499-340 Supporting Young Multilingual Learners in Inclusive Classrooms
Description
Schedule:
- April 24, 2026: 8:30 am - 2:30 pm CT
- May 28, 2026: 8:30 am - 2:30 pm CT
Location: In-Person at CESA 2
Price: $275 per person, $225 per person for teams of 3-5 from the same district. If registering more than 5 people, please reach out to events@cesa2.org
Content Questions: Gretchen Lettau (gretchen.lettau@cesa2.org)
Registration Questions: events@cesa2.org
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About this Event: A Two-Day, L³IFT-Aligned Institute for Early Childhood Educators (3K–5K)
Early childhood educators are navigating increasing behavioral needs, diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and curricula that are not always designed with multilingual learners in mind. This two-day institute supports 3K, 4K, and 5K educators in strengthening inclusive, Tier I classroom practices that honor children’s cultures, home languages, and lived experiences, without relying on pull-out services.
Grounded in the L³IFT (Learning, Language & Literacy Integrated Framework for Teaching), participants will explore how young multilingual learners develop language and meaning through interaction, play, and experience. Educators will leave with practical, classroom-ready strategies to support language development, engagement, and positive behavior through high-quality interactions and culturally sustaining practices.
Participants will:
- Strengthen Tier I practices for multilingual learners in inclusive classrooms
- Learn strategies for experience-anchored language learning and meaning making
- Leverage children’s home languages and cultural assets
- Support families across diverse linguistic backgrounds
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Our Presenters:
Gretchen Lettau is the Senior Director for the Curriculum and Coaching Center of Excellence at CESA 2 and also works in the Language and Culture Center of Excellence. With over twenty years of experience in education, she brings a systems-level perspective to curriculum, instruction, coaching, and program improvement. Gretchen partners with school districts to redesign instructional systems, strengthen coherence, and support inclusive, high-quality teaching and learning.
She is the developer of the Learning, Language, and Literacy Integrated Framework for Teaching (L³IFT), which supports educators in integrating content learning, language development, and literacy within a single coherent instructional approach. Through this work, Gretchen helps districts strengthen Tier 1 instruction so that multilingual learners and all students have consistent access to rigorous, grade-level learning.
Nicole Aldworth is the Statewide Early Literacy Coordinator for the Early Learning Technical Assistance and Implementation Grant. She is also an Early Learning Consultant at CESA 2. She has over 20 years of experience working with young children and their families as well as supporting educators to increase their capacity and instructional practices. Nicole spent most of her career teaching Early Childhood Special Education, 4K, and 5K. She holds degrees in the field of early childhood education and special education.
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