Imagine being new to a school where every sound, smell, and sight is unfamiliar. For those of us who moved often, like military brats, this scenario might be all too familiar. Now, add the challenge of navigating a new language, and the experience becomes even more daunting.
The start of a new school year can be both exciting and overwhelming, especially for newcomer English-language learner students who are adapting to unfamiliar environments and cultures. As educators, it’s our responsibility to create an inclusive atmosphere where every student feels welcomed and supported from day one.
To help you make your newcomers feel at home, here are five effective strategies to start the year off right.
1. Create a warm and inviting environment
Teachers excel at creating inclusive spaces through thoughtful decoration and classroom arrangement. However, establishing relationships with newcomer students and helping them feel successful from day one can still be challenging.
Our newcomer journal allows students to share about themselves in their home language. As a teacher, you can then translate their responses, enabling you to get to know your students before they become proficient in English.
To share this book with students, click Remix and a copy of this book will be added to the library of your choice and you can Assign to your students.
2. Support vocabulary acquisition
Vocabulary notebooks are powerful tools that help multilingual learners enhance their language skills. Encourage your students to maintain a vocabulary notebook where they can include visuals, definitions, and translations into their home language. Using Book Creator for this notebook adds an interactive dimension with audio and video, engaging all four language modalities: reading, listening, speaking, and writing.
Want to get started with vocabulary notebooks? We have three books to help you:
Melissa Eaton and Patty Ponce, educators in the Indian Prairie School District, designed this 'Learning English' book to support English language learners using photographic imagery and audio.
3. Foster a sense of belonging
For newcomers, transitioning into a new classroom involves learning names, understanding classroom norms, and more. Our back-to-school activity books are designed with icebreaker activities that help you get to know your students while enabling them to get to know each other.
Additionally, our new whole book translation feature allows teachers and students to easily translate the entire activity book or specific pages into the various languages spoken by the students. This feature ensures that every student feels included and can fully participate in the activities.
4. Engage caregivers effectively
Effective communication with caregivers is as crucial as communication with the students themselves. By using Book Creator as your classroom newsletter, you can easily incorporate text, video, and audio to make your content more engaging and accessible. Explore examples of newsletters and other back-to-school communications that teachers have created in the Teacher-Created Resources book below.
5. Encourage peer support and mentorship
The arrival of a newcomer presents a wonderful opportunity to engage your WIDA level 3 or 4 students in mentorship roles for their new classmates. Even if they are not in the same classroom, you can leverage the video response feature in Book Creator to create a book of tips from their peers.
Alternatively, use one of our video response templates found in our graphic organizer tool as a landing page where students can ask questions about the school community and receive answers from their peers.
We hope these ideas and resources help you kick off the new year successfully with your newcomers. We’d love for you to share your own tips for starting the year with newcomer learners in the comments below.
Don't miss out on our upcoming Back to School Webinar on Newcomers with David Hotler and Michelle Gill! Sign up now to gain valuable insights and strategies for supporting your students.
With 20 years of experience in education, Katie is passionate about creating inclusive and accessible classrooms for all students. She loves exploring new places, trying different foods, and connecting with fellow educators.
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