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Airplane competition: First, have your students make some paper airplanes. Stand the students in a line and let them test fly their planes. For the competition, assign different classroom objects points (e.g. table 5 points, door 10 points, trash can 20 points). Ask a S a question and if s/he answers correctly then s/he can throw and try to hit one of the target objects to win points. This works well as a team game.

Apple Pass: Have all students sit in a circle. Use a fake apple and toss it to one S. But you must say one English word as you pass. The S then throws to another S and says a different English word. If the student you threw it to drops it, he/she is out. And the game keeps going until you have one winner. It can be played with different categories, such as Food, Animals, Etc. My students love it! (Submitted by Kim.S.).

Art Gallery: This is a great activity for reviewing vocab. Draw enough squares on the board for each S to be able to draw in. Have the students write their names above their squares. Teacher calls out a word and the students draw it (could be simple nouns e.g. "dog, bookcase, train", verb structures e.g. "draw a man running, eating cake, sleeping") or adjectives ("draw a big elephant, an angry lion, an expensive diamond ring"). For each S give a score for his/her picture, and then move on to the next picture. The S with the highest score at the end is the winner.

Attention: Call out commands such as: Attention, salute, march in place...stop, sit down, stand up, walk in a circle, clap your hands...stop, run in place...stop, jumping jacks...stop, swim in place....stop, etc. At first students will copy you but later they should be able to do the commands without you. (Submitted by Tania Bibbo).

Backs to the Board Game: This one is good for higher level kids. Make two teams and stand one S from each team in front of the board, facing away from it. Write a word or draw a picture on the board (e.g. "hamburger") and the students have to explain that word to their team member (e.g. you can buy it in McDonalds, it's got cheese and ketchup in it). The first S out of the two standing in front of the board to guess the word wins a point for his/her team.

Badminton: Good for reviewing target vocabulary (words or communicative expressions). Set a "court" into the classroom by placing a skip-rope tied up to two chairs. Make two small teams (the other students can be the crowd and or challengers). Give each S a flyswatter ("Racket"). Inflate a balloon (this will be the ball). Remember: the younger the students, the bigger the balloon must be (slower). Decide who serves and for every winning shot the team to call out the flashcard or picture card shown by the teacher to get a point. Lots of fun! (NOTE: For very active students be careful since they might hit the others' faces when playing). (submitted by Salvador Domingo)

Banana Race: Children just love this! It is basically a QUIZ game in which you ask children questions (Target Vocabulary) like: "What's this? What fruit is red and round? How many chairs are there in the classroom?" or the teacher simply draws items on the board, makes animal noises so that they guess. You can work with students or split the class into small groups/teams if you have a large class. The teacher draws on the board a race track and each team or S will be a BANANA waiting at the Starting Line. They will approach the Goal line as they answer each question. Each right answer equals a step towards the Goal Line. The BANANA who arrives there first, WINS! (Submitted by Salvador Domingo).

Bang!: Materials: Small piece of paper, shoe box or coffee can. Write words on pieces of paper and fold them in half (sight words, vocab, blends etc.). Also add a few cards that say "BANG!". Students take turns picking cards and if they read the word correctly they get to keep the word. If they draw a BANG! card they yell BANG! and then return all their cards (except the BANG! card) to the can/box. Very simple but the kids love it and there are many variations for the game! (Submitted by Heather Gilbert).

Basketball: Students take a shot at the trash can/box/etc. First ask a question to S1. If s/he answers correctly then s/he can have a shot at the basket. If the S gets the ball in the basket then s/he wins 2 points. If the S hits the basket without going inside then s/he wins 1 point. The person who gets the most points is the winner. This can also be played in teams.

Bet you can't: This game can be played in millions and millions of different ways, and essentially it's just this: go to the toy store and buy toy money. Give each student the same amount of money at the start. Have the students bet each other that they can't do something - like this: make each S stand up and walk around. Have them say, "I bet you can't (e.g. count to 20, run around the room 5 times, sing the ABC song. etc.)". Get the students to bet using the toy money. You'd be surprised how much even adult students enjoy this game.

Bingo: Can be played with numbers, letters, pictures or even words. The winner is the first to either get a line or full house.

Blind Toss: Have students sit down in a circle. Place a mat on the floor with numbers and a flashcard (target vocabulary) on each number. Taking turns, each S gets blindfolded and tosses a beanbag so as to hit a number. S/he must call out that word the same number of times as the number indicates. For example: 4-dog, then "Dog, Dog, Dog, Dog! and the S gets the equal points (4). At the end, the S with the most points wins! Good for memorizing vocabulary since they are repeating words. (Submitted by Salvador Domingo).

Blindfold Course: Make an obstacle course in your classroom (use desks, chairs, etc.), put a blindfold on a student and help guide him/her through the course by giving instructions (e.g. walk forward 2 steps, turn left, take on small step, etc.). This is a good pair game.

Blindfold Guess: Blindfold a student and give him/her an object to feel. The student must guess what the object is. This works well with plastic animals as they are a little challenging to guess (I always throw in a dinosaur to spice things up!).

Blindfold Questions: Put students in a circle, with one student, blindfolded standing in the middle. Turn the S around a few times. Tell the S to point at the person in front of him/her and ask a question (e.g. "How old are you?", "What's your favorite food?, etc.). After the reply the blindfolded S must guess the name of the S s/he is talking to.

Board Scramble: Teacher puts the whole alphabet on the blackboard in a scramble of letters here and there, but low enough that the students can reach. Have two teams and call out a letter. The person that is able to find and circle it first wins a point for their team. To make things harder have capital and small letters. Even more challenging- have four teams all looking for the same letter. The kids just love it. You can do it with numbers and also words. (Submitted by Susie).

Buzz: A counting game. Have the students sit in a circle. The students pass the ball around while counting (1, 2, 3, etc.). When the number reaches 7 the S must say buzz. Any number with a 7 in it must be buzz (7, 17, 27, 37, etc.) and any multiple of 7 must be buzz (14, 21, 28, 35, etc.).

Can You Actions: Use this game for teaching "Can you...?" "Yes, I can" "No, I can't". These actions are fun: wiggle, dance, run quickly, hop, skip, do a star jump, do a handstand, touch your toes, cross your eyes, snap your fingers, whistle, sing. E.g. Ask a S "Can you cross your eyes?". If the S replies "Yes, I can" then say "Ok, go!" and the S does the action. If the S says "No, I can't" say "Too bad. Ok, can you (wiggle)?".

Category Spin: Sit students in a circle. Spin a bottle or an arrow - the S that the arrow points to is first. The S needs to say a word from a pre-decided category. The next S will say last word plus his own and so on until it gets to the one who fails. For example: S1:"zebra", S2: "zebra cat", S3: "zebra cat dog".

Category Tag: Choose a category (e.g. food, weather, transportation, etc.). Students run around the room and the teacher chases them. When the teacher tags a S s/he must name a word from the category (e.g. food: cheese, fish, bread, etc.). Give a time limit to answer (e.g. 5 seconds). If the S cannot answer or says a word that has already been used s/he sits out until the next round.

Category Writing Game: Divide the classroom into two or three groups. Each group chooses their "captain". The teacher writes on the board a word like "FRUIT" or "COLORS" or "ANIMALS", etc. Each group has to tell their captain to write down as many words as they can which belong to that category. They have 1 or 2 mins. Each group takes 1 point for each word. Correct Spelling is very important in this exercise! (submitted by Eftychia Charalambous).

