That mix of needs is not an exception. It is the classroom.

When teachers are supporting multilingual learners in the classroom, the
challenge is rarely about finding a single support that works for everyone.
It is about giving students flexible ways to access content, build
understanding, and express their learning without interrupting the flow of
instruction.

That is where the Kami family of products can help.

Across Kami App, Kami Companion, and Book Creator, language support is built
into the learning experience. Students can use tools like dictionary support,
picture dictionary, translation, read aloud, summarization, explanation,
voice typing, predictive text, audio recording, and video recording in ways
that match their needs in the moment.

The result is not one pathway into learning. It is many.

Why supporting multilingual learners in the classroom requires flexible tools

Learning is not linear. Students move between different levels of
understanding as they read, listen, discuss, write, create, and reflect.

A student may understand a science concept when it is explained aloud, but
struggle with the academic vocabulary in a reading passage. Another student
may be able to explain their thinking verbally, but find written responses
difficult. A multilingual learner may need a translation, then a read-aloud
version of that translation, then a way to refer back to it later.

Students should not have to choose one support over another.

Kimber, one of Kami’s teaching and learning coordinators, described this as
one of the most powerful parts of the Kami experience: students can stack
supports. A learner might translate a passage, listen to it read aloud, save
it as a comment, and return to it when answering comprehension questions.

That flexibility matters because students’ needs are not always separate.
Language, reading level, visual access, attention, confidence, and background
knowledge can all shape how a student experiences the same material.

Start with comprehension in Kami App

Kami App gives students a familiar place to work with classroom materials,
especially PDFs and other instructional content. Teachers can bring the
resources they already use, while students can access built-in tools that
support understanding.

The Understand tools are especially useful for multilingual learners and
students who benefit from additional scaffolding.

Define key vocabulary

When students come across an unfamiliar word, they can use the dictionary
tool to get a definition. They can also hear the word read aloud.

That read-aloud support may seem simple, but it can make a real difference.
Many readers recognize words in print before they feel confident pronouncing
them. Hearing the word can support vocabulary development, fluency, and
confidence.

Add visual support with picture dictionary

Sometimes a definition is not enough.

A student may read a definition and still not have a clear picture of the
concept. With picture dictionary support, students can connect vocabulary to
a visual representation. This can help with concept development, especially
for concrete nouns, academic vocabulary, and new topic-specific language.

For multilingual learners, that visual bridge can support both language
development and content understanding.

Translate without leaving the document

Students can also translate text into the language that supports their
learning best.

This is helpful because students do not need to leave their assignment, open
another tool, copy text elsewhere, and then try to reconnect the translation
to the original task. The support is available in context.

Students can also listen to the translation read aloud. If they need to
return to it later, they can create a comment from the translation and keep
it attached to the relevant part of the document.

That small workflow helps students stay connected to the material. They can
build understanding as they go, rather than losing time moving between
disconnected tools.

Help students access complex images and text

Teachers often choose materials because they are rich, relevant, and
connected to the topic. But a resource that is perfect for the lesson may not
always match every student’s independent reading level or access needs.

An infographic, diagram, or image might contain the right information, but
still be difficult for some students to interpret.

Kami’s Explain tool can help by turning selected content, including images,
into a text-based explanation. For example, a student working with a complex
infographic can select the image and receive an explanation of the concept it
represents.

From there, the student can use additional supports:

• Listen to the explanation read aloud
• Translate the explanation
• Save it as a comment
• Adjust the level if the explanation is too complex
• Refer back to it while completing the task

This kind of layered support helps students stay with the same learning goal,
even when the original material needs adaptation.

Summarize longer passages

Long passages can create another barrier.

A student may be able to engage with the ideas, but need a shorter version
first. With summarization support, students can generate a concise summary of
selected text. They can then read it, listen to it, translate it, or save it
for later.

This does not replace the teacher’s instruction or the original learning
task. It gives students another entry point into the content.

Take support across the web with Kami Companion

Students do not only learn inside documents. They read articles, explore
websites, complete forms, use online resources, and move between digital
spaces throughout the school day.

Kami Companion brings familiar language and accessibility supports across
the web.

The Companion toolbar includes the same kinds of tools students may already
use in Kami App, such as dictionary, picture dictionary, translation,
explain, and read aloud. That consistency matters. Students do not need to
learn a new set of icons or workflows every time they move to a new resource.

For example, if a class is exploring a NASA webpage, a student can use Kami
Companion to:

• Look up unfamiliar vocabulary
• View a picture dictionary result
• Select an image and receive an explanation
• Translate a block of text
• Listen to translated text read aloud
• Copy an explanation or translation into notes

The support travels with the learner.

