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Learn and practice some conversational Spanish. Try to speak it in front your learners. Watching your mistakes will encourage them to be risk-takers, too.

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English language learners (ELLs) benefit just as much from their parents' involvement in their education as other students. Some Hispanic parents may feel apprehensive about getting involved because of their limited English skills, lack of familiarity with mainstream culture and the public school system in the United States, and other reasons.

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School Districts are continuously improving the services for ELL learners and their families. Follow Region 10 and your school's Twitter feeds and for exciting developments.

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🌎The week you've been waiting for! Tues & Wed come learn with us @Region10ESC #R10PowerofUnity #Bilingual #ESL Symposium.  Some sessions still have seats open 👩‍🏫 Check out the schedule & registration info in our smore
https://t.co/7V48fme472 
#R10ELSupport  #R10SVL #R10remote

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🌎The week you've been waiting for! Tues & Wed come learn with us @Region10ESC #R10PowerofUnity #Bilingual #ESL Symposium.  Some sessions still have seats open 👩‍🏫 Check out the schedule & registration info in our smore
https://t.co/7V48fme472 
#R10ELSupport  #R10SVL #R10remote https://t.co/27uGQvoKzf

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🌎The week you've been waiting for! Tues & Wed come learn with us @Region10ESC #R10PowerofUnity #Bilingual #ESL Symposium. Some sessions still have seats open 👩‍🏫 Check out the schedule & registration info in our smorehttps://t.co/7V48fme472 #R10ELSupport #R10SVL #R10remote pic.twitter.com/27uGQvoKzf
— R10_English Learner Support Services (@R10ELsupport) June 22, 2020

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🌎The week you've been waiting for! Tues & Wed come learn with us @Region10ESC #R10PowerofUnity #Bilingual #ESL Symposium.  Some sessions still have seats open 👩‍🏫 Check out the schedule & registration info in our smore
https://t.co/7V48fme472 
#R10ELSupport  #R10SVL #R10remote https://t.co/27uGQvoKzf

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
🌎The week you've been waiting for! Tues & Wed come learn with us @Region10ESC #R10PowerofUnity #Bilingual #ESL Symposium.  Some sessions still have seats open 👩‍🏫 Check out the schedule & registration info in our smore
https://t.co/7V48fme472 
#R10ELSupport  #R10SVL #R10remote https://t.co/27uGQvoKzf

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
🌎The week you've been waiting for! Tues & Wed come learn with us @Region10ESC #R10PowerofUnity #Bilingual #ESL Symposium.  Some sessions still have seats open 👩‍🏫 Check out the schedule & registration info in our smore
https://t.co/7V48fme472 
#R10ELSupport  #R10SVL #R10remote

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Initial language acquisition relies on concrete meanings. Get students physically engaged in the using English. Demonstrate a skip, a hop, and leap. They are all similar meaning words but they have subtle differences.

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TOP 20 ESL games to get your students talking! - Linguish

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ESLGames #TeachEnglish At Linguish, we thrive on getting our ESL students to actually speak in English. To do this we use ESL games and activities to teach ...

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Teachers do not need to be fluent or even speak a different language.  They must be certified teachers.

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Latino parents particularly non-English speakers may undervalue their influence and delegate to the teacher's expertise.  Establish partnerships with parents early.  Share strategies and ideas on how they can help their child.

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We will host a back to school night just for Spanish speaking families. Teachers attendance is mandatory.

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"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother."
- Abraham Lincoln

Grade Levels: K-12
Subject: All

Each of the Latino parents wrote their child's name on a post-it note and stuck it on the board in the front of the classroom. The teacher had invited the families together to discuss ways they could help their child succeed, and they began with this simple activity. When the 33 post-its were on the board, the teacher stated, "50% of Latino students drop out of school by 9th grade." Then she removed half of the post-it notes at random. "Another 20% drop out of high school before 12th grade." She removed another handful of post-its. "Another 10% are not able to pass state required tests and do not receive a diploma." She took off a few more post-its. The room was quiet as everyone looked at the five little post-its left on the board. The teacher continued, "The graduation rate in our district for Latino students is about 22%. National statistics show the Latino college graduation rate at about 14%. This means that of the five Latino students who get high school diplomas, one will receive a college degree."

This was a very stark and depressing picture to contemplate, but the teacher's message was clear - the only way the students were going to be able to make it was with strong support from school and home. The teacher gave her pledge to the families that she would do all she could to provide a quality education for their children, but she also told them that she wanted to partner with the families so they could provide support at home that would ensure their child would be a high school graduate.

Although it may seem like children spend most of their time at school, it's estimated that 70% of their waking hours (including weekends and holidays) are spent outside of school (Michigan Department of Education, 2001). This means that even if a teacher is competent, creative, and able to reach every student during the school day, there are many more hours of the day that are spent mainly in the student's home. Therefore, a strong home-school connection is crucial to the success of the student.

According to a review of recent research published by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (2002), students whose parents are actively involved in their education, no matter what their income or background, are more likely to:

Earn higher grades and test scores and enroll in higher-level programs.