Charades: Have a student come to the front of the class and whisper a word or show a flashcard to that student. The student the acts out that word and the first student to guess can be the next player. This works very well with action verbs. Variation: divide the class up into teams - the first S to guess wins a point for his/her team.

Clothes Fun: Students form teams of 3. Each team has a bag with some clothes in it. The first team member puts on the clothes. He/She must say, "This is my shirt", "These are my trousers", "This is my hat" etc., with each item of clothing. Then when all the clothes are on, they say, " I'm dressed" and start removing the clothes, passing them to the next team member, who repeats the process. If you have some fancy high-heeled shoes and silly hats this is a really fun game! Very young beginner students will normally only say, "shirt", "hat" etc. but it's still a worthwhile game for the vocabulary. My students loved it!

Colors in the Air: This is good for very young ones.Give each S 2 pieces of different colored paper (origami paper is ideal for this). Teacher calls a color (e.g. "Blue") and the students with that color hold it up. (submitted by Jo Ruoss).

Color Circles: A good activity for young kids.Get some pieces of A3 paper and draw a large circle on each one. Pin the circles on different walls in the classroom. Model the activity: Say "Blue", take a blue crayon, walk over to one circle and color a small part of the circle. Do this for each color you plan to teach. Then, say a color ("Blue") to a S and s/he should pick up the blue crayon and go over to the circle you colored in blue. Let him/her color it a little and then call him/her back. Continue with other students.

Color Game: This is a good one for teaching the names of colors to young children. Arrange various colors of construction paper in a circle. Play some music and have the children march around the circle. Stop the music and all the children must sit down next to a color. Pick a color and sing (to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"): "Who's beside the color (insert name of color)? Please stand up, if it's you." At that point, the child next to the color mentioned stands up. Continue until all of the children get a turn. (submitted by Josie Weisner).

Count-off: This game requires at least 10 kids or more. They stand in a circle or in lines. Gesture to one child and he or she says "1." Then move down the lines or around the circle counting up to 20. After 20 restart at 1. For a higher level, choose kids at random. If they're too slow or get the wrong number, they're out. Makes a great elimination game. (submitted by Michael J. Lopez).

Cross the River: Place flashcards on floor in winding manner. Each card represents a stepping stone in the river, as students must say word/phrase/question/etc in order to step on it and cross the river! (submitted by Michelle K).

Days of the Week March: see Months March.

Directions: Build a model of a town, including some streets. Use a radio controlled car (a toy) and give the controller to students. Practice directions, e.g. drive two blocks and turn right, and so on. (submitted by Francisco Amador).

Do as I say, not as I do: A 'Simon says' game with a difference. First practice Simon Says with the students so that they understand the game and body parts. I find it works just as well omitting the 'Simon says'. Now tell them to do as you SAY, not as you do, and repeat playing the game - only this time, when you say 'touch your knees' etc, touch your ears instead, or any other part of your body. This is a good way to see who is listening to you correctly and who is just copying your movements. Students find this game much more fun than the original. (submitted by Lisa Coleman).

Dog & Cat Chase: Have students sit in a circle. Teacher walks around the outside of the circle patting the students on the head saying "dog" each time. Suddenly, teacher says "cat" as s/he touches a S's head and then that S must chase the teacher around the circle. The teacher must try to sit in the S's spot before being tagged by the chasing S. If the teacher is tagged s/he must touch the heads again. If teacher makes it back without being touched then the chasing S walks around the circle touching heads. This can be done with any variation of words.

Draw and Roll: Split class into 2 teams. Teacher says Draw a ______ and students should draw that vocabulary word. If the drawing is correct then the student rolls a dice for points. This game can be played 2 ways: The fastest person to draw the picture rolls the dice. Or the other way is to allow any student to roll the dice as long as the picture is recognizable and correct. I made my dice out of a box from the 100 Yen store. (Submitted by Tania Bibbo).

Exercises: This one is great for over excited students who need to burn off a bit of energy. It's also good for classroom commands and numbers. Stand the students in a line and call out instructions: "Jump 10 times", "Turn around 4 times" etc. Other good ones to use are: run (on the spot), hop, hands up & down, touch your (body part), stand up & sit down and star jump.

Explosion: Give the students a topic and an object to pass around. Each student has to say a word in that topic (e.g. food - apple, cake etc.) before the time runs out. If the time limit ends the student left holding the object loses. (submitted by Ben).

Fish: Before this game you need to have the students in pairs draw and cut out a picture of a fish for each pair. While they are doing that put 2 parallel lines of tape on the floor a few meters apart. Have students play in twos - each student behind a different line. Teacher asks S1 a question. If the S answers it correctly s/he can blow once to propel the fish forward. Next, teacher asks S2. The S who blows the fish over the tapped line is the winner.

Fly swatter game: Divide the students into 2 teams. Give the first in each team a fly swatter. Write the same array of answers on the board for each side. Ask student A a question (a letter, blend, word, math problem, number, definition, etc.). The first one to slap the write answer on the board wins a point. They get three questions and then they pass it to the next one. When the first player gets back to the front. Change the answers and do it again! (Submitted by Tammy Edwards).

Follow the leader: Students line up behind the teacher and follows him/her around the classroom. The teacher does an action and shouts out the word for that action. The students copy the action and repeat the word. Good actions include: wave hello/goodbye, it's cold/hot, stop, go, run, hop, skip, crawl, walk backwards, jump, sit down, stand up.

Get Dressed!: This is a game that I used with my primary school children who have just started learning English.

1. Split the class into 2 or 3 teams.
2. On the board write teams 1, 2 and 3 plus the names of the team members.
3. Each team needs to designate who they are going to dress.
4. Write items of clothing (between 4 and 6 items) under each group.
5. Tell the children that the first team to dress their person is the winner. Tell them to 'get ready', count down and then empty a bin bag of clothes on the floor.

The kids loved this game. Even the 2 children who wanted to sit out and watch were screeching with laughter. To add a bit more fun, if the team has chosen to dress a boy in their group I add 'dress' or 'skirt' to their list. (Submitted by G Holwill)

Give Me Game: You can use with objects or flashcards. This works well with plastic fruit: Gather and elicit the different kinds of plastic fruit you have. Then throw all the fruit around the classroom (it's fun just to throw the whole lot in the air and watch the chaos of the students scrabbling to pick them up). Once the students have collected the fruit (they'll probably do their best to hide it in their pockets, etc.) teacher says "Give me an apple". The S with the apple should approach the teacher and hand him/her the fruit "Here you are". Avoid having the fruit thrown back to you as they can go anywhere and takes a long time to finish this game.

Hangman: The old favorite. Very good for reviewing vocab from past lessons.

I spy: Teacher says "I spy with my little eye something that begins with B". Students try to guess the object (e.g. "book"). Colors are a good alternative for younger students ("... my little eye something that is red").

Juice: Bring a small bottle of juice (e.g. orange juice) to class. At some point during the lesson take out the bottle and have a sip. This almost certainly will cause a mini-riot of kids asking for some. Here's an ideal opportunity to teach "Can I have some juice, please?". Say this sentence to the first S and get him/her to repeat it - only give him/her some if the sentence is said correctly. Bring juice along every week, and before long your students will be requesting a drink in prefect English! (If you don't want your students to be drinking out of the same bottle as you bring along a few plastic cups).

