Abstract

Although multilingual literacy instruction has expanded in recent years, less is known about how teachers can support newcomers with limited language proficiency in Grades 4-6. This gap is significant as many teachers report feeling underprepared to meet the needs of their multilingual learners, especially those with limited language proficiency. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the literacy practices and strategies that teachers found effective when working with students who are multilingual newcomers with limited language proficiency (NLLPs) in Spanish and English in Grades 4-6 along with their implementation experiences. Drawing from Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, this qualitative study involved interviewing four teacher participants who were non-Spanish speaking and taught NLLP students in an English medium classroom within the past 2 years. These semi-structured interviews were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Findings indicated that teachers recommended building bridges through translanguaging and multimodal supports, using knowledgeable others to provide scaffolded support, and fostering classroom community through literacy practices. Additionally, ways teacher participants navigated NLLP teaching were included. Data analyses highlighted the strategies, tensions, and perseverance teachers experienced while teaching NLLP students. This study underscores the experiences of teachers with NLLP students and how to better support these students in a mainstream English classroom. Possible implications suggest giving more voice to teachers as experts, and the study may inform recommendations for teacher practices, administrators, and teacher educators.

Degree

College and Department

David O. McKay School of Education; Teacher Education

Rights

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