Be promoted, pass their classes, and earn credits.

Attend school regularly.

Have better social skills, show improved behaviors, and adapt well to school.

Graduate and go on to post-secondary education.

Additional research shows that more and more families from a wider range of income and educational levels, as well as from diverse ethnic and cultural groups, are engaged in supporting their children's learning at home. Encouraging greater involvement at school from all students' families may be an important strategy for addressing the achievement gap between high-literacy and low-literacy families. When schools support parent involvement at home and school, students make greater gains. When schools build partnerships with families by responding to their concerns and honoring their contributions, they succeed in sustaining connections that are aimed at improving student achievement. ( For help setting up parent outreach workshops that focus on literacy development go to the Colorín Colorado - AFT Toolkit for Teachers: Reaching Out to Hispanic Parents of English Language Learners.)

The question then becomes: if family support is critical to the ongoing academic achievement of your students, how can a strong partnership be established and maintained throughout the school year? I believe it begins with the family night at the beginning of the school year. At this meeting a teacher can achieve two objectives:

establish shared expectations with the parents about the upcoming school year

offer suggestions and support to assist families in helping their child.

How to host a successful family night for bilingual families

First things first - get the parents to the meeting. Be sure to create invitations that the families will be able to understand. This may mean sending translated invitations and/or making a phone call to the family to personally invite them to the meeting. It will help them understand how valuable their participation is. Some schools also advertise book fairs or raffles that add a little more interest to the outing. Encouraging parent involvement may also mean considering the option of having the meeting at a location more convenient for the families - such as a community center or church. Many of my ELL families only had one vehicle, and public transportation in Minnesota is still a developing concept, so sometimes it made sense to have the meeting at a place that was within walking distance of where many of the families lived.

If at all possible, provide food and childcare. Providing light snacks and beverages really help to put people at ease and set a friendly, non-threatening tone for the meeting. Many parents may feel intimidated by the formal school setting, and food is a universal way to welcome new friends. Childcare is very important if you want to have the parents' undivided attention. It will allow them an opportunity to participate effectively and ask questions. Some administrators are able to help pay for these items through Title I funding or other special family involvement funds, so be sure to discuss it at a staff meeting prior to the first family night.

Make sure there are staff members available who will be able to speak to the families in their home language. If you are hosting a family meeting with English speakers and Spanish speakers, you may want to stop to allow time for interpretation. If your school has many Spanish-speaking families and very few bilingual staff members, teachers may want to run two meetings simultaneously - one for Spanish speakers and one for English speakers - to cover the same educational support topics, and then bring families together in classrooms for social interaction with their child's teacher.

Have a clear agenda, and begin and end on time. Your time, as well as the families', is very valuable and it's important to use the time wisely. Following an agenda and organizing needed information in a "Parent Folder" will help parents understand the expectations for the year and how they can help their child succeed. As usual, offer translated materials whenever possible.

Offer an "ELL Summary Newsletter" where families can receive weekly school information. I created an "ELL Newsletter" for my students when I realized that many families were overwhelmed with the amount of paper that was coming home each week and found it difficult to figure out which items they really needed to attend to. My "ELL Newsletter" was printed on bright yellow paper in Spanish and simple English and offered a summary of the events and issues parents needed to be aware of. At the beginning of the year I showed the "ELL Newsletter" to the families and said, "If you only read one thing in your child's backpack - read this. And always call if you have questions or aren't sure what you need to do."

"Show" rather than "tell" about the curriculum. When you tell the families what the children will be working on during the year, show examples of past student work so families can see what you mean. It will also help them recall the information when they are helping their child at home.

Emphasize the importance of attending conferences and communicating regularly. Make sure the parents know the date of the first conferences and that they have your phone number and e-mail information. Describe the kinds of things you need to communicate about frequently - absences, school work, behavior concerns, accomplishments, upcoming events, etc. Families from a different country probably have different expectations about communicating with their children's school, so covering the basic expectations is a good idea. For example, one of my ELL students went on vacation with his family for a month, and the parents had not called to inform the school. When they returned, they were very surprised to find out that their son had been withdrawn from school due to the long, unexplained absence.

If there is time, do a fun learning activity with the families. If families are able to interact with their children during an educational activity in the classroom, they are more likely to participate in a similar activity when it is sent home again. The activity should be simple and something that the families can take with them, such as cards for matching games, dice for math activities, or word cards for making sentences.

Last, but not least, find opportunities for families to volunteer in ways that will work for them. Some of my students' mothers did not have a lot of prior formal education and felt uncomfortable coming to the classroom to do reading or math support. However, they were excellent cooks, and because they worked in the evening, they were able to bring treats to the children and help organize celebrations when we finished our units. Many parents also don't realize how valuable their input can be when they talk about the importance of school, go to the library with their children, encourage reading and do school success, and regularly ask their children what they learn in school every day.

