Breaking barriers for multilingual learners
Illustration by Jeffrey C. Chase | Photo courtesy of Jon Kittle August 13, 2026
91原创 doctoral candidate Jon Kittle is working to transform support for multilingual learners
During a reading lesson, Mateo, an elementary multilingual learner (MLL) in a Delaware public school, read "sit" as "seat." , his reading interventionist, walked him through the short vowel sound, but Mateo made the same "mistake" and grew frustrated. Kittle began to wonder if these 鈥渆rrors鈥 were actually the result of Mateo applying what he knew from Spanish, where the letter 鈥渋鈥 carries the sound of the English long 鈥溎撯.
When Kittle explained this difference, the tension in the boy's face eased as they discussed how Matteo was navigating his two languages. That moment reshaped Kittle's teaching and provided an early spark for his future research.
Now, as a doctoral candidate at the 91原创, Kittle is using his innovative research in literacy education to support K-3 reading specialists as they work with MLLs across the country, including in Delaware, where more than 11% of all K-12 students speak Spanish, Chinese, Haitian Creole or another language at home.
Kittle鈥檚 research positions MLLs鈥 home languages as a vital asset in their education rather than an obstacle. His dissertation examines what reading specialists understand about K-3 Spanish-speaking students鈥 home language and literacy skills and how they can leverage them to build English proficiency.
鈥淪tudents鈥 home languages are not barriers 鈥 they鈥檙e powerful resources that can support the development of their skills in English,鈥 said Kittle, a graduate of the program and a current student in 91原创鈥檚 (颁贰贬顿).听
鈥淭his learning is probably happening through cross-linguistic transfer, which is how home language knowledge and skills can support the learning of a new language. For example, Spanish-speaking children might use their knowledge of Spanish letter sounds to help them understand letter sounds in English,鈥 Kittle explained. 鈥淪o my dissertation asks: 鈥榃hat do we know about transfer? And then, what do reading specialists know about transfer, and how are they applying it in their classrooms?鈥
His work 鈥 supported by a highly competitive 鈥 has the potential to shape not only reading instruction for MLLs in Delaware, but teacher preparation programs, professional development and education policy across the nation.听
Early impact for Delaware teachers聽
Though Kittle鈥檚 dissertation study of reading specialists鈥 knowledge of cross-linguistic transfer is still underway, he鈥檚 already using his findings from an extensive review of existing research to help teachers maximize the use of MLLs鈥 home language in their classrooms.听
With , assistant professor in CEHD鈥檚 (SOE), and his advisor, , professor and director of the SOE, Kittle published an in January 2026, as well as an article on the in September 2024.听
These peer-reviewed articles examined the 鈥淪cience of Reading鈥 鈥 the interdisciplinary body of scientific research on how children learn to read 鈥 through the lens of MLLs, highlighting the importance of home languages in their literacy development and effective strategies for the classroom.听聽
In 2022, Delaware passed , which recognized advances in the Science of Reading. The bill mandated that public schools screen children in grades K-3 three times a year for reading difficulties and offer interventions aligned with the Science of Reading.听
鈥淏uidling on our prior work, the goal with the 2026 article was to outline two examples of how you can actually apply home language strategies in the classroom,鈥 Kittle said. 鈥淥ne strategy was on using cognate instruction, and the second was a technique called 鈥榩review, view and review.鈥 I was really excited to have the opportunity to present these ideas at Delaware Department of Education鈥檚 annual Multilingual Learner Virtual Conference.鈥
Kittle presented these strategies to teachers, reading specialists and researchers in April 2026, demonstrating how to use 鈥渃ognates,鈥 words like 鈥渇amily鈥 and 鈥渇amilia鈥 that share similar forms and meanings in English and Spanish.听
"I attended your sessions last year and this year at the conference, and I love them every time!,鈥 said a Delaware K-3 MLL teacher in conversation with Budde. 鈥淚 appreciate how practical the strategies are.鈥
This summer, Kittle is analyzing his interview responses from reading specialists across the country, learning more about what they know about transfer and how they may use that knowledge in their daily instruction. He hopes the work will ultimately identify how teacher preparation and professional development programs can strengthen reading specialists鈥 understanding of MLLs and their literacy development.听
鈥淛on鈥檚 original research on how reading specialists are prepared to teach multilingual learners is unique and innovative,鈥 Amendum said. 鈥淢ost literacy researchers approach reading development and instruction from a monolingual English perspective, and many multilingual education researchers focus on language development. To my knowledge, there are few researchers working in this important space at the intersection of literacy education and multilingual learner education.鈥
Kittle received one of only 35 National Academy of Education/Spencer Dissertation fellowships across the nation from a pool of nearly 500 applicants, and he is the first 91原创 student to do so.
91原创鈥檚 many MLL programs complement this research, reinforcing the university鈥檚 leadership in innovative literacy education. CEHD offers an undergraduate degree in with a concentration in MLL education, a master鈥檚 degree in and a master鈥檚 degree in with a special emphasis on preparing reading specialists.听
Supported by a $2.6 million federal grant, 91原创鈥檚 statewide allows 60 teachers and 15 education paraprofessionals to take the 91原创 courses necessary to attain certification as a Teacher of English Learners or a Bilingual Teacher and participate in a professional learning community.
To learn more about CEHD research in literacy and language, .听
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