By Michelle Roy, Justin Janssen, Dr. Holli Gonzales, and Chelsy Lancaster

In October 2025, educators came together at the CASE Conference to explore the state of science education in California and share strategies for supporting all learners. One session of particular interest introduced the Science Multilingual Learning Toolkit, a resource designed to help teachers make science instruction more accessible, engaging, and equitable for multilingual students.

The presentation highlighted the urgent need for resources that simultaneously support science learning and language development. With the implementation of the CA NGSS, students are expected to collaboratively investigate phenomena, communicate ideas, and construct explanations. For multilingual learners, this means they must navigate sophisticated academic language at the same time they explore complex scientific concepts. The Science Multilingual Learning Toolkit offers a structured way for teachers to scaffold these cognitive and linguistic demands without reducing the rigor of the work.

During the CASE session, participants were introduced to each component of the toolkit—routines, scaffolds, sentence frames, graphic supports, and discourse strategies—and explored how these tools function across grade levels. Live demonstrations showed how teachers can create linguistic entry points for students while maintaining equitable participation in science practices. 

Attendees also had the opportunity to engage directly with the toolkit. They practiced an instructional strategy from the toolkit. This collaborative experience reinforced an essential message: when language supports are embedded intentionally and purposefully, multilingual learners can thrive in science classrooms.

The session concluded with a discussion on building system-wide capacity. Participants considered how instructional coaches, administrators, and district leaders could use the Science Multilingual Learning Toolkit to support professional learning communities, streamline lesson design, and ensure consistent, asset-based approaches across schools. Many attendees expressed that the toolkit filled a longstanding gap by giving teachers concrete strategies—rather than abstract theory—to apply immediately.

Presenting the Science Multilingual Learning Toolkit at CASE 2025 marked an important step toward making science more accessible and inclusive. By equipping educators with practical resources and a deeper understanding of multilingual learners’ strengths, the session inspired districts to rethink how language and science learning intersect. Ultimately, the toolkit empowers teachers to foster classrooms where every student can engage meaningfully in scientific inquiry and see themselves as capable, curious scientists.

Tags