Samhita Basthukur, a WIDA Fellow and multilingual educator, and her seventh- and eighth-grade multilingual learners collaborated with their families throughout their writing units. Explore examples of their writing and family-centered learning experiences. Learn more about the educator and students’ story in Connecting to Curriculum: Engaging Families in Student Writing, a resource associated with Connect to learning in action, one of the ABCs of Family and Community Engagement WIDA Snapshot series.
Note: The students included names and images in their writing pieces. These names and images have been removed due to confidentiality and copyrights.
Narrative Writing Samples
Students who chose to write about a personal journey collaborated with their families to write and share their stories. Explore two multilingual learners’ narrative writing samples.
Informative Writing Samples
Students collaborated with their families to research and write about a meaningful tradition or holiday celebrated in their culture. They co-edited the stories with family and peer support. Explore two multilngual learners’ informative writing samples.
Research Writing Samples
Students interviewed their families about their favorite family dish and further researched the history of the dish. Working together, students and their families collaborated to create a recipe. Below is a sample of a family interview and a few samples of multilingual learners’ writing.
Tandoori Chicken History and Tandoori Chicken Recipe
Culminating Activity
Students revised and edited their writing pieces to be included in class publications, adding family dedications and acknowledgements to personalize their work. At the end of the year, students, families, and educators came together for a multilingual and multicultural family and community engagement event that featured students’ research and writing. Below are a few examples from the published books and culminating activity.
South Korea and Sweden
