www.corestandards.org/
 Hawley, W. D., & Nieto, S. (2010). Another inconvenient truth: Race and ethnicity matter. Educational
Leadership, 68(3), 66–71.
 Language Magazine. (2015) Cutting to the common core. Retrieved from
http://languagemagazine.com/?page_id=4130.
 Maxwell, L. A. (2013a). Consortia struggle with ELL provisions. Education Week, 32(27), 1–17.
 Maxwell, L. A. (2013b). Standards and English-learners: It takes a village. Education Week, 33(10), S9–S12.