This research brief explores the intersection of pracademics, multilingualism, translanguaging and transculturalism. It highlights how pracademics’ unique dual expertise prepares them to face pressing, real-world challenges in the diverse education settings they encounter while addressing nuances of overlapping linguistic and cultural identities. Additionally, it presents diverse voices from the field, highlighting their thoughts on the topic and the impact that pracademics has on their contexts, professional lives and experiences.
Resource Details View Download NowReleased December 2024
This concept tool provides ideas for leaders about integrating play into their settings through professional learning, school or program structures, and family and community engagement. This is the fifth resource of five specifically intended to support PreK-3 leaders to advocate for and incorporate joyful learning with multilingual children in their setting.
Resource Details View Download NowReleased November 2024
Talking with others about play for multilingual children in your local context will help you grow your knowledge and be culturally and linguistically responsive as you integrate play into your teaching practice. This is the third resource of five intended to support PreK-3 educators to advocate for an incorporate joyful learning with multilingual children in their setting.
Resource Details View Download NowReleased November 2024
Language-focused play observations focus on how a child is using language to make meaning and interact with others during play. Educators can use the information gathered from their observations to inform their teaching practices. This is the fourth resource of five intended to support PreK-3 educators to advocate for an incorporate joyful learning with multilingual children in their setting.
Resource Details View Download NowReleased November 2024
Become an ethnographer to observe and learn more about how, where, and why multilingual children play. This is the second resource of five intended to support PreK-3 educators to advocate for and incorporate joyful learning with multilingual children in their setting.
Resource Details View Download NowReleased November 2024
This WIDA Webinar explores five critical, research-based aspects or “guideposts” of reading instruction for multilingual learners. An overview of the current research, strategies and tips for how it translates to classroom instruction are included for each guidepost.
Resource DetailsReleased October 2024
The Alternate Can Do Descriptors (Alt Can Dos) are the first-ever Can Do Descriptors for multilingual learners with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The Alt Can Dos exemplify what students can do with communication and language at various stages of English language development.
The Alt Can Dos are arranged into the same grade-level clusters (K–2, 3–5, 6–8 and 9–12) as WIDA Alternate ACCESS. Within each grade-level cluster, the Alt Can Dos are organized by interpretive (listening and reading) and expressive (speaking and writing) communication modes for each WIDA ELD Standard and the five levels of English language development.
Resource Details View Download NowReleased October 2024
This WIDA Screener for Kindergarten eSummit session recording provides an in depth look at the test.
Resource DetailsReleased October 2024
Released October 2024
In this recorded webinar, Mark Chapman, senior assessment innovation manager at WIDA, discusses the value of interim English language proficiency data and how WIDA's interim assessment, WIDA MODEL, can be used to support instruction for multilingual learners.
Resource DetailsReleased October 2024
This video features Carmen, an elementary teacher in Minnesota. Even though she is required to teach from a prescribed curriculum, she still engages students in building personal connections to the text by connecting to students’ home literacy experiences and their emotions. Watch Carmen work with her small group of 2nd graders prior to reading a text on the lunar landing.
Resource Details
Released October 2024
This reading focused observation tool supports educators to observe a student engaging in activities related to reading comprehension in any content area. Use the tool to observe the student during activities that are structured in different ways; for example during teacher-led, whole-group instruction and during small group or independent activities.
Resource Details View Download NowReleased September 2024
This website serves as a digital database of the Marco de los estándares del desarrollo auténtico del lenguaje español de WIDA (Marco DALE). It categorizes Language Expectations in two ways: by the Marco DALE standard statement and grade-level clusters, and by the Key Language Use and communication mode. Proficiency Level Descriptors (PLDs) can be explored by grade level (K-1 and 2-12) and communication mode.
Resource DetailsReleased September 2024
In this webinar recording, WIDA experts explain the decision-making process for choosing whether a multilingual learner should take ACCESS for ELLs or WIDA Alternate ACCESS. The webinar provides newfound insights and strategies.
Resource DetailsReleased August 2024
By addressing the intersection of practice and academia, teachers are encouraged to be more involved in implementing evidence-based approaches and becoming more familiar with research informing their classroom practice directly. Engaging in pracademics highlights the work of teacher experiences and promotes the inclusion of practitioners' voices in the field.
Resource Details View Download NowReleased August 2024
Al abordar la intersección de la práctica y la academia, se alienta a los docentes a involucrarse más en la implementación de enfoques basados en evidencia y a familiarizarse más con la investigación que informa directamente sus prácticas en el salón de clase. Participar en la pracademia permite a los docentes resaltar sus experiencias de enseñanza y promueve la inclusión de su voz como pracademico dentro del contexto educativo.
Resource Details View Download NowReleased August 2024
A home and community literacy mapping activity supports students to see the literacy in their daily lives and enables the teacher to learn about their students’ literacy assets. Use this resource to plan a literacy mapping activity with your students.
Resource Details View Download NowReleased August 2024
A reader portrait is a chance to reflect on what you understand about a student’s reading and what you could learn more about. Use this activity to connect what you already know, questions you have, English language development (ELD) data in all domains, and what you know about the student’s home language(s).
Resource Details View Download NowReleased August 2024
This reading-focused conferencing tool helps plan a one-on-one conversation with a student about how they understand a text. Use this tool alongside one or two teacher-selected text excerpts.
Resource Details View Download NowReleased August 2024
This document offers a brief synthesis of research to shed light on and help make sense of the reading research and how it applies to multilingual learners. It focuses on five essential components, or guideposts, to guide equitable literacy instruction for multilingual learners.
Resource Details View Download NowReleased August 2024