Sixteenth International Conference on e-Learning & Innovative Pedagogies

Abstract

While the number of English Language (EL) students is rising in K-12 classrooms in the United States, the literacy gap between English-only students and EL students is increasing. In addition to traditional literacy, today’s students are also required to develop digital literacy. However, a gap, referred to as the “digital divide,” exists in the availability of personal technology and/or Internet connection in many homes of multilingual learners with low socioeconomic status. With the onset of COVID-19, “one primary difference that emerged was the inequity in the educational support” related to technology (LaCour, 2020, para. 6). We share effective technology-based strategies that multilingual learners can use at home to develop literacy skills regardless of their Internet access in the home. These strategies support multilingual families by providing an approach to close the digital divide.