multilingual learners

How My Special Education & ELL Students Used “Making Inferences” Lesson — And What Actually Worked

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As a Special Education and English Learner teacher, I used this lesson with students who struggle with reading comprehension and written expression at my Washington DC school. For my students—many of whom navigate the world through Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for significant cognitive disabilities and the added layer of English language acquisition—abstract concepts like “inferencing” … Read more

How My Special Education & ELL Students Used This “Analyzing Text Features” Lesson— And What Actually Worked

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I used this lesson with students who struggle with reading comprehension and written expression, and what I discovered was that for my students, a picture truly is worth a thousand words—especially when those words are embedded in a complex digital manual or a dense informational text. My name is Maria, and my classroom is a … Read more

They Marched to Mendiola Yesterday. I Was With Them in Spirit — and I Need You to Be Too.

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The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) held a major protest in Mendiola, Manila, on April 24, 2026. Hundreds of public school teachers from the National Capital Region (NCR), CALABARZON, and Central Luzon marched from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to demand a ₱15,000 across-the-board salary increase. This rally marks the start of a series of actions planned by the group leading up to the opening of classes in June 2026.

From Data to Direction: What Assumption Iloilo’s Teachers Told Us — and the Strategic Plan That Answers Them

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I’ll be honest with you. I walked into the 2-Day A.C.C.E.S.S. Literacy Framework™ Introductory Masterclass at Assumption Iloilo with a mix of excitement and nerves that I haven’t felt in a long time. Not the nervous-I-don’t-know-what-I’m-doing kind. The nervous-this-matters-so-much kind. These are Filipino teachers. My teachers. The kind of educators who show up for every … Read more

How to Write IEP Goals for English Language Learners with Disabilities: The Complete Guide with Examples

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I remember sitting in a windowless conference room early in my career, staring at a draft IEP for a student who was both a newcomer to the country and a learner with a significant cognitive disability. The goal I had written was generic: “The student will read 10 sight words with 80% accuracy.” My mentor leaned over, … Read more

Books, Belonging & the Bilingual Brain: Celebrating Autism Acceptance Day and International Children’s Book Day in Your Inclusive Classroom

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April holds two powerful celebrations — Autism Acceptance Day and International Children’s Book Day — and for bilingual special educators, they belong together. Diverse books with visual supports, social stories, and sensory accommodations aren’t “extras.” They’re the instructional backbone of an inclusive, neurodiversity-affirming classroom. Read on for practical strategies you can use this week, plus tools that make implementation easier.

Designing Lessons for Real Kids, Not Pinterest: What Actually Works in My SPED Classroom

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Effective support for bilingual students with disabilities requires a shift from viewing labels like “SPED” or “ELL” as deficits to seeing them as intersections of unique strengths. Key strategies include using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to provide multiple means of representation, such as digital books, tactile symbols, and visual schedules.

Consistency is vital; use the same vocabulary across home and school settings to reduce cognitive load. Scaffolding—starting at a student’s current level and using sentence frames or graphic organizers—empowers learners to engage with complex content. Finally, leverage assistive technology like speech-to-text and translation apps to bridge communication gaps. By fostering collaboration between families and educators, we create inclusive environments where every student can advocate for themselves and succeed.

Why the A.C.C.E.S.S. Literacy Framework Image Is Built Like a Bridge — And Why That’s the Whole Point

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ACCESS is a structured, scaffolded framework designed to ensure all learners can engage with grade-level literacy tasks. A – Activate Background Knowledge: Connect new learning to prior
knowledge C – Clarify Language & Vocabulary: Pre-teach and reinforce academic language C – Chunk
Complex Text & Tasks: Break tasks into manageable steps E – Engage with Evidence: Support
students in citing and explaining text evidence S – Support with Scaffolds: Use sentence frames,
visuals, and guided instruction S – Synthesize & Show Understanding: Demonstrate learning through
structured output Why ACCESS?
• Bridges the gap between the Science of Reading and classroom
practice
• Aligns with Universal Design for Learning • Designed for SPED, ELL, and struggling readers
•
Maintains rigor while increasing access Outcome: From access → to independence for every learner.

How My Thinking Evolved: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of Going From PLUSS to A.C.C.E.S.S.

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The A.C.C.E.S.S. Literacy Framework didn’t appear fully formed one morning. It grew — slowly, messily, and honestly — out of years of PLUSS-aligned teaching that was already doing A.C.C.E.S.S. things before the acronym existed. This post tells the real story of that evolution, why naming a framework matters, and what every bilingual SPED teacher can learn from the gap between what we practice and what we call it.

It’s Time for the Philippines to Adopt the A.C.C.E.S.S. Literacy Framework — A Direct Conversation With Filipino Teachers, School Leaders, and Education Policymakers

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The Philippines has some of the most dedicated teachers in the world — and one of the most persistent literacy gaps in Southeast Asia. The A.C.C.E.S.S. Literacy Framework offers a structured, repeatable, research-grounded instructional system that works in large multilingual classrooms without lowering expectations or overwhelming teachers. This post makes the case for school-wide and system-wide adoption — and shows you exactly how to start.