S8/E5: Identifying and Supporting Gifted and Talented Multilingual Learners with Marcy Voss

Highest Aspirations

Here are some questions we discuss in this episode with our guest Marcy Voss. Why are multilingual learners so often overlooked and underrepresented in gifted and talented programs in schools? How can educators better identify the many gifted English learners, and adopt an asset-based approach moving forward? What are some strategies teachers can use to support language needs without compromising the depth and complexity of the content and instruction?

We discuss these questions and more with Marcy Voss. Marcy is an Educational Consultant who has recently retired after 36 years in public education. During her career, Marcy taught elementary and middle school students, as well as coordinated Gifted and Special Programs in several districts. As Special Programs Coordinator for Boerne ISD, Marcy helped develop and implement their Two-Way Dual Language Program.

Marcy currently serves as an ELL Coach, curriculum writer, and staff development trainer. Her passion is helping ELL students to think at higher levels through the use of differentiated curriculum that incorporates depth and complexity. She is also interested in identifying and serving gifted ELL students. Marcy is the author of the Academic Language Cards which provide activities using sentence stems requiring higher level thinking.

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