Knock-Knock: This can be used at the beginning of each class. Teach the students to knock on the door before entering the classroom. There are 2 variations for the next step: 1. When the S knocks, teacher says "Who's there?". The S replies "It's (Koji)" and then the teacher says "Come in (Koji)". 2. When the S knocks the teacher must guess who it is "Is that (Koji)?". The S replies yes or no - if no, the teacher continues guessing. Having your students develop their own knocking styles makes this even more fun.

Label It: This works well with newcomers of all ages who need an introduction to basic vocabulary. As long as the learners are able to identify beginning letter sounds, they should be able to do this activity. To familiarize my students with names of objects found in the classroom, I label everything with an index card that has the item's name on it. Then I have them repeat what I read as they point to the item. The next day, I remove the cards and go through them one at a time and we place them on the correct item together. The third day, I let them label whatever they can on their own. I continue this for a few days. When they are able to independently label most of the items, I surprise them by having them labeled incorrectly. Then they have to straighten out the mess. You can adapt this to any noun-based vocabulary list (e.g. types of foods, body parts, parts of a room in a house, animals, etc.) that you can post pictures of. Your website has amazing flashcards and pictures that can be printed out and used for this. (submitted by KMMP).

Last Letter, First Letter: (A popular Japanese game called Shiri Tori). Have the students sit in a circle with you. Teacher starts by saying a word, then the S to the T's right must make a word that starts with the last letter of the word that the teacher said (e.g. bu s --- stea k --- ke y --- yello w --- etc.). Continue around the circle until someone makes a mistake.

Line True or False: Put a line of tape on the floor and designate one side "True" and the other "False". Hold up an object or flashcard and say its word. If students think that you have said the correct word they jump on the True side, if not they jump on the False side. Incorrect students sit out until the next game.

Machine: This is good for practicing emotions and sounds. Pick one S to start. Give that S an emotion or a feeling to act. They must do an action and make a noise. One at a time students can add to it and you essentially create a "machine". This is a really fun game! (Submitted by N. Budoy)

Make Words Game: Write a few random letters on the board. Have the students work in pairs/small groups to make up as many words from the letters as possible (e.g. letters: g, h, a, t, p, e, c. Possible words: cat, peg, tea, hat, get, etc.). The team with the most words is the winner.

Months March: For some reason my kids LOVE this game and request it every week! You'll need a fairly long classroom with space for everyone to march up and down. Teacher stands at one end of the room against the left wall. Line the students up along one side and teacher says "Go!". As you all march together, teacher starts calling out the months in order ("January", " February", etc.). Students repeat each month (Teacher:"January", Students:"January"). March along at a slow pace, but smartly (backs straight, arms swinging). At certain points teacher suddenly shouts "Stop!". Everyone must stop and be EXACTLY in line with the teacher . If someone is out of line order them back in line and then continue marching where you left off. Turn around each time you reach the end of the room and continue the march. Once finished start again, but this time walk briskly. You can do it the final time running! This is even more fun when there are tables, etc, in the room that the students need to climb over/under. After a few lessons you shouldn't have to chorus the words - just get the students to chant together as they march.

Name Game: Good for a first class.Sit the students in a circle. Point to yourself and say your name "I'm Jason". Then students say their names around the circle.

Name Memorizing Game: Have children sit in a circle. Start by saying "my name is.." and then answer a question about yourself. For example "My name is Jo and I like the color Purple." The next person says "This is Jo and he likes the color purple and my name is Rose and I am 8 years old." The next person says "That is Jo he likes Purple, this is Rose and she is 8 and I am Jeremy and I like the color blue." It's a chain and the kids have to repeat what the last people have said about themselves. It's really hard to be the last person in the circle! (Submitted by Danielle)

Number Codes: Cut out some squares and write numbers from 0-9 on them. Put the numbers in a box and then instruct the students to place the numbers in a line as you call them out. This also works well for phone numbers.

Number Group Game: Play some music and have your students walk around the classroom. Stop the music suddenly and call out a number (up to the number of students in your class). The students must quickly get together in a group of that number. Any students who didn't make it sit out until the next round.

Odd-One-Out: Write 3 or four words on the board. Students must circle the odd-one-out (e.g. cat - horse - cake - bird).

Pass: Sit the students with you in a circle. Teacher holds up an object or flashcard and says its name (e.g. "Pen"). Teacher passes it on to the next S who also says its name and passes it on to the next S. Variations: change directions, speed rounds, have many objects going round at the same time.

Pictionary: Good for reviewing vocab. Pick a S and show him/her a picture or whisper a word into his/her ear. The S draws the picture on the board and the first S to guess the picture gets to draw the next picture. This can also be played in teams with a point system.

Picture Fun: Have students cut out a picture of a person in a magazine. Students should describe the person, how old they are, what their job is, what their hobbies are, etc. and then present that person to the class. This is good for practicing adjectives. (Submitted by Kelly).

Preposition Treasure Hunt: For prepositions of location and yes/no question practice. You need something sticky, like 'Blue Tak' (used for sticking posters to the wall) that you can roll into a ball and stick on anything. Model first: give the Blue Tak to a S and indicate that they should put it in a difficult-to-find place. Leave the room and give them a few moments to hide the Blue Tak (e.g. on the underside of a desk, on the wall behind a curtain, etc.). Then come back in and ask yes/no questions to locate it (Is it on the desk?, Is it near the desk? Is it in the front half of the classroom? Is it under the chair? etc.). When you finally find it have a S take the questioner's role. In a large class try having students play in pairs.

Puppet Conversation: Hand puppets really liven up a classroom, especially for young learners who are shy when talking to the teacher. You'll probably find that some students prefer talking to the puppet than to you! Fun puppet characters (such as Sesame Street's Cookie Monster) that talk to students can produce unexpected results. I always use Cookie Monster at the beginning of my young classes. Here's what I do: 1. Cookie Monster is sleeping in a bag. Each S has to shout "Wake up Cookie Monster!" into the bag. Cookie Monster only wakes up when the whole class shout together into the bag. 2. Cookie Monster says hello to each S and asks them questions (their names, how they are, how old they are, etc.). Students reply and asks Cookie Monster the same questions. 3. Students and Cookie Monster sing the 'Hello Song' together. 4. Cookie Monster says goodbye to each S individually and then goes back to sleep in the bag. The actual lesson can now start.

Question Ball: Have the students sit in a circle. Throw/Roll a ball to one student and ask a question. The next step has 2 variations. Variation 1: Student 1 throws the ball back to the teacher and the teacher throws to another student asking a different question. Variation 2: Student1 throws the ball to a different student and asks that student the same question.

Question Chain: Have the students sit in a circle. Teacher asks the S next to him/her a question (e.g. "What's your name?" "Do you like chocolate cake?" etc.) and the S has to answer the question and then ask the S next to him/her the same question. Continue around the circle and then start a new question. It helps to use a ball to pass around as the questions are being asked and answered.

