Routinely engaging all students in the practices of science and engineering is a crucial fixture of the new vision for K-12 science education.
The practices can be seen as a barrier to participation for English Learners (ELs), or they can be viewed as an opportunity to provide rich instruction that builds science-related competencies and identities. Certain elements of the practices and related instructional approaches can be beneficial for students learning science while also learning the language of instruction.
Why It Matters To You
- Teachers should know NGSS practices are heavily language-dependent—and teach accordingly to make experiences inclusive for multilingual students.
- District staff and PD providers should learn about local approaches for supporting disciplinary language use with English Learners and help science teachers apply these.
- School leaders should develop teachers’ collective expertise to ensure approaches to developing language are coherent across subject matter instruction.
