This presentation explores the alignment of the Science of Reading and multilingual pedagogy, moving beyond monolingual frameworks to empower multilingual learners. We examine how foundational skills—specifically phonology, orthography, and morphology—function as interconnected systems, leveraging the skills mastered in a student’s first language (L1) as a primary asset for acquiring new content in their second language (L2). By strategically utilizing cross-linguistic transfer, educators will bridge "the code" with meaning-making through semantics, syntax, grammar, and pragmatics. We move past rote instruction to show how a student’s home language serves as the structural foundation for communicative competence. Attendees will gain evidence-based strategies to transform the Science of Reading into a culturally responsive biliteracy lens, ensuring academic excellence across languages.
