Effective instruction in multilingual education includes providing students with comprehensible instruction in the content we are teaching, explicit instruction in the language needed to learn, a process to demonstrate understanding of the new content, and opportunities for students to practice the new content and language being learned.

Every teacher and learner figures out quickly that learning is not instantaneous. Students will need multiple opportunities for guided practice, wherein all students have the opportunity to practice both content and language.

To ensure effective guided practice opportunities, begin, as all lessons should, with the standards being taught. Standards usually include broad or even multiple skills and concepts that students must learn, understand, or perform over time.

In order for this to occur, standards need to be broken down into smaller, meaningful chunks to be taught to and practiced by students. These smaller chunks must then be stated in objectives that are accessible to students, making clear what they are learning in terms of both content and language.

Once the objectives have been established, students must be explicitly taught both the content and the language of the lesson, including all of the knowledge and skills that are going to be practiced. Instruction will, of course, need to be comprehensible, engaging, and scaffolded for the various language proficiency levels in the classroom.

To ensure effective guided practice, we should first engage in explicitly modeling for the students the skills they are going to practice. While there are many, many ways this can be done, as we engage the students in instruction, we should make explicit the processes and procedures we are using in the context of learning the content. For example:

Mathematics: Model two to three problems that demonstrate the mathematical skills students will be practicing during the lesson. Be sure to include the mathematical terminology that students will be expected to practice during the lesson. Make the instruction comprehensible by using color-coding throughout the process to show students the various steps they will take throughout the process.

Science: Demonstrate the steps and procedures students will take during the lesson. Verbalize the steps as you are doing them, including the key vocabulary and syntax students should practice during the lesson. Provide written as well as verbal instructions to make your instruction clear.

Social Studies: Model with visuals such as pictures, videos, and hands-on materials when possible, including demonstrations, debates, and simulations to make history come alive. Include the key vocabulary as well as the specific grammatical structures such as appropriate verb tense, modals, and superlatives as you discuss and teach the content.

Language Arts: Show students the specific comprehension strategies they will be expected to practice as they are reading a text. Utilize the think-aloud method by verbalizing your thought process as you read a small section of text. Incorporate annotations such as underlining and adding sketches to make the instruction more comprehensible.

After you have taught the content knowledge and skills in a comprehensible way, move towards having students practice with guidance. Guided practice should include several key elements.

First off, the practice should be directly related to what was just modeled, and directly related to the objectives as a way to lead students towards mastery of the standard. Planning is essential here; considering the standards, and breaking the standards down into meaningful objectives, then planning how you will model the knowledge and skills are critical, as is then having students practice those same concepts as well as the accompanying language through the guided practice opportunities.

Students should be allowed to practice with other students, in pairs, triads, or small groups, to ensure that they are verbalizing their learning and the processes. Peers can provide guidance to each other as they practice, in terms of the content as well as the language being learned.

During the small-group practice time, ensure that all students are engaged in the practice. For example, if you are having students use manipulatives of some kind, including base 10 blocks, word cards or pictures, be sure that each student in the group is able to utilize the materials, not just the motivated student, most proficient student, etc.

Each student should have the opportunity, and indeed should be required, to utilize the materials. The same can be said of language practice. Each student must practice the vocabulary and language structures being utilized, including speaking and writing. This is a reminder that the one doing the talking is the one doing the learning! It can be tempting and easy for less proficient or more introverted students to let the more proficient or extroverted students take over the activity.

In addition to having students practice with each other, they should also receive guidance from the teacher. During this practice time, the teacher should observe students by walking around, listening in to student discussions, and clarifying misconceptions.

Guided practice is the perfect time to provide feedback to students in terms of both content and language learning. Celebrate the approximations students are making along the way!

The first few times students are practicing a new task, learning a new concept, or practicing new vocabulary or language structures, it is likely that they will make some errors and that it will not be perfect. Celebrate the efforts your students are making and the approximations along the way! Fluency is built through repeated practice with guidance.

A word of caution as you walk around and guide students: it can be very tempting to stay with a small group for an extended period of time, especially when the group of students needs additional support.

Do your best to limit the time spent with any particular group. Look for opportunities to clear up a misconception or guide students to the next step without taking up too much time, as this will not allow you to see other groups and determine where general misconceptions, missteps, or additional practice will be needed for the group as a whole.

From here, you will need to assess if students are ready for independent practice, need additional guided practice, or if they need additional comprehensible input. With all of these elements in place, students will move closer towards mastery of the content and language you are teaching.