Sheltered English Instruction (SEI) is an approach that enables Multilingual Learners (MLs) to access grade-level classroom content while they are still acquiring English. Rather than lowering academic expectations, SEI provides the scaffolds, strategies, and supports that make challenging content comprehensible so that MLs can learn subject matter and develop English proficiency at the same time.
Our SEI training is built around the FABRIC paradigm, a framework of six research-based learning threads that teachers use to structure instruction for MLs. Each thread includes research-based recommendations, a classroom example, and application questions. FABRIC gives teachers a consistent, practical structure for making grade-level content accessible, and it can be used during sheltered instruction training, professional learning community (PLC) meetings, and pre-service teacher education.
The six threads of FABRIC are:
Feedback: giving MLs timely and comprehensible responses to their work.
Application: providing meaningful opportunities to use new language and content.
Building vocabulary: developing academic and content-specific language.
Relevance: connecting instruction to students' backgrounds and prior knowledge.
Interaction: structuring purposeful student-to-student and student-to-teacher communication.
Comprehensibility: using scaffolds such as visuals, modeling, and graphic organizers to make content understandable.
Our program requires ALL teachers to complete training in Sheltered English Instruction. We use the SEI Online course from Stockton University's Southern Regional Institute & Educational Technology Training Center (SRI & ETTC) to deliver this training. This is a free, self-paced, 15-hour online course developed for the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) and grounded in the FABRIC paradigm. Teachers register for free, complete the course online, and return to the course platform to continue where they left off. For technical support, contact philip.polsinelli@stockton.edu.
Access the training platform: SEI Online (Stockton University SRI & ETTC)
Training is mandatory for all teachers in our program, including general education classroom teachers, content-area and subject specialists, special education teachers, and long-term substitutes who work with Multilingual Learners. New teachers are expected to complete the course during their first year, and all staff are encouraged to revisit the material periodically as a refresher. Administrators and instructional coaches are also encouraged to complete the course so they can support and observe SEI practices effectively.
Getting started is simple. First, visit the SEI Online platform and choose the free registration option to create your account. Next, log in and begin the 15-hour course, working through each of the six FABRIC threads at your own pace. Because the course saves your progress, you can stop and return to pick up where you left off at any time. After finishing all sections, retain your certificate of completion and submit a copy to your building administrator or the ESL/ENL department for our records.
Course: SEI Online, Teacher Professional Development in Sheltered English Instruction.
Provider: Stockton University, Southern Regional Institute & Educational Technology Training Center (SRI & ETTC).
Developed for: New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE).
Length: 15 hours, self-paced and fully online.
Cost: Free registration.
Framework: The six-thread FABRIC paradigm.
Requirement: Mandatory for all teachers in our program.