Rope Jump: you need a rope for this one! Have students stand behind each other in a line. Hold a rope (have a S hold the other end) at a height that the students should be able to jump over. On the other side of the rope spread out some objects or flashcards and a box. Call out the name of one of the objects/flashcards to the first S. S/he has to jump over the rope, pick up the correct object and put it in the box. For other rounds you can hold the rope down low, so students have to crawl/roll under.

Rhythmic Reading: This activity is fast-paced and lively, and improves their word recognition, speed, and confidence in reading. Choose a reading passage (one page if using a basic text, maybe one paragraph if using a more advanced one). Start a rhythm (clapping or tapping on your desk). Choose one student to start. Each student must read one sentence (or word, if you want), exactly on the beat and pronounced correctly. Immediately after the first student finishes, the next one starts with the next sentence, and so on. If someone misses a beat or stumbles over words, they lose a 'life' or they are 'out'. If you use the 'out' method, it isn't so bad, because the 'out' students help to keep the beat and follow along. In my experience, all students, whether 'out' or not, have focused intently on the reading - waiting like hawks to hear someone's mistake. Of course you can vary the tempo, making it much easier or much harder. This can also be played as a team game (which team can make it to the end of the passage, on beat, with no stumbles or mispronunciations?). Good luck! (Submitted by Melanie Mitchell).

Secret S: Students form two different groups in the class, each group prepares three questions to ask. Other group members try to give answers to these questions without using a word which contains the letter 'S' - quite difficult but fun! The group which does not say this letter wins the game. (Submitted by Gamze Yýldýz).

Shirt Game: Divide the children into two teams and give a man's shirt to each team. Be sure each shirt has the same amount of buttons down the front. At the signal, the first person on each team puts on the shirt and buttons all of the buttons down the front. The one who is buttoned-up first gets to answer the question you ask. Of course a question equals points. If the answer is incorrect, the person from the other team gets a chance to answer.

Shopping: This can be used with a wide range of objects (plastic fruit works very well). Gather all the students and show them all the objects you have. Ask a S "What do you want?" (or maybe "What would you like?" to higher levels). The S should reply (e.g. "An apple, please"). Teacher then says "Here you are" and the S finishes with "Thank you". At the end collect the objects by playing the 'Give Me' game.

Shopping Game: This is an oral communication activity appropriate for EFL learners in elementary/primary school (optimal for grades 3-6). This game is designed for practicing "shopping" dialogue and vocabulary. Materials: "produce" and play money. Object of game: To accumulate as many products as possible.

Students are divided into clerks and shoppers. Clerks set up "stands" to allow easy access for all shoppers (e.g. around the outsides of the room with their backs to the wall). Shoppers are given a set amount of money* (e.g. dollars, euros, pounds, etc.) and begin at a stand where there is an open space. Students shop, trying to accumulate as many items as possible (each item is 1 unit of currency). Periodically, the instructor will say "stop" (a bell or other device may be needed to attract attention in some cultural and classroom contexts) and call out a name of one of the products. Students with that product must then put ALL their products in a basket at the front of the room. The remaining students continue shopping. Students who had to dump their products must begin again from scratch (with fewer units of currency). The student with the most products at the end wins. Students then switch roles.

*It is recommended giving students as much money as possible since students who run out can no longer participate.

Alternative play for more advanced students: Clerks set the price of items. Shoppers have the option of negotiating the price. There are two winners in this version: The shopper who accumulates the most products and the clerk who makes the most money.

Silent Ball: If the students are being loud and off task play this game with them. It really works and they love to play it. Have all the students stand up and give one student a ball (make sure it is soft). Have the students toss the ball to each other without saying a word. Any student who drops the ball or talks must sit down. (Submitted by Samantha Marchessault)

Simon Says: A good review for body parts ("Simon says touch your knees"). You could change Simon to your name to avoid confusion. When teacher says a sentence without the word "Simon" (e.g. "Touch your knees") then students shouldn't follow that instruction. If a S makes a mistake s/he has to sit out until the next round.

Slam: Sit the students in a circle and place some objects or flashcards in the middle of the circle. Tell students to put their hands on their heads. Teacher shouts out the word of one of the objects and the students race to touch it. The S who touches it first get to keep the object. The S who has the most objects at the end of the game is the winner.

Smells Game: Preparation: Take eight small, empty jars; opaque jars work best (e.g., plastic vitamin containers). Put good-smelling things (e.g., shampoo, syrup) in four of the jars and bad-smelling things (e.g., vinegar, strong dried herbs) in the other four. Only a small amount is needed. Place all the jars in a big paper bag. Execution: Write "It smells good" and "It smells bad" on the board. You can also draw a happy face and a disgusted face to clarify things. Teach the phrases. Each S then comes up to teacher, one at a time. S is then blindfolded and you hold an open jar under his/her nose. S must say whether it smells good or bad. Great fun! (Submitted by Max Becker-Pos).

Snowballs: The teacher or the students draw on the board items related to the Target Lesson (fruits, animals, veggies, etc.) Make two teams. One S from each team gets a wet tissue ("Snow ball") and stands up. The rest of the class picks a card which can not be seen by the two students standing, who will throw their "snow ball" as they hear the other students call an item out (e.g.: "Apple!"). The team whose participant hits closer to the item called out, gets a point. (Submitted by Salvador)

Spelling Bee: Have all your students stand at the front of the class. Give S1 a word to spell. The S orally spells the word and the teacher writes it on the board as it is being spelled. If the spelling is wrong the S is knocked out of the game. The last S standing is the winner. This also works well as a team game.

Spin the Bottle: Sit students in a circle with a bottle in the middle. Teacher spins the bottle. When it stops spinning the S it is pointing to has to answer a question. If the answer is correct then that S can spin the bottle. This is a good class warm up activity.

Squeeze: Divide the students into two teams with their desks facing each other. The students closest to the teacher must keep their eyes open, the other students close their eyes. The students on each team must all hold hands except for the two on the ends. The two farthest away from the teacher will be reaching for a small object, like a koosh ball or bean bag. The teacher flips a coin for the students whose eyes are open. When it lands on heads the students must squeeze the hand of the next person, and then the next person and so on. When it reaches the student on the end s/he must quickly reach for the object. The team who picks up the object first wins a point. Then the line rotates, the students with their eyes open move to the next seat. The students who reached for the object come to the front. (Submitted by Lynette Jackson)

Stand Up Questions: Have the students put chairs in a circle, with one less than the number of students. The student left standing has to ask the others a question i.e. Are you wearing glasses? If the answer is yes, then the students with glasses have to stand up and quickly switch chairs, giving the one standing a chance to sit. If the answer is no, the students remain sitting. Lots of fun, and the kids seem to love it and always ask for it. Be careful that they don't get too excited and knock over any chairs. (submitted by Kirk Davies).

Stop the Bus: All students need a pencil and paper to play this game. The teacher writes a letter on the board, and shouts, "Start the bus." The students then write down as many words beginning with this letter as they can think of. When one S shouts out, "Stop the bus!" everyone has to stop writing. The students all get one point for each word. The S who has the most words wins an extra 2 point. This may or may not be the one who shouted, "Stop the bus." (Submitted by Katie McArthur)

Story Pass: Put up a picture or a first sentence as a writing prompt. Divide students into small groups and have them create a story from that prompt. Each student takes a turn writing one sentence to add to the story and passes it on to the next student. Keep it going around in the group until they have finished it (it may be helpful to have a length limit or time limit so the stories don't get too out of control!). Vote on the best story, based on creativity and flow. (Submitted by Christina Deverall)

There is/there are: To practice there is/there are. Give your students a list of questions, and have them go around the school, park in order to answer the questions. Questions could be:
How many doors are there in the school?
How many teachers are there in the school in this moment?
How many plants are there in the hall?
How many tables are there in the classroom?, etc. (Submitted by Claudian Torres)

Time Bomb: you need a timer (such as an egg timer) for this exciting game. Set the timer, ask a question and then throw it to a S. S/he must answer and then throw the timer to another S, who in turn answers and then throws it to another S. The S holding the timer when it goes off loses a life. This can also be done with categories (e.g. food, animals, etc.).

Tingo Tango: Teacher sits with students in a circle after teaching any topic. Give a bean bag to one student in the circle to start passing around when another student (sitting in the middle) begins to chant "tingo, tingo, tingo, tango". When s/he says "tango" the student who ends up with the bean bag must either answer a question or ask one about the topic learned. (Submitted by Maria Pineda)

Tornado: Supplies: flashcards (pictures or questions on one side, numbers on the other), 'Tornado Cards' (flashcards with numbers on one side and a tornado picture on the other). Stick the numbered cards on the board with either pictures or questions on the back (depending on the age group) facing the board. Also include 6 Tornado cards and mix them in with the picture cards. Students then choose a number card. If they answer the question correctly then their team can draw a line to draw a house. If they choose a tornado card then they blow down their opposing teams part drawing of a house. The first team to draw a house wins. (submitted by Sally Lloyd).

Touch: Have students run around the classroom touching things that teacher orders them to do (e.g. "Touch the table" "Touch a chair" "Touch your bag"). Colors work well for this, as students can touch anything of that color (e.g. "Touch something green").

Train Ride Game: Have students form a train (standing in line holding onto each other). Choo choo around the classroom and call out instructions (e.g. faster, slower, turn left/right, stop, go).

"Uhm" Game: One student at a time is chosen and given a specific subject (pickle, grass, football, etc). The objective is for the student to talk about/describe the subject for as long as possible without pausing or using fillers such as "uhm". This is a great game for building speech skills and kids love it! (Submitted by Maggie)

Unscramble: Write a word on the board that has all its letters mixed up (e.g. "lrocsmaos" = "classroom"). Students have to unscramble the word. This works well in a team game. Variation: use letter blocks / letter shapes instead of writing on the board.

Vanishing Objects Game: place a number of objects in front of the students. Give them a few moments to memorize the objects and then tell them to close their eyes. Take away one of the objects and then tell the students to open their eyes again. The first S to guess the missing object can win that object (for 1 point) and take away an object in the next round.

Vocab Tic Tac Toe: Draw a basic tic tac toe board on the white board with new vocabulary in each block. Each word is missing one, two or three letters depending on students level. One S from each team is called up and must fill in the missing letter(s) and say the word aloud. The team with three in a row wins. (submitted by Shawn).

Word Chain: have the students to sit with teacher in a circle. Teacher says a word (or sentence) and then the next S repeats that word and adds a new word. S2 then says the 2 words and adds another. Continue going around the circle until the list gets too long to remember!

What Time Is It Mr. Wolf (variation): This variation is easier to play in a classroom setting. Have students stand in a circle around Mr. Wolf (either teacher or student), who is blind-folded and facing one direction. The students ask 'What time is it Mr. Wolf?'. If Mr. Wolf says 'It's 4 o'clock,' then the students march in a circle 4 steps. If Mr. Wolf says, 'It's dinner time,' then he or she grabs the S who is in front of them. And that S becomes Mr. Wolf. As another variation, and to teach students times of meals, 6 o'clock could be breakfast, 12 o'clock could be lunch and 7 o'clock could be dinner. So when Mr. Wolf said, 'It's 12 o'clock,' Mr. Wolf would eat a S. (Submitted by Wilhelm)

Whisper Game: Sit the students in a circle with you. Whisper a word or sentence in the next S's ear (e.g. "I'm hungry"). S/he then whispers that in the next S's ear and so on until the last S. S/he then says the word/sentence out loud to see if it's the same as the original message.

Whiteboard Draw Relay: Make 2 teams and line them up as far away from the board as possible. Call out a word to the first members of each team, and they have to run to the board, draw the picture and run back to his/her next teammate. The process is repeated for each student and the team that finishes first is the winner. Variation: Teacher whispers the words. The S can only run back to his/her team when his teammates guess what the picture is.

Window Game: You can only do this if your classroom has a window that you can stand outside of and look into the classroom (don't try this on the 10th floor!). Model first: stand the students in front of the window and go out of the room. Wave to them through the window and silently mouth some words (so it seems like they can't hear you through the glass). Look at a flashcard and then mouth the word a few times. Go back in and the S who first tells you the word you were saying can have a turn.

Word Recognition Game: Write some words the students have learned in previous lessons on some cards (postcards are ideal). Have all the students stand at one end of the room and the teacher in the middle. Hold up one card and students come forward and whisper the word in the T's ear. If correct they can go over to the other side of the room. Students can have as many guesses as possible.

Yogurt Pots and Vocabulary: This is definitely only for primary school children just learning to speak English.

You need a number of empty, clean and preferably identical small yogurt containers for this game. Not more than 32 pots.

On the outside of each pot write as many different English words as you can using a black permanent marker felt-pen. Write the words legibly but haphazardly - some the right way up and others sideways or upside-down. Try and write between 10 and 20 words on each pot. Then inside the pot on the bottom of it write a unique serial number starting with 1. Be very sure you also make it clear which way up the number should be read - for example it is easy to confuse 6 and 9 unless you put a line under them.

Be sure to make a master reference list of which words you write on which pot numbers, otherwise you will not be able to manage this game very well at all.

When you play the game, each child will need a single, clean sheet of A4 paper. Get the children to fold and tightly crease their paper in half across its width, then fold it in half again and then again a third time. When the paper is opened out flat it will be divided into eight sections from top to bottom. Then have them fold it in half and crease it lengthways. This divides the paper into 16 sections.

Have them turn the paper around so that it is on the desk in front of them in 'landscape' mode. At the top of each of the 16 sections depicted by the paper folds, have them write the numbers 1 to 16. Make sure they are written quite small. Then have them turn over the sheet and write more numbers on the reverse side from 17 up to 32 (or to the highest numbered pot you have put into the game. If you wish, during the folding of their papers, you might have them rule some lines along its length.

Your pots MUST be in strict, unbroken numerical order so that your students are not confused.

Then you distribute the pots at the rate of one per child - or if you have a larger class, make it one pot between two children and let each pair of children have only one sheet of paper. This way they work as a team. If you want to introduce more pots than there are children (or teams) then keep the balance quantity on your own desk in their full view.

Their job is to write down all the words off EACH pot into the correspondingly numbered sections of their paper. The words from Pot No.3 are to be written only in Space No.3 on their paper and so on. Insist that they write legibly and neatly.

Once the children grasp this game - they will be off and away! Make their goal the first child (or team) to complete ALL of the pots in the game. Perhaps a small prize each for the first three?

