Publications

From educational practice to a cross-cultural memoir, these books and articles explore the profound ways language shapes our identity and practice.

Our Latest Book

Building a Language Toolkit book cover

Building a Language Toolkit for Teachers: A Functional Approach

A go-to guide for K-8 educators, pre- and in-service teachers, college professors, and anyone in education who wants to learn how language works.

More Books to Explore

Scaffolding for Multilingual Learners book cover

Scaffolding for Multilingual Learners

A fresh look at scaffolding from Luciana deOliveira and Ruslana Westerlund.

Making Language Visible In Social Studies book cover

Making Language Visible In Social Studies

The first book in the Making Language Visible series from Sharon Besser and Ruslana Westerlund.

From Borsch to Burgers

From Borsch to Burgers

“Ruslana’s From Borsch to Burgers elegantly and humorously captures her gleeful yet puzzling journey through new foods, customs, language, and love.”

Book Chapters, Articles, & Papers

Preparing Antiracist ESOL Professionals

Developing Culturally & Linguistically Sustaining ESOL Pedagogies through SFL Professional Development

Applying a Functional Approach to Language Development book cover

Applying a Functional Approach to Language Development

“What Words Should I Use?” Multilingual learners Learning How to Make Language Choices in Science Explanations in Elementary School

Language Magazine cover

Language Magazine

A Comprehensive Language-Based Literacy Framework

Page 1 photo of WIDA Focus Brief: Scaffolding Learning for Multilingual Students in Math

University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Center for Education Research

WIDA Focus Brief: Scaffolding Learning for Multilingual Students in Math

Colorin Colorado article page 1

Colorín Colorado

Teaching Writing in the Content Areas: Research to Practice

Illustration of an older student wearing a backpack climbing a ladder

ASCD

What Does Equity Really Mean for Multilingual Learners?

Photo of page 1 of the WIDA Framework paper

University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Center for Education Research

The WIDA Framework for Equitable Instruction of Multilingual Children and Youth in Content-Area Classrooms

Photo of page 1 of the Dual Language Learners paper

Journal of English Learner Education

A Functional Approach to Language Development for Dual Language Learners

Photo of page 1 of the Reconsidering Calkins paper

University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Center for Education Research

Reconsidering Calkins’ Process Writing Pedagogy for Multilingual Learners: Units of Study in a Fourth Grade Classroom

Photo of page 1 of the Making Language Visible article

MinneTESOL Journal

Making Language Visible in Content Area Classrooms using the WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework