E4 - Snapshots of Strength: The Four Multilingual Learner Patterns
Dr. Douglas Fisher is Professor and Chair of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University and a leader at Health Sciences High & Middle College. He was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame in 2022. Doug has published extensively on leadership, reading and literacy, differentiated instruction, and curriculum design, including The Teaching Reading Playbook and his newly published book, The Courage to Learn: Building Risk-Ready Classrooms Where Students Thrive.
In this conversation, Dr. Doug Fisher discusses the importance of shifting the educational perspective from a deficit-oriented mindset to one that recognizes and celebrates student strengths. He emphasizes that by focusing on what students can do and their assets, educators can raise expectations and foster a more positive learning environment. This approach not only changes the way educators view their students but also influences the strategies they employ in teaching, ultimately leading to better outcomes for learners.
Key Takeaways:
- Start with strengths, not deficits. Discussing what students can already do raises expectations and changes how we plan instruction.
- Multilingual learners are not a monolith. Understanding the four types (literate newcomer, pre-literate beginner, progressing English learner, persistent English learner) helps teachers provide appropriate supports for each student.
- Students need conceptual understanding for words to stick in any language. Build concepts before teaching vocabulary.
- Academic risk-taking (the courage to learn) is essential for multilingual learners. It develops through trust, strong relationships, and frequent experiences of success.
Timestamps:
(0:00) Welcome to Literacy Across Languages!
(01:33) Meet Dr. Doug Fisher
(06:37) Four Multilingual Learner Profiles
(13:59) ML Profile 1 - The Literate Newcomer
(18:07) ML Profile 2 - The Pre-Literate Beginner
(23:19) ML Profile 3 - The Progressing English Learner
(27:59) ML Profile 4 - The Persistent English Learner
(37:26) Tailoring Instruction for Each ML Profile
(43:32) Academic Risk-Taking for Multilingual Learners
(50:44) Takeaways
Episode Resources:
- Explore Dr. Fisher's books on education.
- Watch this fascinating TED Talk short about how American Sign Language works with Christine Sun Kim.
- Visit Dr. Fisher and Dr. Frey's website for more resources for literacy and language development.
Stay Connected:
- Visit us at literacyacrosslanguages.com.
- Email us with questions or episode suggestions at literacyacrosslanguages@gmail.com.
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Keywords: education, student strengths, deficit mindset, teaching strategies, language development, social-emotional learning, learner evidence, expectations, growth mindset, teaching practices, multilingual learners