With creativity, teachers can think of many ways families can volunteer - whether it is helping to cut out flashcards or reading in the students' native language. I believe that providing parents with an opportunity to visit the school regularly and contribute their time and talents helps build trust and a stronger home-school connection. As the African proverb says, "It takes a whole village to raise a child." The American community is quite different from an African village, but through parent meetings, a teacher can play a strong role in bringing the community together to raise children who will graduate from high school, and one day, college.
Colorín Colorado: Reaching Out to Hispanic Parents of English Language Learners
Reading Rockets and the American Federation of Teachers have developed the Colorín Colorado-AFT Toolkit for Teachers: Reaching Out to Hispanic Parents of English Language Learners. This toolkit includes background information on reaching out to Hispanic parents, four sample workshops, videos in Spanish and English, and bilingual handouts.
Colorin Colorado: El día de los niños/El día de los libros
El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Day of the Child/Day of the Book) is a celebration based on childhood and literacy that began in 1997. Borrowing from the traditional Mexican holiday "El día de los niños," the American version expanded to include literacy when acclaimed author Pat Mora took up the cause in 1997. A year later, the U.S. Congress officially designated April 30 as "Day of the Child."
Parents + Schools = Successful Children: Practioner Guide
The Parents + Schools = Successful Children series is a project developed by the National Center for Family Literacy. The project includes bilingual materials to promote the importance of parent involvement and literacy support at home. This Practitioners' Guide offers numerous ideas and resources for reaching out to parents.
Cuentos y Más
Celebrate the joy of reading with Cuentos y Más, a dynamic show offered by the Arlington Public Library in Arlington, VA and winner of the Outstanding Children's Program award by the Virginia Public Library Directors Association. The program features the talented and engaging bilingual storyteller Mariela Aguilar, who tells stories in English and Spanish and then visits places in the community such as the library. Produced for television, the program is now available as an online video for free viewing.
Great Schools: Back-to-School Night
This article discusses some ideas for parents so that they can make the most of back-to-school night at their child's school, as well as information that they should take with them from the event about their child's school, classroom, and teacher (such as important contact information). This article is available in English and Spanish.
Reading at Home with Your Child
Delta Publishing sells videos, DVDs, and handouts available in English and Spanish for educators to teach parents how to read with their children.
Los Bloguitos
Los Bloguitos, managed by children's authors and illustrators, is a Spanish-language blog for Spanish-speaking children. It highlights colorful tales, poetry, drawings, and more.
U.S. Department of Education: Helping Your Child Series
The U.S. Department of Education's "Helping Your Child" publication series offers downloadable PDF booklets and brochures in English and Spanish with practical lessons and activities to help preschool and elementary school children to master reading, understand the value of homework, and develop important skills and values.
U.S. Department of Education: Resources For Parents
This main page for parents leads parents through important issues in their child's education, such as school involvement and finanical aid. There are also helpful downloadable guides and pamphlets.
U.S. Department of Education: Family Involvement Case Study
Additionally, the U.S. Deptartment of Education also features a case study on Hueco Elementary School in El Paso, TX that describes the process the school went through to increase parent involvement and develop better partnerships with their Spanish-speaking families. This article is part of the Department's online archive.
Education World: Parent Involvement in Schools
Practical family meeting ideas with links to other websites and resources.
Search Institute: Developmental Assets
A listing of the 40 Assets that are recommended to raise successful young people. Asset lists are categorized by age level. A Spanish version of the list is also available.
Parent Institute for Quality Education
This website outlines the work PIQE has been doing to promote parent involvement by providing nine-week training courses that will assist parents in understanding the U.S. educational system and becoming better advocates for their children.

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"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." - Abraham Lincoln Each of the Latino parents wrote their child's name on a post-it note and stuck it on the board in the front of the classroom.

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Pair non-English speakers with someone who can translate if possible. Not only will this help communication, but it nurtures friendship that all students need.

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Texas Teachers can receive an additional certification is ESL by testing.
"They must pass the ESL content test, TExES English as a Second Language Supplemental
Covering:

Language concepts and language acquisition (25% of the test)

ESL instruction and assessment (45%)

Foundations of ESL education, cultural awareness and family and community involvement (30%)

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Migration into the US has increased markedly in recent decades and this has led to many more English language learners than ever before. It is imperative that migrants, who are not native English speakers, quickly improve their English language skills, so that they have a chance to thrive in American society. In Texas, ESL teachers must successfully complete a number of education, training and testing steps as part of the teacher qualification and certification process.

Texas ESL Teacher Certification Requirements

Average Salary for Teachers in Texas (2017)*
$56,760 (Elementary), $56,670 (Middle), $57,830 (Secondary)

Testing Requirements
Pedagogy & Professional Responsibilities (PPR) TExES exam (code: 160), TExES English as a Second Language Supplemental test (code: 154) for additional ESL endorsement of existing teachers

Step 1: Earn a Degree

Step 2: Pass Required Testing

Step 3: Apply for Initial Teacher Certification and ESL Endorsement in Texas

Texas Teacher Certification Resources

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Migration into the US has increased markedly in recent decades and this has led to many more English language learners than ever before. It is imperative that migrants, who are not native English speakers, quickly improve their English language skills, so that they have a chance to thrive in American society.