Please note though that you MUST insist that they can have only ONE pot on their desk at any time AND that when they finish a pot and want another, they must return the finished pot to you and get another one from you - no direct swapping within the class or there will be fights.

Primary school children love this game. Because they all read and write at different speeds, and if you make a few of the pots very simple and a few of them very difficult - some of the pots will then become "collector's items" Your desk will quickly become the center of the universe in your classroom.

Most children will not cheat in this game but make a point of at least appearing to check the words the top three children or teams have written, against the master lists that you should have made. Be sure they see you doing this.

I was very pleasantly surprised at how successful this game became with my primary school pupils. It completely turned them around and even the laziest and most troublesome among them were transformed.

If this becomes successful in your classroom then you could use this game to 'categorize' their vocabulary training by having different 'sets' of pots with different word lengths or subjects or words beginning with certain letters or containing certain letters. Names of towns, countries, rivers, animals etc etc.

It's simple, cheap and extremely fast-paced. Most importantly young children love it! Be prepared for a VERY noisy and active classroom and for children trying to climb all over you to get at pots they need to complete their papers. (Submitted by Dave)

Zoo Game: This is a fun activity for young learners on the topic of animal noises. After teaching the animals and their noises sit each S in a different part of the classroom and assign them as different animals (to make it clearer you can give each S a flashcard of the animal they are representing). Walk around the room and talk to each S, who can only reply as an animal. E.g. Teacher: "Hello Yumi", S1:"Moo! (cow). Teacher: "What's your name?" S2: "Roar!" (lion). Teacher: "How are you, Kenta?" S3: "Bow-wow!" (dog).

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Over 100 great games and activities to use in the ESL kids classroom.

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Making Pear Deck Lessons More Inclusive

Pear Deck + Immersive Reader (beta) is available in Pear Deck Slides and works with lessons created in Google Slides or PowerPoint Online. This new featuregives students access to a powerful set of tools with wide-ranging benefits that include:

Increasing fluency for English language learners or readers of other languages

Helping to build confidence for emerging readers learning to read at higher levels

Offering text decoding solutions for students with learning differences such as dyslexia or visual impairments

Providing translation of words or the entire text

Kathy Blake teaches visually-impaired students at Bedford School District in New Hampshire and is a long-time Pear Deck user. After testing the new integration, Kathy shared, "Pear Deck's ability to engage and motivate students has made it a must-have instructional tool. Now that Immersive Reader is integrated with Pear Deck, students with print disabilities, including visual impairments, will be able to fully engage with the content the classroom teacher curates. This partnership is exactly what I have been waiting for!"

Using Immersive Reader

How do I enable it?
If you have Pear Deck Premium or are on a Trial, go to your Pear Deck Settings page (Pear Deck Home > My Account > Settings). Go to the Immersive Reader setting and turn it on. This setting applies to all future Sessions until you turn it off.

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Building Inclusive Classrooms with Pear Deck + Immersive Reader - Pear Deck

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Pear Deck + Immersive Reader (beta) is available in Pear Deck Slides and works with lessons created in Google Slides or PowerPoint Online.

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In my third post of the new school year, I'll share with you more new resources that will support ELLs with instruction aligned to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics. (You can see more in my earlier post about Colorín Colorado's CCSS project in Poughkeepsie.)

This time, the new resources come in the form of Resource Guides for scaffolding the instruction of ELLs. In this post, I'll tell you what the Resource Guides are, how they were developed, and I'll highlight some features of each.

What the Scaffolding Resource Guides Are

The New York State engageNY website has recently shared new Scaffolding Instruction for English Language Learners Resource Guides for ELA and Mathematics. These Scaffolding Resource Guides provide guidance to educators on how to use the CCSS-aligned curricular materials available on the engageNY website with ELLs. To varying degrees, the engageNY lessons and units were originally developed with ELLs' strengths and challenges in mind. However, the new, robust Resource Guides provide additional scaffolds for ELLs that are tailored to students' level of English language proficiency.

When I say that the Resource Guides are "robust" I mean it! The mathematics resource guide is 79 pages long, and the ELA resource guide is 112 pages. Dr. Diane August, with her group at the American Institutes for Research, partnered with my small business to develop the Resource Guides for New York State over the course of the past year as part of a larger ELL scaffolding project. Our collaborative team included mathematics/ELL expert Dr. Anita Bright and ELL instruction expert Dr. Sydney Snyder.

Features of the Resource Guides

The guides contain research-based instructional strategies for developing content and academic language simultaneously with ELL students. The introduction for each guide explains the research the scaffolding is grounded in, including the recent IES Academic Content and Literacy Guidebook.

The ELA scaffolding techniques include: teaching academic vocabulary; integrating oral and written language instruction into content area teaching; providing regular, structured opportunities to read for multiple purposes; providing regular, structured opportunities to write; and capitalizing on students' home language and knowledge.

The mathematics scaffolds include: providing concrete and visual models; providing graphic organizers and foldables; and using multimedia to enhance ELLs' comprehension of mathematical concepts - all in addition to the ELA techniques above

ELL Scaffolds Used

The ELA Resource Guide contains scaffolds for lessons in Kindergarten and Grades 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. The Mathematics Resource Guide's scaffolds are developed for lessons in Kindergarten as well as Grades 4, 8, and Algebra I. The ELL scaffolds come in two forms: additional supports and new activities. Additional supports for ELLs support lesson segments that were already designed by the original curriculum developers. New activities are additional parts of the lesson created specifically for ELLs. I'll include some examples of each scaffold category below, but I encourage you to take a look at the actual lessons in the Resource Guides to see how these scaffolds were developed based on pre-existing curriculum.

Additional supports: Use visuals, synonyms, and examples to clarify word meanings; use guiding and supplementary questions about text; use sentence starters and glossaries; provide word banks; encourage home language use; preview texts in home language

New activities: Pre-teach the meanings of key vocabulary, teach a mini-lesson on cognates, bilingual homework assignments, enhance background knowledge through the use of short passages and scaffolded questions, teach a mini-lesson on context clues, engage in scaffolded close reading using text-dependent questions aligned to the CCSS

Be on the lookout for more resources - including more lessons scaffolded for ELLs - from this project to be posted on engageNY soon. I'll let you know when they're available!

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Scaffolding CCSS Instruction for ELLs - New Resource Guides

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More new resources that will support ELLs with instruction aligned to the Common Core State Standards. This time, the new resources come in the form of Resource Guides for scaffolding the instruction of ELLs. I'll tell you what the Resource Guides are, how they were developed, and I'll highlight some features of each.

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Dr. Lorraine Valdez Pierce offers an in-depth introduction to assessment for teachers of English language learners - including performance-based standardized assessments, assessment as a tool for informing instruction, use of assessment to reinforce reading comprehension, and student self-assessment and self-monitoring.

Program description

This 45-minute webcast is a thorough introduction to assessment for teachers of English language learners. Dr. Lorraine Valdez Pierce will discuss performance-based standardized assessments; assessment as a tool for informing instruction; use of assessment to reinforce reading comprehension; and student self-assessment and self-monitoring.

Dr. Lorraine Valdez Pierce will also provide practical advice on how ESL and classroom teachers can collaborate when assessing English language learners and making decisions based on those assessments. Tips on record keeping and rubrics are also included.

