Integrated Literacy for Experienced Multilinguals, Grades 4-12

Transform how experienced multilinguals develop academic language and literacy skills

Experienced multilinguals—students who have been in language development programs for five or more years—face unique challenges that traditional English language development (ELD) approaches often fail to address. While newcomers receive immediate attention and support, experienced multilinguals frequently find themselves stuck in programs designed for social language development rather than the sophisticated academic language they need to thrive.

In this follow-up to their bestselling Long-Term Success for Experienced Multilinguals, authors Tan Huynh and Beth Skelton provide ELD and English Language Arts teachers with the Integrated Literacy Framework. This revolutionary approach systematically integrates all four language domains (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) with the four dimensions of academic language (vocabulary, sentence structures, organizational patterns, and context). Through content-based units and intentional academic literacy activities, teachers will learn how to design instruction that moves experienced multilinguals beyond survival language to the complex communication skills required for academic success.

Key features of this resource include:

• The complete Integrated Literacy Framework with step-by-step guidance for unit and lesson planning that weaves content and  language development together
• Four comprehensive sample units progressing from foundational to sophisticated academic language, including an approach to create your own vocabulary set, sentence structures, and organizational patterns
• Practical classroom tools including engagement models that cultivate independence, vignettes from Tan’s classroom, "Try It Out" activities, reflection questions, templates, and visual anchor charts
• Foundational literacy routines for systematic sentence-level and organizational instruction, including Structured Quick Write, Sentence Deconstruction and Reconstruction, Co-editing, and Co-revising

This essential resource empowers educators to create the optimal conditions experienced multilinguals need to unlock their potential as the mathematicians, scientists, historians, writers, and artists they know themselves to be. Your students will develop the academic language proficiency necessary to express complex ideas with confidence and sophistication.