Language Proficiency Tool for Teachers

 One of the most popular posts from my former blog (Innovative EL) was this- so I knew I had to get it back up and available for folks on my new blog! 

This tool is based on WIDA performance descriptors. It is meant to serve as a starting place for educators who may not be as familiar with supports and scaffolds for multilingual learners. Each page features one proficiency level (printed twice: so page one has Level 1 at the top and also at the bottom for easy printing). Please note that these are based on general composite scores, and not on language domain scores. Ready to access the tool? Click here! 

A deeper look into each individual students' scores (which I absolutely recommend providing to anyone who supports multilingual learners) can be found in the WIDA Name Charts (available on the WIDA website).  These charts are a fantastic resource that I'd recommend printing and giving to each classroom teacher, content teacher, social worker, psychologist, teaching assistant, etc. Each classroom teacher can potentially have their entire class on one large sheet so that they can strategically group students and plan for instruction.

For my tool, I love printing each page in a different color, laminating each page, and posting on a ring for easy accessibility. You can place these in teacher mailboxes or keep them in a common area for teachers such as a conference room or copy room.  

What's great about tools like this is that it is just the BEGINNING of an ongoing conversation about supporting multilingual learners. Sometimes, tools like this can be the start of a journey of empowering all educators to best serve students. Sometimes, having something to hold in your hands is the start of building confidence! Let's continue to empower our teammates and colleagues. 

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