Presenter

Lorraine Valdez Pierce is an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Education at George Mason University. She focuses on designing curriculum and assessment procedures for English language learners at the Center for Language & Culture. She has also published articles in TESOL Journal, TESOL Matters, and Educational Assessment.

Moderator

Delia Pompa is the moderator of this webcast. She is the Vice President of the Center for Community Educational Excellence at the National Council of La Raza.

Recommended resources

The articles and books below were chosen by Reading Rockets to help you learn more about this issue. The links to Amazon.com are provided for your convenience, and a portion of your purchase helps support Reading Rockets. Thank you!

Articles about assessment of English language learners

Books by our presenter

Additional books

Related links

Transcript

Studio

Delia Pompa: Hello, I'm Delia Pompa. Welcome to this year's first Colorín Colorado webcast. Today, we're going to talk about assessment for English language learners. Dr. Lorraine Valdez Pierce is here to help us. She's coordinator of the ESL Teacher Licensure Program at the Graduate School of Education at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Dr. Pierce, before we talk about assessment, tell us a little bit about English language learners, some of the characteristics that make teaching - make teaching them challenging.

Dr. Lorraine Valdez Pierce: Well, there are three big areas that make teaching English language learners challenging. The three areas are language, culture, and previous educational experience. So when it comes - when we're talking about assessment, language is right up there as one of the big three with regard to the difference in language between the language that they speak and the language that they're being assessed or tested in. Then there's culture, which will maybe lead to some differences in classroom behavior from what native speakers would be producing or preparing. But then there's also the parental role. When parents come from different cultures they may be less eager to run and participate in the American public school system. And then finally, the previous educational experience that these children bring may include literacy, or not literacy. And this is a very important variable in assessing students.

Delia: You've brought up lots of characteristics. Could you go back and define - give us a little more information on each one. Language, could you define how that would be different? What we would see there. What a teacher might see.

Dr. Pierce: Well, children who speak English as a second language, or bilingual children, come from, you know, over 100, 200 different language backgrounds. And what we know is the closer the language is to English, such as a romance language, the easier it would be for that child to acquire the language. But the more distance between their language, such as Russian, or Arabic, or Turkish, the more distance there is between the written language and the spoken language and English, the more challenge there might be in learning the English language. So that's - and that's the language part. The cultural part comes where children are raised in a home where they are maybe given a rather passive role, and they're taught to also go to school and just do what the teacher tells you, and not really engage or ask questions. And so the teacher may get the impression that these children are passive, or even not interested, or not making the effort, when really it's a cultural upbringing issue.

Delia: So the culture really reflects the styles of the different children and what their family values and what childrearing styles.

Dr. Pierce: Right. Childrearing definitely has an impact on the child's behavior and performance in the school.

Delia: And finally, previous education. How does that play into it? How does that make a big difference?

Dr. Pierce: Well, research tells us now, we have pretty clear evidence that says a child who brings native language literacy to the classroom has a tremendous advantage over the child who does not bring any kind of significant amount of native language literacy. So what we want to determine then when a child comes to the classroom is whether or not they have literacy in the native language. And if they do, then we can use that as a building block to acquiring English as a second language literacy.

Delia: Makes a lot of sense. So, it seems like assessment would be particularly important for this group. What exactly do you mean by assessment? We toss that term around all the time. What are we talking about when we talk about assessment?

Dr. Pierce: Yeah, assessment basically is the gathering of data, information, on a student's learning or knowledge or skills. And with regard to reading, it's what kind of information do we have on the student's reading skills and ability?

Delia: And is that a formal process that we use? Because it seems to me that teachers are gathering information on kids all the time.

Dr. Pierce: Right. It can be formal or informal. At the classroom level, it'll most likely be informal. And it must take the place of some kind of observation on the part of the teacher and then translating the observation to some kind of documentation.

Delia: So it's very broad.

Dr. Pierce: Well, the assessment itself has become a key issue when we look at No Child Left Behind, and when we look at Adequate Yearly Progress, which is another term we toss around a lot. What can you tell us about how assessment fits into No Child Left Behind in general, and to Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, which we'll try not to use, Adequate Yearly Progress we'll say.

Delia: In particular, how is that interaction taking place when you look at assessment, and then also when you look at the context of the characteristics of these children?

Dr. Pierce: Well, I think there's good news and there's bad news. I think the good news is at last we have some requirements on the part of the federal government and the states following those requirements, for accountability, accountability for the learning of English language learners who, for the longest time, have been an invisible student population, because their test scores on standardized tests have typically been excluded, or disaggregated. But now this is no longer allowed. And so the good news is we do have accountability requirements for monitoring the progress of these students. The bad news is that most school systems take the approach that one size fits all. And so the same tests that are used with native speakers of English are now being used with English language learners for the most part. And those are not appropriate, because of the language difference. And then, in the case of states that are developing native language assessments, this is still in kind of an - kind of an emerging field. There's not a whole lot of research out there on native language assessments for accountability at the state level. So you see a lot of states kind of searching for answers, and the whole field is evolving. So it's a very challenging aspect there, to get issues such as accountability and reliability and validity, important measurement issues addressed at these levels of assessment.

Delia: You used the word "disaggregation" awhile ago, which is probably something a lot of our audience is hearing about. What's the key thing about disaggregation that's important about English language learners in the context of No Child Left Behind?

Dr. Pierce: In the context of No Child Left Behind, disaggregation means the ability to find out how specific populations are doing with regard to approaching learning goals and objectives. So it's very important not to just mix in the English language learners with native speakers, but to pull out that data and information on all English language learners in the school system to find out how this group is progressing as a group from year to year.

Delia: So then how does assessing English language learners become an important piece of what we're doing? Why is it especially important?

Dr. Pierce: It's especially important when we talk about accuracy. And accuracy is another word for validity. That is, if we're going to make inferences from test data then we need to make sure that those inferences about where these students are, what they've learned, and what they haven't learned, that these inferences are accurate. And the only way you're going to get accuracy if you either use the language of instruction that these students are familiar with or use different kinds of assessments that more closely relate to instruction.

Delia: Okay, so how would a school handle a new student? Let's take a look at a real-life example.

The Reading Rockets Professional Development Webcast Series is a production of WETA. The Reading Rockets project is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. This program was produced by WETA/Reading Rockets, which is solely responsible for its content. The views expressed in the program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of WETA/Reading Rockets, our funders, or our partners.

* To view this file, you'll need a copy of Acrobat Reader. Most computers already have it installed, or you can download it now.

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Dr. Lorraine Valdez Pierce offers an in-depth introduction to assessment for teachers of English language learners - including performance-based standardized assessments, assessment as a tool for informing instruction, use of assessment to reinforce reading comprehension, and student self-assessment and self-monitoring. This 45-minute webcast is a thorough introduction to assessment for teachers of English language learners.

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Integrating Culture with Day of the Dead 

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Integrating Culture with Day of the Dead 

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Engage your students while incorporating Mexican culture into your classroom with this free interactive book! Talk about Day of the Dead/Dia de los muertos and match pictures to each page.

This book is great to highlight some of the differences in culture, celebrate Mexican heritage, and provide an opportunity to learn vocabulary related to Day of the Dead.

This book is set up for double sided printing, but can be printed single sided and assembled easily.