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1. Create cluster seating for you students and clearly assign roles within that group.

At each stage of instruction allow individual learners to glean the meaning then transition to group collaboration.

2. Communicate in concise instruction and restate complex ideas simply.

3. Calmly express your ideas and wait patiently for ELL students to form responses.

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Parent Strategies for Helping their ELL child

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Parent Strategies for Helping their ELL child

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Non English speaking parents may be at loss to help their child learn a language that they themselves do not know.  But just listening to a child read a book or describe pictures strengthens language skills.  Below is a link to more strategies for parents of ELL students.

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All parents can be helpful in their children's literacy development, regardless of their language, education, or literacy level. Parents who speak little or no English can contribute to their children's education in valuable ways. English language learners may benefit when they develop solid literacy skills in their first language before learning to read in a second one. Through Spanish, they are developing key language and literacy skills that may enable them to become excellent readers in English.

What are the important differences between the English and Spanish languages?

There are important differences between English and Spanish. Your awareness of these differences will help you to better teach English to your ELLs. For example:

Spanish-speaking ELLs may have difficulty distinguishing one English sound from another when they listen, speak, read, or write – especially the sounds that don't exist in Spanish. They may have trouble learning the 15 English vowel sounds because Spanish only has five. Beginning ELLs may not hear the difference between cat and cut, call and cold, or tin and ten. They need to hear the vowel distinctions from you before they are able to produce them on their own.

Discover more Spanish-English tips to help your ELL make connections between the two languages.

What if my students' parents speak only Spanish and don't know how to read?

Even if your students' parents cannot read, there are many ways they can develop their children's oral language skills and support their literacy efforts. Here are a few ideas:

Storytelling

In Hispanic families, oral storytelling is often more of a natural activity than reading a bedtime story together. By telling stories, parents are developing their children's vocabulary and oral language skills. Parents can also encourage children to add to stories or make up their own.

"Read" wordless picture books

Wordless picture books tell stories through pictures. This can be a fun way for parents and children to sit down together with books and talk about stories. Children can learn how stories progress, make predictions, and develop a love for books.

Say rhymes and sing songs

Rhymes, songs, and chants can develop oral language skills such as intonation and word stress.

Read more ideas on how to make word play fun:

Make frequent trips to the public library

You might be surprised at how many parents of ELLs do not understand that public libraries in the United States are free and for everyone. Try coordinating an informal "field trip" to your closest public library with parents (and possibly children) early in the school year.

Get ideas on introducing parents of ELLs to the public library, and more!

Engage in meaningful conversation

For oral language development, it is important that parents engage their children in meaningful conversation. Whether at the dinner table or at the grocery store, parents can ask children questions that require more than a simple yes or no answer.

Read more on how to engage your child to help develop oral language (also available in Spanish):

Watch educational children's television programs together

There are a number of wonderful children's television programs that promote English language and literacy development. This can be a great way for both parents and children to learn English together.

Learn more ways television can be used as an educational tool.

What if my students' parents read only in Spanish?

If your ELLs' parents are fully literate in Spanish, there are many ways they can help their children learn to read. First of all, they can do everything in the section above. In addition, they can:

Read books in Spanish

Just as English-speaking parents can read books with their children in English, Spanish-speaking parents can read books with their children in Spanish. If some parents are not accustomed to reading with their children, introduce them to children's books and model different ways they can read together. Visit our families section for more specific suggestions. You can print out Spanish versions of each page and hand them directly to parents.

Read bilingual books

Bilingual books are a great way for ELL students and their parents and family to enjoy books together. In addition, they can both improve their reading skills along the way.

Homework help

If parents do not speak English, they may feel powerless when it comes to helping their children with homework. Let parents know that there are a variety of ways they can help:

Direct help

There are probably many ways that parents can offer direct homework help, whether it's teaching numbers and letters, practicing reading, or helping with projects. Keep parents abreast of your classroom activities and homework, and point out specific ways that they can help out from home.

Keep tabs

Parents can keep in touch with teachers to make sure their children are finishing their homework. They can ask their children if they have any homework and make sure they set aside enough time to do it.

Provide good work space

Let parents know how important it is for children to have a clean, quiet work space to read or do their homework. Even if it is a simple table and chair, children will concentrate better with a defined place to study.

Find a tutor

If parents cannot directly help with homework, encourage them to locate a tutor to help their children and answer any questions. Often times there are volunteer tutoring programs at local elementary schools, high schools, libraries, and after-school programs. An aunt, uncle, neighbor, or older sibling might also be able to help.

Starting a home library

Regardless of their language or literacy level, parents can help their children develop a special collection of books at home. Here are some tips for parents:

Pick a special place in the house

Designate an area so that your child knows where to find his or her books. Buy, make, or clear off an area for a simple bookshelf. Even a board or cardboard box will do.

Find quality books

There are a number of ways to build up your home library. An obvious way is to make frequent trips to the public library. You can also buy books from bookstores and school book fairs. You can often find books for little cost at used book stores, thrift stores, and garage sales. Another way to develop a collection is to encourage family members and friends to give books to your children as presents for birthdays and other occasions.

Learn more about starting your own library:

Multicultural books

Watch children's author and literacy advocate, Pat Mora, discuss how her family stories have enabled many Hispanic children to see themselves reflected in books.

This video is also available on YouTube.

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Empowering ELL Parents & Families at Home

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All parents can be helpful in their children's literacy development, regardless of their language, education, or literacy level. Parents who speak little or no English can contribute to their children's education in valuable ways. English language learners may benefit when they develop solid literacy skills in their first language before learning to read in a second one.

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Check out the Fall Newsletter for fun learning activities to enjoy during the upcoming holiday breaks. Read to find out how you can best support your child in preparing for college and career.
10/19/2023

Back-to-School Newsletter
Check out the Back-to-School Newsletter for information on how to help your child start the new school year with confidence.
8/11/2023

Check out the Summer Newsletter
Summer Newsletter for ideas on how to support your child's learning through the summer with fun, engaging family activities. 6/12/2023

Spring Newsletter
Learn how to help your child prepare for testing in the Spring Quarterly Newsletter.
2/21/2023

Winter Newsletter
Learn how keeping routines can create a positive learning experience and lead to more success for your child in the Winter Quarterly Newsletter.
1/30/2023

Fall Newsletter
Learn how to create an educational team between you, your child, and their teacher(s) in the Fall Quarterly Newsletter.
10/31/2022

Register Now - T3 Engagement Series
Join us in a virtual event on November 11, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. to learn about Educational Equity. Interpreters will be available on request using the registration form.
9/26/2022

August Newsletter
Learn about setting up good routines to prepare for school as well as suggestions on how to add in emotional self-care routines in the August Newsletter for parents and families.
8/22/2022

Parents and Families Event - Registration Now Open
This event will take place on Friday, May 6th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Visit the Parents and Families Event page to find out how to get registered for this event.
4/4/2022

Early Childhood Texas: Resources for Raising Kids
Check out the new Early Childhood Texas site for parents that gives information on childcare and education programs, child development and nutrition, parenting tips, and state sponsored programs.
3/28/2022

January Newsletter
We are excited to announce the release of our January Parents and Families Newsletter. 1/7/2022

October Newsletter
We are excited to announce the release of our October Parents and Families Newsletter. 10/29/2021

June Newsletter
We are excited to announce the release of our June Parents and Families Newsletter. 6/28/2021

May Newsletter
We are excited to announce the release of our May Parents and Families Newsletter.
5/27/2021

Survey for Parents and Families Event
We need your input about an upcoming Parents and Families event. Please fill out this short survey to help us plan this event to meet your needs.
5/3/2021

April Newsletter
We are excited to announce the release of our April Parents and Families Newsletter. 4/30/2021

March Newsletter
We are excited to announce the release of our March Parents and Families Newsletter. 3/5/2021

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English Learner Portal-Parents And Families

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Supporting Emergent Bilingual Students in Texas

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Students are generally excited to share the uniqueness of their heritage and culture.   Assigning a culture and allowing students to present it engages learners and allows the student to be a subject matter expert in class.

Be flexible, non-English speaker may need to give their study in their native tongue. Arrange for a translator to share. If possible engage a paraprofessional to translate word-for-word in English.

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Remember that trying to read is a precursor to fluency, innonation, and strong vocabulary. Share this the 3 Ways to Read a Book Strategy from the Daily Cafe.

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We then read the same book, but this time reading the words. As the end of the story, we remind the students that reading the words is another way to read and we add "Read the Words" to our chart of ways to read.

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Provide sentence stems and essay frames that provide  ELL students a format for responses and writing at supports success.
Below is an example:

It is my opinion that { subject question }

is { state opinion }

for { list 3 reasons}

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This is a skeleton essay I created with sentence starters and transitions you can provide to your students to assist them with writing an argumentative essay.

This is a chart I created that was inspired by Gretchen Bernabei's Ba-Da-Bing writing strategy to assist students with adding detail to sentences.

These Blueprint For Exceptional Writing graphic organizers can be used to assist students with organizing their writing for informational and expository texts.

These Blueprint For Exceptional Writing graphic organizers can be used to assist students with organizing their writing for narrative texts.

​This is resource I created to assist my EL students with writing book reviews. I have provided paragraph frames and vocabulary banks to scaffold the writing process for students.

This chart explains how to use the Expanding Expression Tool with students to improve the quality of their writing.

This document could be printed and folded in half to create a student bookmark.

Gretchen Bernabi has some fantastic writing resources on her site that are really useful for language learners.

This graphic organizer, created by Super Teacher Worksheets.Com, compares writing a good paragraph to building a delicious hamburger. It encourages students to begin with a strong topic sentence and end with a closing sentences and leaves space to add lots of details in the middle.

This is a great resource of models essays for most types of writing that are taught at the middle school and high school level.

This is a useful set of paragraph frames that can be used to scaffold writing for secondary students for the following text structures: descriptive, sequence, compare/contrast, cause/effect, and problem/solution.

These sentence starters, adapted from 7 Steps to a Language-Rich Interactive Classroom by John Seidlitz and Bill Perryman, are organized by the different levels of thinking you can use to scaffold writing for ELL students in your classroom.

This is great resource, created by the Eastern Institute of Technology, provides sentence starters and frames students can use for academic writing.

These are free posters you can print out and hang in your classroom that provides signal words for compare/contrast, cause/effect, problem/solution, sequencing, and descriptive writing.

This is a great resource for students to use when writing a written response to a novel.

This Blueprint For Exceptional Writing graphic organizer can be used to help students expand their vocabulary by developing analogies and finding creative imagery words related to a central theme or topic.

This Blueprint For Exceptional Writing graphic organizer can be used to help students generate paper topic ideas around a central theme.

This is a great resource created by Scholastic for introductory essay writing. It has model essays and graphic organizers with sentence frames for the following genres of writing: narrative, descriptive, summaries, how-to-writing, persuasive, compare/contrast, cause & effect, and problem/solution.

These are 89 different visual writing prompts created by Gretchen Bernabei.

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This is a skeleton essay I created with sentence starters and transitions you can provide to your students to assist them with writing an argumentative essay. This is a chart I created that was inspired by Gretchen Bernabei's Ba-Da-Bing writing strategy to assist students with adding detail to sentences.

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The goals of the ELL program are to build oral and written fluency of students in both academic and conversational settings.
There are two basic goals.

1. BiCS - Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills

2. Higher order language skills CALP - Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency.

It takes about 5 to 7 years to reach master CALP goals.

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Teaching non English learners.  It's the law.
English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act (Title III of NCLB requires schools to report the progress of ELL students.

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In Texas we sometimes equate ELL with Spanish speakers.  However ELL is a rapidly growing special population in the nation.  These learners come from many countries and speak diverse languages.

All students, who have Limited English Proficiency (LEP), qualify for ELL services.

An ELL class may have several native languages in the class, but they are all learning English.

Teachers speak and teach only in English.

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Educators must find and identify students that need ELL services. In Texas a survey will be sent home with students.

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November 2014

Federal Law

School districts and charter schools must have a system to determine the language(s) spoken in each students home and to objectively identify students who need language support services due to their limited proficiency in speaking, reading, writing, or understanding English.

Alabama

Governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

Alaska

Districts are responsible for establishing a plan of service, which must include the district's plan of identification of all pupils who are or who may be ELL pupils. The identification plan must include the use of a state-approved assessment for identification of English language proficiency.

Arizona

School districts and charters schools use a home language survey for students enrolling in school for the first time. Students with a primary home language other than English are assessed for English proficiency. Students in grades 2-12 are given a written and verbal exam, while kindergarten and first grade students are only given a verbal exam.

Arkansas

Governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

Delaware

A home language survey is administered as part of the registration process for all registering students. Any student for whom a language other than English is reported must be administered a state department of education approved English language proficiency assessment based on the English Language Proficiency Standards for ELLs K to 12 to assess listening, speaking, reading and writing. The assessment must be conducted by qualified personnel trained in the administration of the assessment instrument. Any student who achieves a score that is lower than the eligibility cut off score in listening, speaking, reading and writing established by the department is identified as an ELL.

District of Columbia

Governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

Florida

Students are surveyed upon initial registration in a public school. The survey contains the following questions:

1. Is a language other than English used in the home?

2. Did the student have a first language other than English?

3. Does the student most frequently speak a language other than English?

Affirmative responses to question 2 or 3, or both, requires that the student be placed in the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program until completion of the eligibility assessment. A student for whom the only affirmative response is question 1 does not need to be placed in the ESOL program pending assessment.

Each student who responded "yes" to any question on the home language survey is assessed to determine if the student is limited English proficient. In addition, any student identified by the home language survey who also meets one of the following standards is classified as an ELL and must recieve appropriate instruction and funding:

Students in grades K-12 who score within the limited English proficient range on a department of education approved aural and oral language proficiency test or scores below the English proficient level on a department approved assessment in listening and speaking.

Any student in grade 3 or above who scores at or below 32nd percentile on reading comprehension and writing or language usage subtests of a nationally norm referenced test or scores below the English proficient level on a department approved assessment in reading and writing.

Upon request of a parent or teacher, a student who is determined not to be an ELL or any student determined to be an ELL based solely on one reading or writing assessment may be referred to an ELL Committee. The parents' preference as to whether a student is determined to be an ELL or not to be an ELL must be considered in the final decision. The ELL Committee must base its decision on at least two of the following criteria in addition to the assessment results:

Extent and nature of prior educational or academic experience, social experience, and a student interview;

Written recommendation and observation by current and previous instructional and supportive services staff;

Level of mastery of basic competencies or skills in English and heritage language according to local, state or national criterion-referenced standards;

Grades from the current or previous years; or

Test results other than the above-menioned assessments.

