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How to Create a Welcoming Class Environment for ELLs

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How to Create a Welcoming Class Environment for ELLs

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Gonzalez, J. (2013, March 5). How to create a welcoming classroom environment. Colorín Colorado. https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/how-create-welcoming-classroom-environment

Setting up an environment where EL students feel comfortable and welcome is the foundational base for all successful EL classrooms. After reading this article, you will come away with specific ideas you can immediately implement in your classroom to get to know your EL students and their needs better right from the very first day of school.

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Scott, R. (2016, August 10). Practices to welcome and support ELLs. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/practices-to-welcome-and-support-ells-robyn-scott

Edutopia articles are founded in research. This article outlines four research-based strategies any educator can use to create a welcoming environment. For example, this article suggests promoting ELs’ fluency in their native language, which research says is the best way to support our ELs in their second language journey and close the achievement gap.

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Equipping Ells [@equippingells]. (n.d.). Equipping Ells Instagram profile [Instagram profile]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/equippingells/?hl=en

This Instagram account, run by an ESL teacher and curriculum specialist, aims to give teachers best practices on EL Instructional Strategies. The strategies and resources she shares are rooted in effective research. For example, she uses many visuals, ties all the lessons to ELD standards, and uses a lot of modeling. She also promotes activities that are meant to lower students’ affective filter, thus promoting a better learning environment. She does sell her curriculum, but has many free resources you can easily download and use in your classroom today!

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Using cognates to develop comprehension in English 

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Using cognates to develop comprehension in English 

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Gonzalez, J. (2013, March 5). Using cognates to develop comprehension in English. Colorín Colorado. https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/using-cognates-develop-comprehension-english

Want to learn how to make reading more accessible for your ELs? Look no further than explicitly teaching about cognates, an instructional strategy that has proven to be effective for ELs. In this article, you’ll find a list of common Spanish and English cognates as well as different lesson ideas to teach about this concept to your students.

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Gonzalez, J. (2013, March 5). Tips for educators of ELLs: Teaching vocabulary in grades 4–12. Colorín Colorado. https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/tips-educators-ells-teaching-vocabulary-grades-4-12

EL research tells us that teaching vocabulary is essential for EL students’ language growth and access to class content. In this article, you’ll gain some lesson ideas and best practices for how to teach vocabulary to your students.

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How to Use Technology to Help ELLs Achieve Language Mastery 

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How to Use Technology to Help ELLs Achieve Language Mastery 

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Continental Press. (n.d.). How to use technology to help ELLs. Continental Press. https://www.continentalpress.com/blog/how-to-use-technology-to-help-ells/?srsltid=AfmBOorTL93oRvIbvYSmBgRQJB9jik38Np753bO82RA-VfdcSHEe91xn

In addition to providing 9 technology tools that would be engaging to ELs, this short blog post also explains why it’s a good idea to incorporate technology. Namely, it mentions research-backed proof that interacting and communicating is important for ELs to develop their language skills. Technology can help ELs, including our quieter, shyer ELs, do just that without the in-person pressure.

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Baker, C. (2021, June 16). Digital resources for EL students. New America. https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/edcentral/digital-resources-el-students/

Looking for technology to integrate with your EL students in mind? Here is a toolkit within a toolkit for you.  There are 37 technology resource links on this one page! There are resources linked here that will help students’ vocabulary development, improve their listening and reading skills, and provide scaffolding with a click of a button. Let technology make it easier for you give your ELs’ the support they need to grow and flourish in their proficiency!

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Risa Woods [@risawoods_]. (n.d.). Risa Woods Instagram profile [Instagram profile]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/risawoods_/

Risa Woods, an EL educator and Professional Development specialist, provides many helpful videos on quick and easy ways content teachers can incorporate research-based best practices into their lesson planning and teaching. For example, she promotes the use of sentence frames for turn and talks, wait time, explicitly teaching new vocabulary, simplifying verbal and written directions, modeling and adding visuals. All of these are proven methods that ELs need in order to learn. Follow her to learn practical, easy ways to do these things.

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How to write language objectives in content classes

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How to write language objectives in content classes

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Gonzalez, J. (2014, September 25). Language objectives: A key to effective content-area instruction for English learners. Colorín Colorado. https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/language-objectives-key-effective-content-area-instruction-english-learners

We are all teachers of content and language! We know this is the most effective mindset to have as educators to help our ELs. But, how do we go about teaching English as an additional language? Check out this Colorin Colorado article which will help you integrate language standards in your content lessons to do just that.  Need more specific ideas based on the course you teach? Check out these other Colorin Colorado resources:

Colorin Colorado Content Area Resources:

Using Science to Develop ELLs’ language skills

Reading and Understanding Math Written problems

Preparing an engaging social studies lesson for ELLs

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How to build partnerships with Immigrant families 

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How to build partnerships with Immigrant families 

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Colorín Colorado. (n.d.). A guide for families. Colorín Colorado. https://www.colorincolorado.org/immigration/guide/families

We must provide communication with families in their home language. This article outlines tips and considerations to keep in mind in communicating with our EL families, including what kinds of questions to include in home surveys and what information is important for schools to know to better serve our EL students and their families. Parents and guardians are part of the team to make our students’ educational journeys successful!

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Establishing partnerships with families 

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Establishing partnerships with families 

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U.S. Department of Education. (2017). Newcomer toolkit (p. 131). U.S. Department of Education. https://www.ed.gov/sites/ed/files/about/offices/list/oela/newcomers-toolkit/ncomertoolkit.pdf#page=131

This in-depth chapter is essential reading for educators who want to take a deeper dive into what it means to include our EL students’ families in their students’ education. After all, we need to understand the barriers to overcome them. You’ll come away with proven methods and step-by-step plans to incorporate EL families.

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Valentina ESL. (2018). Connecting with ELL families. Valentina ESL. https://www.valentinaesl.com/blog/connecting-with-ell-families

It is the law to communicate important school information with our EL families. This Blog post outlines how applications such as Remind and Talking Points can do just that. With a click of a button you can eliminate the language barrier, since these applications will translate to the families’ home languages for you.