‘Embedding Multilingualism in Shared Reading and Storytelling’ features expert-led videos, including ‘Mara, the Dreammaker’, a story specifically designed to make multilingualism ‘mission-critical’ to the plot and offers transferable tips on how to use multilingual reading to boost children's confidence, social belonging, and reading for pleasure.
‘With 2026 being the National Year of Reading, it seems especially important to show that reading and stories are valued regardless of language. Teachers are some of the most important people in a child’s life, so having them show children that every aspect of their identity is important and welcome can have a huge impact on a child’s sense of belonging. What I wanted to show with these resources is that you don’t have to be multilingual to support multilingualism in the classroom’, explains Sabine.
By encouraging educators to approach diverse languages as interested listeners rather than experts, this guide empowers schools to celebrate the unique cultural identities of the one in five children in the UK who grow up speaking more than one language.
For further information and to access the resource, please visit the World Book Day Embedding multilingualism in shared reading and storytelling webpage.