Hawaii

Governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

Idaho

Governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

Illinois

School districts are required to administer, as part of the enrollment process, a home language survey to each student in preK-12 who is entering the district's schools or any of the district's preschool programs for the first time. The survey must include at least the following questions, and the student must be identified as having a language background other than English if the answer to either question is yes:

Whether a language other than English is spoken in the student's home and, if so, which language; and

Whether the student speaks a language other than English and, if so, which language.

The district is required to screen the English language proficiency of students identified through the home language survey as having a language background other than English by using the prescribed screening instrument applicable to the student's grade level or the prescribed screening procedures identified by the preschool program.

The prescribed screening instrument does not need to be administered to a student who, in his or her previous school district:

Has been screened and identified as English language proficient; or

Has met the State exit requirements; or

Has met all of the following criteria:

Resides in a home where a language other than English is spoken, and

Has not been screened or identified as an ELL, and

Has been enrolled in the general program of instruction in the school he or she has previously attended, and

Has been performing at or above grade level as evidenced by having met or exceeded the Illinois Learning Standards in reading and math on the student's most recent State assessment or, for students for whom State assessment scores are not available, a nationally normed standardized test, provided that either assessment was not administered with accommodations for ELLs.

Students whose scores are identified as not "proficient" as defined by the state superintendent of education are considered to be ELLs. For preschool programs using a screening procedure other than an established assessment tool where "proficiency" is defined as part of the instrument, "proficiency" is the point at which performance identifies a child as proficient in English, as set forth in the program's proposed screening process. For any preschool student who scores at the "proficient" level, the school district may consider additional indicators such as teachers' evaluations of performance, samples of a student's work, or information received from family members and school personnel in order to determine whether the student's proficiency in English is limited and the student is eligible for services.

The parent or guardian of any child resident in a school district who has not been identified as an English learner may request the district to determine whether the child should be considered for placement in a bilingual education program, and the school district must make that determination upon request, using the process described above.

Indiana

Governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

Iowa

A school district must use the following criteria:

In order to determine the necessity of conducting an English language assessment of any student, the district is required, at the time of registration, to ascertain the place of birth of each student and whether there is a prominent use of any languages other than English in the home. If the student's registration form indicates the prominent use of another language in the student's home, the district must determine the first language acquired by the student and the languages spoken by the student and by others in the student's home. School district personnel are required to be prepared to conduct oral or native language interviews with those adults in the student's home who may not have sufficient skills in English.

Students identified as prominently using a language other than English in the home must be assessed by the district. The assessment must include:

An assessment of the student's English proficiency in the areas of speaking, listening, reading, and writing; and

An assessment of the student's academic skills in relation to their grade or age level. A consistent plan of evaluation that includes ongoing evaluation of student progress must be developed and implemented by the district for the above areas for each student identified.

Kansas

Governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

Kentucky

Governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

Louisiana

Not specified in state law or administrative regulation

Maine

Governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

Maryland

Home language survey and an assessment of English listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills that is considered reliable by the state department of education

Michigan

Governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

Minnesota

Governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

Missouri

Governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

Montana

Governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

Nebraska

School districts use a home language survey and English language proficiency exam for students enrolling in school for the first time. Home language surveys must contain at least three questions specified in state regulations and the department provides a sample survey. Students identified as ELL in another Nebraska school district will maintain that classification and the current school district does not need to administer a home language survey or proficiency exam.

School districts are required to administer a home language survey as part of the admission process for all kindergarten students and for all other students new to the district. A sample survey is contained in the administrative code. The survey must ask the following questions:

What language did the student first learn to speak?

What language is spoken most often by the student?

What language does the student most frequently use at home?

School districts must administer an English language proficiency assessment assessing listening, speaking, reading, and writing to students identified using the survey. The district determines the assessment to be valid and reliable.

Nevada

School districts use a home language survey for students enrolling in school for the first time. Local school boards select the questions and how it is administered, but the survey must address at least the following three topics: language first spoken, primary language spoken in the home, and language most spoken by the student other than English.

Students with a primary language other than English receive an English proficiency exam. Students in grades 2-12 receive a verbal and written exam, and students grades K-1 receive only a verbal exam. School districts must also assess the ability of ELLs in grades 2-12 to comprehend, speak, read and write in their primary languages, unless the student's primary language is not commonly written.

New Hampshire

Governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

New Jersey

School districts are responsible for identifying ELLs in grades K-12 with a home language survey, which must be administered by bilingual/ESL certified teachers, and a department-approved language proficiency test. In addition, school districts must maintain a "census" of all students whose native language is not English, including students who live in the district but do not attend a district school.

New Mexico

Governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

New York

Districts must develop a screening process for all newly enrolled students or students with low test scores to determine if the student is of foreign birth or ancestry and comes from a home where a language other than English is spoken. This is determined through a home language questionnaire, an informal interview in English and the native language, and the students' performance on an English proficiency exam. Testing and interviews must be performed by persons trained or qualified in the student's home language.