That can be especially valuable for multilingual learners who are accessing
grade-level content on the open web. Instead of simplifying every resource in
advance, teachers can give students tools that help them navigate authentic
materials with more independence.

Support expressive language, not only comprehension

Language support is not only about helping students receive information.
Students also need ways to express what they know.

For teachers supporting multilingual learners in the classroom, these
expressive language supports can make quick checks, exit tickets, and written
responses more accessible without lowering the learning goal.

Kami Companion includes tools that can support expressive language across
web-based tasks, including quick checks for understanding, exit tickets, and
forms.

Voice typing

Voice typing can help students get their ideas down by speaking instead of
typing. This can be especially useful when students can explain their
thinking orally but need support with written production.

For some learners, voice typing reduces the effort required to start a
response. It can help them focus on the idea first, then revise the language
after.

Predictive text

Not every student can use voice typing effectively. Some students may have
articulation differences, speech needs, or simply prefer another option.

Predictive text gives students word suggestions as they type. Students can
use general suggestions or choose from topic-specific vocabulary, such as
mathematics terms. That means a student responding to a math exit ticket can
receive suggestions that match the language of the subject.

Teachers can also adjust features such as how many suggested words appear,
whether words are read on hover, and the text size.

These options help students participate in digital tasks with more confidence
and less friction.

Build language through creation in Book Creator

Book Creator adds another layer to language support by giving students a
space to create, record, translate, and publish their learning.

For multilingual learners, creation can be a powerful way to build both
receptive and expressive language. Students can work with vocabulary, images,
audio, video, and text in the same project.

In Kimber’s example, students used a vocabulary book template to practice
words like “chair” or “desk.” A teacher could provide a highly supported
version with:

• The target English word
• A translated version in the student’s home language
• A recorded pronunciation
• A definition
• A short sentence

Or the teacher could provide a less supported version where students add
more of the language themselves.

Students might:

• Type or translate the word in their home language
• Record themselves saying the word in English
• Record a definition
• Add a sentence
• Compare the English version with the home language version
• Use audio or video to practice oral fluency

This is useful for newcomers, but it is not limited to newcomers. Many
students benefit from multimodal vocabulary practice. Seeing a word, hearing
it, saying it, recording it, and using it in context can deepen
understanding.

Book Creator also supports video recording, which opens up more
possibilities. Students can demonstrate structured literacy practice, explain
a concept aloud, or use movement and visuals to show understanding.

Design support that students can actually use

One of the strongest themes from Kimber’s session was that support should
feel available, familiar, and flexible.

Students with anxiety may feel more confident knowing support is there when
they need it. Neurodiverse students may benefit from tools that reduce
cognitive load. Students with dyslexia may use read-aloud, visual, and
recording supports. Multilingual learners may move between translation, oral
language, vocabulary, and written response tools.

The goal is not to label one tool for one group of students. The goal is to
create a learning environment where students can choose the supports that
help them engage.

That is also why consistency across tools matters.

When students see familiar supports in Kami App and Kami Companion, they can
focus on the learning instead of the tool. When they move into Book Creator,
they can use text, audio, images, and video to show what they understand in
ways that feel meaningful and accessible.

A practical way to think about the Kami family of products

Each product can support a different part of the learning experience:

• Kami App helps students access and work with instructional
  content, especially documents and PDFs.
• Kami Companion brings language and accessibility support
  across the web.
• Book Creator gives students a creative space to build
  language, record thinking, and share understanding.
• Kami Coach, coming soon, will add AI-powered math coaching
  support for students and teachers.

Together, these tools can help teachers support learning across different
depths of knowledge, from vocabulary and comprehension to creation and
reflection.

More importantly, they help students stay connected to the work.

A student can define a word, translate a passage, listen to an explanation,
summarize a section, respond with voice typing, use predictive text, or
record their thinking in a book. Each support gives students another way into
the learning.

FAQs about supporting multilingual learners in the classroom

Supporting multilingual learners starts with access

Supporting multilingual learners in the classroom does not mean creating a
separate path for every student from scratch.

It means giving students flexible, respectful tools that help them access
content, build understanding, and express their ideas.

When language support is built into the learning experience, students can
spend less time searching for a workaround and more time engaging with the
lesson. Teachers can bring rich materials into the classroom with more
confidence. Students can choose the supports that match their needs in the
moment.

That is where the spark happens: when every learner has a way in.