As of 2018, it is estimated that 4% of Missouri’s resident population is made up of immigrants. Of that percentage, 15% are from Mexico, 8% from China, 7% from India, and countries like Vietnam, Bosnia, and Herzegovina contribute a total of 9% of Missouri’s immigrant population. From these statistics, over 24 thousand of them are children. They’re attending schools, engaging in their community, and, for many of them, navigating a multicultural universe. For some, this includes balancing a multilingual life, speaking their home language with family members while speaking English in settings like school. But how can the education system connect their new learning to their existing knowledge and skills?
This was the question on Dr. Andrea Hellman’s mind back in 2016 as she worked as director of the iELT-Ozarks Project. From that program, the inspiration for Show Me Multiliteracy was born.
“How can teachers who do not speak their students’ home languages promote emergent multilingual students’ ability to grow literacy in their home languages and use these skills to learn academic content?” —Dr. Andrea Hellman
Acting as both the Principal TESOL faculty of Project SPEAK and TESOL Program Coordinator at Missouri State University, Hellman understands that when it comes to educating multilingual learners the root of the problem isn’t the curriculum itself, but rather the approach schools take to implement it.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Show Me Multiliteracy is a statewide demonstration project that encompasses six school districts, including Springfield Public Schools. However, rather than putting the responsibility solely on the student and the family to support multilingual learning, this program is designed for teachers. As a National Professional Development grant, it’s aimed at educators who work with K-12 students who are developing academic language proficiency in English.
The program equips educational professionals with materials like lesson plans, sustainable school-based projects, and scholarships that provide sub-grants to teachers to earn a Missouri K-12 ELL endorsement. Using a strengths-based approach, the curriculum recognizes and values the diverse background many English learners carry with them. A strength-based approach, Hellman explained, means building upon a students existing skills, such as their background knowledge in their home language.
Several Missouri school districts have implemented programs following a dual-language teaching model. However, Show Me Multiliteracy emphasizes creating a sustainable model. By incorporating learning techniques that involve family engagement, differentiated teaching materials, and evolving technology, the strengths-based approach ensures that students will maintain their home language skills in addition to advancing further in their academic achievement.
“Public schools play a key role in welcoming these families, introducing them to the educational opportunities they provide, and facilitating their integration to their new life in the U.S.,” said Hellman.
So, be it those from families who are migrant workers, immigrants, refugees, or emergent multilingual students, Show Me Multiliteracy is a program that celebrates and prioritizes learners with unique backgrounds.
The Show Me Multiliteracy project is 100 percent supported by federal funds through the National Professional Grant program of the U.S. Department of Education Office of English Language Acquisition ($2,999,665 for FY 2021-26).