Starting in 2015-2016: A student identified as an ELL who has attended schools in the U.S. for fewer than twelve months and is two or more years below grade level due to interrupted or inconsistent schooling will also be identified as a student with inconsistent/interrupted formal education.

North Carolina

Districts administer a home language survey to every student at the time of enrollment, which is maintained in the student's permanent record. Districts then identify and assess every limited English proficient student. Districts are charged with adopting an effective method of determining the students' current level of English proficiency that may be a combination of the following, unless some other method can be effectively substituted: teacher observations; teacher interview; achievement tests; review of student records; parent information; proficiency tests; English as a second language teacher referral; student course grades; teacher referral or recommendation; criterion-referenced tests; grade retention or deficiency report; informal assessment or screening; portfolio-based assessment; and alternative assessments such as cloze and dictation.

North Dakota

The assessment process must follow the North Dakota English language proficiency assessment program and be supervised by a teacher of English as a second language or a bilingual education teacher. A school district may use a screening protocol prior to conducting the assessment. Criteria for the screening protocol may include observation, a checklist, writing samples, and other indicators of language proficiency. The assessment process will result in classification of the student by determining whether the student has preliterate - level I, beginning - level II, intermediate - level III, basic - level IV, or proficient - level V English language skills.

Ohio

Governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

Oklahoma

State policy directs the department of education to adopt an English proficiency assessment and directs school districts to screen and identify ELLs. The process is governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

Oregon

Districts must develop a plan for identifying students whose primary language is other than English.

Pennsylvania

Districts must administer a home language survey to all students enrolling in school for the first time. The process for identifying students as ELLs is governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

Rhode Island

Districts must use a home language survey developed by the department of education and a department-approved English proficiency assessment. The department-approved assessment is the WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test or screener. Tests and screeners must be administered by qualified assessors. The following levels of English proficiency are recognized: entering; beginning; developing; expanding; bridging; and reaching. To assist in program decisions, any student scoring at the developing, expanding, or bridging Level must be given an additional English reading assessment. When possible, a reading assessment in the first language of the student will be given to all ELLs regardless of proficiency level. All available test data from the student's previous schools must be used in the placement process.

South Carolina

Governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

South Dakota

Governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

Tennessee

Governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

Texas

School districts are required to conduct a home language survey of each student who is new to the district or who has not been previously surveyed. The survey contains two questions:

What language is spoken in your home most of the time?

What language does your child speak most of the time?

To identify ELLs, districts are required administer to students identified on the home language survey:

In prekindergarten through grade 1, an oral language proficiency test approved by the state department of education; and

In grades 2-12, a department-approved oral language proficiency test and the English reading and English language arts sections from a department-approved norm-referenced assessment, or another test approved by the department.

The grade levels and the scores on each test that are used to identify a student as an ELL are established by the department. The commissioner of education is required to review the approved list of tests, grade levels and scores annually and update the list.

Utah

Local boards of education and charter schools must have a process to find ELLs, including administering a home language survey at student registration and a language proficiency exam. The state board of education must provide an identification and placement procedure model to local boards.

Vermont

Governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

Virginia

Local school boards implement programs to identify ELLs.

Washington

Local school boards must create procedures for identifying every student's primary language. The procedures must include a home language survey and provisions for testing potential ELLs using a state-approved language proficiency exam.

West Virginia

Counties and local boards of education are responsible for screening newly enrolled students to identify ELLs. Identification methods are based on criteria established by the department of education.

Wisconsin

School districts must, as part of the enrollment process, use a home language survey and department-approved English proficiency assessment identify as potential ELLs pupils meeting any of the following criteria: p upils who communicate in a language other than English; p upils whose families use a language other than English; or p upils who use a language other than English in daily non-school surroundings. The English language proficiency assessment procedures may include supplemental indicators or data that include any of the following: (1) prior academic records from within or outside the U.S.; (2) course grades that indicate that lack of progress is due to limited English language skills; (3) information on everyday classroom performance.

Wyoming

Governed by the department of education's ELL guidebook or federal law rather than state policy.

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What methods are used to identify English language learners?

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November 2014 Federal Law School districts and charter schools must have a system to determine the language(s) spoken in each students home and to objectively identify students who need language support services due to their limited proficiency in speaking, reading, writing, or understanding English.

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Work with the schools ELL Coordinator and teachers. See our list of teachers and aids that are fluent in Spanish before the first parent meeting.

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Sensory Learning Hear, See, Touch, Taste, Smell

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Sensory Learning Hear, See, Touch, Taste, Smell

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Whenever possible translate language and ideas into shared common experiences.   Bring a baseball, hot dogs, and Cracker Jacks to a study on Willie Mays.  Teach the song "Take Me Out to the Ballgame".
It takes extra work. But it builds cognitive experiences that are easier to recall. Your non-ELL students will benefit too.