This article explores how a second-grade teacher's strategic talk moves supported her multilingual students, many of whom were designated as English Learners (ELs), to engage with complex content using purposeful, authentic communication during a 14-week read-aloud unit focused on historical changemakers. Collaborative coding of whole-class and small-group discussions indicated that the teacher played a pivotal role in facilitating her students' productive interactions with content and with each other. Through her range in strategic talk moves, variation in those moves based on participant structures (i.e., whole group, small group), and close attention to students' individual needs, she positioned her young multilingual students as capable, critical thinkers.