During literacy activities, which strategies help differentiate instruction for bilingual students?

• A. Only use English and remove bilingual students from instruction.
• B. Provide translations for every word in English only.
• C. Give identical tasks to all students without modifications.
• D. Provide supports such as sentence frames, bilingual glossaries, peer support, and gradual release with teacher guidance.

Answer: (D)

Providing differentiated literacy instruction for bilingual students means scaffolding language alongside content so everyone can participate meaningfully. Sentence frames give students ready-made ways to express ideas, which helps them practice academic language without getting stuck on how to word things. Bilingual glossaries offer key terms in students’ home language or include translations to bridge understanding and build vocabulary that transfers to English. Peer support brings in collaboration and modeling of language in a social context, strengthening both speaking and comprehension. Gradual release with teacher guidance moves students from explicit modeling and guided practice toward independent work, increasing responsibility as confidence and proficiency grow. This combination supports access to content while developing language skills, leverages students’ linguistic resources, and is adaptable across different literacy activities. Strategies that isolate bilingual students, rely on translating every word in an English-only context, or assign identical tasks with no modifications fail to provide the necessary supports for language development and content access.