September 2021

Welcoming Afghan Families: Lessons Learned from Austin ISD

• How Schools Can Partner with Afghan Refugee Families
• How Schools Can Create a Safe Environment for Muslim Students
• Commemorating 9/11: How to Include ELLs

Natural Disaster Resources for Schools: Partnering with Multilingual Families

How can schools effectively partner with multilingual families before, during, and after natural disasters? The following articles offer multiple tips and updates:

• How Schools Can Partner with ELL Families During Natural Disasters
• How to Support Multilingual Families Displaced by a Natural Disaster
• When Your School Community Is Impacted by a Global Crisis

Social-Emotional Resources

Health and Wellness Resources for Educators

How One Elementary School Is Helping ELLs Succeed

Salina Elementary School in Dearborn, MI is an award-winning Title I school serving a large newcomer ELL population. In this series, learn how school leaders and staff have been supporting students, families, and each other through the COVID-19 pandemic.

• "Mental health comes first": A Principal Shares Her Priorities for This Year
• Supporting ELL Success with STEAM and Hands-On Learning
• Supporting Young ELLs' Success During COVID-19

New: How to Support Your Child's Social-Emotional Health

These tips for families offer ideas on supporting and monitoring their child's social-emotional wellness throughout the year. These tips are available in English and Spanish, with more languages to come soon!

This Month's Highlights

Responding to COVID Bullying, Bias, and Violence Against Asian Americans

Learn how schools can address COVID bullying of Asian American and Pacific Islander students during the coming year. This section includes articles about the issue, classroom resources, and more.

New Resources!

ELL Family Engagement: Ideas from Educators

• Partnering with ELL Families During 2021-2022: 15 Strategies for Success
• How to Use Technology to Engage Multilingual Families

Video: Finding a Friend After Hurricane Maria

When Nelson Rodriguez left Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, he quickly found a new friend in his teacher in Syracuse, NY, Jesus Ortiz. In this special video, they both remember the day they met and talk about the bond they formed.

This video was produced with support of the American Federation of Teachers.

In the Classroom

Strategies for ELL Instruction

For helpful ELL strategies, take a look at these popular articles:

• Updated: Creating a Welcoming Classroom for ELLs


• Updated: How to Connect ELLs' Background Knowledge to Content


• 6 Strategies to Help ELLs Succeed in Peer Learning and Collaboration


• Background Knowledge and ELLs: What Teachers Need to Know


• Teaching ELLs Online: How to Develop Students' Language Skills


• Distance Learning for ELLs: Colorín Colorado Guide

Supporting Indigenous Latinx Students' Success in U.S. Schools

• Video: Family Engagement with Indigenous Families from Guatemala, featuring ESOL educator Manuel Gomez Portillo


• Unaccompanied Children in Schools: What You Need to Know (updated in 2021)

Family Resources and Outreach

New! Language and Literacy Tips for Multilingual Families

Colorín Colorado’s new series of 8 tips for families is available in 16 languages. Share these tips with your families in two ways:

• Tip sheet (PDF)
• Social media graphics

New! FAQ about Special Education for Multilingual Families

This Q&A offers multilingual families an introduction to special education in schools. The tip sheet is available in 14 languages.

Research & Reports

Funding English Learner Education: Making the Most of Policy and Budget Levers

There are numerous policy and budget levers that determine the level of resources available to support ELs. This Migration Policy Institute issue brief provides an overview of these policy and budget mechanisms, how they work, and why they are relevant to EL education.

Books and Authors

Book of the Month

Fly, Girl, Fly!: Shaesta Waiz Soars around the World

By Nancy Roe Pimm

Illustrated by Alexandra Bye

Shaesta Waiz, a refugee from Afghanistan, dreamed of doing great things. But first she had to leave a refugee camp with her family to make a new life in America, overcome gender stereotypes, be the first in her family to go to college, and overcome her fear of flying. And she did. At the age of thirty, Shaesta was the youngest woman and the first from Afghanistan to circumnavigate the globe by herself in a single-engine aircraft.

Backmatter includes more information about Shaesta's mission to empower girls to pursue STEM careers and a personal note from Shaesta.

See more titles in our new booklist Afghan Voices: Books for Children and Young Adults. These books can be used to support school and community discussions of current events in Afghanistan.