Emphasizing how connecting instruction with children’s backgrounds increases learners’ confidence and fosters a supportive learning environment, this book helps teachers improve outcomes for diverse and low socioeconomic status (SES) students. Drawing on field-tested methods, the author merges cognition, language, and culture and presents lesson plans, classroom-based alternative assessment tools, and best practices to help readers: • Improve literacy through storytelling that reflects students’ lives • Collaborate with parents to increase student achievement • Correlate curriculum with TESOL standards for young children • Integrate academic standards across developmental levels