Asset-Based Language and Literacy

Tonya Ward Singer is the founder of Courageous Literacy LLC, an organization that helps K-12 educators advance literacy and language learning in culturally and linguistically rich schools. Teachers and administrators describe Tonya’s work as groundbreaking, dynamic, practical, relevant, and impactful.Tonya is the author of bestsellers Asset-Based Language and Literacy (2nd Edition of EL Excellence Every Day), EL Excellence Every Day, and Opening Doors to Equity. She co-authored Breaking Down the Wall and literacy curricula for international publishers. Tonya has taught across multiple grade levels and excels as an international consultant helping schools build collective efficacy of all teachers through job-embedded, impactful professional learning.Beyond her work in schools, Tonya is a citizen historian and co-facilitator of dialogues on trauma-informed healing and racial justice. Contact Tonya at: www.tonyasinger.com.

• SECTION I: ESSENTIALS FOR MULTILINGUAL EXCELLENCE1. INTRODUCTIONEqual Access to Academic ExcellenceEvery Teacher an ML TeacherSix Essentials for Equitable ImpactTeaching and Leading Beyond the LabelsPractical Ways to Use This Book2. ESSENTIAL MINDSETSMindsets MatterValue Multilingual Learners’ AssetsExpect Excellence From Every LearnerReflect in Inquiry About Your ImpactSECTION II: ENGAGE EVERY LEARNER3. ENGAGE EVERY LEARNERDefining Engagement and Active ParticipationStructure Peer Conversations in Every LessonPractical Planning for Peer ConversationsIntegrating Active Participation Strategies3.1Whole-Class Conversation Structures3.2Partner Conversation Structures3.3Small-Group Conversation Structures3.4Up and Moving Conversation Structures3.5Fishbowl Structure and Socratic Seminar3.6Observe and Listen to Conversations as Formative Data3.7Inquiry for Impact to Strengthen Student Conversations3.8Total Physical Response Strategies3.9Shared Reading and Annotation Strategies3.10Collaborate to Write (and Represent) StrategiesSECTION III: SUPPORT ACCESS TO EXCELLENCE EVERY DAY4. SCAFFOLDING TO STUDENT ASSETSScaffolding through the Six EssentialsSupporting Content and the Language of InstructionAdapting Supports to StudentsResources to Help You Plan and Adapt Supports5. BUILD BACKGROUND AND SUPPORT ACCESS5.1Connect to Students’ Prior Knowledge and Experiences5.2Build Background in Essential Concepts and Vocabulary5.3Value Students′ Linguistic Assets in Action5.4Supporting Access and Active Participation of Emerging MLs5.5Teach Vocabulary with Direct Instruction or the Frayer Model5.6 Use Cognates to Teach Vocabulary and Support Comprehension5.7Model Through Teacher Action5.8Model Expectations with an Exemplar5.9Collaborate to Contrast Exemplars5.10 Collaborate to Evaluate an Exemplar With a Rubric5.11 Choose Texts that Value and Mirror Students′ Assets6. SCAFFOLD LANGUAGE DURING A TASKAnticipating the Linguistic Scaffolds Before a LessonEngage-Observe-Support to Adapt Linguistic ScaffoldsDifferentiate Linguistic Scaffolds Along a ContinuumTips to Be Strategic6.1Linguistic Frames6.2Word Banks6.3Word Bank Table6.4Sentence Chart6.5Graphic Organizers7. TEACH LANGUAGE BEYOND A TASKPrioritizing Language Objectives to Teach7.1Teach Language From Life Experience7.2Teach Language From a Text7.3Syntax (or Paragraph) Surgery7.4Teach Word RelationshipsSECTION IV: APPLY THE ESSENTIALS TO ACADEMIC LITERACY GOALS8. DEEPEN ACCESS TO ACADEMIC LITERACIESWhy These Priorities?Introducing the Four-Step RoutineInquiry for Impact Tools for Teachers, Co-Teachers and Teams9. ANTICIPATEWhat and Why?9.1Make Predictions9.2Ask Questions Before Reading10. READ TO UNDERSTANDWhat and Why?10.1Identify Main Ideas10.2Self-Monitor and Use Context Clues10.3Use Affixes and Roots to Figure Out Unknown Words11. READ TO ANALYZE AND INFER 234What and Why?11.1Make Claims About Texts11.2Justify Claims With Text Evidence and Reasoning9.2Ask Questions Before Reading10. READ TO UNDERSTANDWhat and Why?10.1Identify Main Ideas10.2Self-Monitor and Use Context Clues10.3Use Affixes and Roots to Figure Out Unknown Words11. READ TO ANALYZE AND INFER 234What and Why?11.1Make Claims About Texts11.2Justify Claims With Text Evidence and Reasoning9.2Ask Questions Before Reading10. READ TO UNDERSTANDWhat and Why?10.1Identify Main Ideas10.2Self-Monitor and Use Context Clues10.3Use Affixes and Roots to Figure Out Unknown Words11. READ TO ANALYZE AND INFER 234What and Why?11.1Make Claims About Texts11.2Justify Claims With Text Evidence and Reasoning11.3Make Inferences About Characters11.4Make and Justify Claims About Theme and Author’s Message11.5Compare and Contrast

As an English Language Development (ELD) teacher and professor to rising ELD teachers, I found the updated edition to be extremely helpful and relevant to guiding all staff towards inclusivity when it comes to working with multilingual learners. From starting with the appropriate mindset to ensuring proper scaffolds and strategies are included, this textbook covers a plethora of topics that will be beneficial to anybody who works with Multilingual Learners.