Copyright 2015 Rebecca Gnezdova, MS, CCC-SLP

You might also like
Fall or Halloween Pumpkin Interactive Vocabulary Book
Farm Animal Sounds Interactive Preschool Book
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed Interactive Book for Speech Therapy
School Negation Interactive Book for Speech Therapy

Tips:
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Free Day of the Dead interactive vocabulary book

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Engage your students while incorporating Mexican culture into your classroom with this free interactive book! Talk about Day of the Dead/Dia de los muertos and match pictures to each page. This book is great to highlight some of the differences in culture, celebrate Mexican heritage, and provide an...

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Scaffolding Techniques for English Language Learners: Part 1

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When supporting English Language Learners during instruction we must consider that the instruction is two-fold. Teachers are supporting content and language acquisition simultaneously. This is not an easy task! Scaffolding has been praised for its ability to engage most learners. When the learning is scaffolded students are constantly building on prior knowledge and forming associations [...]

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ELL (English Language Learner) students can struggle in class without a bit of extra support.

Differentiation is one key strategy that can be utilized to help these students thrive in the classroom.

In this guide, we'll explain what differentiation is, and how you can implement it in your lessons to benefit both you and your ELL students.

Contents

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here to get a copy. (Download)

What is Differentiation?

Differentiation is a way for teachers to alter their instructional strategies to help all students with mixed abilities and learning styles reach their academic potential. Using this strategy could mean you give different material to your ELL students.

The materials or processes would be modified to give your language learners greater success with the same tasks that your native English-speaking students are also doing.

It's worth taking note of what differentiation isn't to better understand its purpose:

Differentiation isn't scaffolding. Scaffolding means giving ELL students assistance to accomplish the tasks that the native speakers in your classroom are doing. Everyone does the same thing, but some get more help than others.

Differentiation isn't individualized instruction. With individualized instruction, all students have the same goals, but each student goes through the material at different speeds and in different ways.

1. Figure Out What You Can Differentiate

For ELL students, you want to give them an opportunity to learn the same academic content as native English learners. For this reason, there are quite a few things you can differentiate in your class:

Content - This refers to what students are being taught. You can teach the same content to all students eventually, but alter the pace at which you're teaching for different students. Students who are moving slower can be given supplementary material at the same level.

Assessment - This refers to what types of final products you want the students to complete. This can be the same assignment, but with different expectations. It can involve giving different assignments altogether, or providing tests with simpler language for your ELL students.

Process - This refers to how students are being taught. ELL students might need, for example, a teacher who speaks slower and uses more gestures, or even a lesson that needs more visual cues.

2. Profile Student Readiness

Student readiness is what their current understanding is of a topic or unit of study. For ELL students, it could also apply to their current level of reading, writing and oral skills.

Using student readiness to create lessons and instructional strategies means you're creating tasks that closely match students' skill levels and what they understand about the topic you're teaching.

To determine student readiness, you'll need to assess for learning. This simply means giving them a diagnostic test. Some examples include pre-assessment tasks, student response activities, formative tests or even interviews.

Aside from your own assessments, you can ask previous teachers of these students for some insight. If possible, you can even look at report cards and past work to give you a better picture of what your students' needs are.

For example, if you see that most of your students struggle with sentence structure, you might want to differentiate the way you assess them.

You might have a different rubric for your ELL students, where you assess their content more rather than the structure of their paragraphs.

3. Identify Meaningful Goals and Objectives

A goal isn't necessarily to have all students learn a certain thing, but rather it will indicate what ways you'll go about helping them maximize their learning.

Think about what it is you want your students to know, to understand and to do. For example, if you want your students to learn about famous inventors, you might want to provide reading material with easier vocabulary for your ELL students.

You also want to go beyond identifying language skills. Yes, ELL students need to have differentiated learning because of their learning skills, but there are many other factors that affect their learning as well.

Think about what type of learner they are (visual, auditory, etc.), their educational and personal background and whether or not they receive support at home.

4. Create Learning Profiles

This is an important step in differentiating your classroom experience, because it can help you group students together, figure out instructional strategies and determine your differentiation goals.

Creating learning profiles doesn't need to take a lot of time. All you need is a file for each student. Jot down notes as you need to in class and after, including their cultural background and things you observe, like how a student reacts to a lesson or any topics they've told you they find interesting.

Make sure you include academic knowledge, such as your pre-assessments, writing pieces and any formal or informal tests they've done.

5. Create Your Differentiated Strategies with Assessment Data

Don't try out too many differentiation strategies at once. You want to be able to see if each thing you're trying works first.

Here are some more specific ideas for the three key areas of differentiation for ELL students.

Strategies for Content Differentiation

Change the vocabulary your students need to learn. You might simplify the text to eliminate any unnecessary vocabulary. If you're teaching a classic English novel, you could hand your ELL students a simplified or abridged version.

Teach them the necessary vocabulary beforehand. Give them additional materials before they tackle the main reading, such as word walls, predictograms, a word sort or semantic mapping.

Present information in a different way. For example, you might give students the information in a graphic organizer rather than a block of text. You could use a Venn diagram, a timeline or a flowchart.

Give your ELL students different homework assignments. This may involve decreasing the quantity of homework or the way in which they complete the assignment. You might ask the rest of the class to write a summary of something they read while your ELL students simply complete an outline template with information from the text.

Strategies for Process Differentiation

Give students the information in manageable chunks rather than a large whole. Give students one section at a time of a nonfiction article, for example, and let the chunks build on one another.

Consider letting groups work in their first language. If you have more than one ELL student in class, let them work together and use their native language to complete the task. Your students might have more success watching an instructional video with voice-overs, subtitles or even just talking about a problem in a more familiar language.

Use concrete items to teach. Rather than giving them a diagram of the water cycle, give them a tangible example with this simple experiment. You can find lots of ways to make teaching more hands-on with a little thought.

Build on your students' previous knowledge. The more you can help students remember what they already know about a subject, the easier it will be for them to retain any new information you present. Consider having your ELL students complete a K/W/L chart or do a think-pair-share activity.

Strategies for Product Differentiation

Use nonverbal means of assessment. Consider letting them put together a collage, make a diagram or create a poster illustrating their understanding of the information. Though these may seem like more extensive or difficult means of assessment, your ELL students might jump at the chance to show you just what they know without having to do it verbally.

Give your ELL students more time to complete their tests. Rather than having them take the written test with everyone else in class, give your ELL students the test orally, asking the same questions but allowing them to tell you their answers rather than writing them down.

Let your ELL students have additional tools to take tests. You might allow your students to use books or notes as they take the test, and you could certainly allow them the use of a dictionary. Or you might just rewrite your test using simpler vocabulary and grammar in the questions.

Native-level content, such as materials typically used in a classroom comprised mostly of native English-speaking students, can prove to be a challenge for ELL students. However, you could try using language learning program FluentU to aid in your students' progress.

FluentU has a curated library of authentic English videos with interactive subtitles. You, as the teacher, can assign your students specific videos or flashcards, and track their progress and activity. This will help when it comes to adjusting your differentiation strategies for each student.

6. Continually Assess and Observe Your Students

It may take some trial and error until you figure out exactly what works best for the students in your class. Don't be afraid to do a little guesswork when it comes to the right types of differentiation for your ELL students. But make sure you're continually observing and assessing your students and how well those differentiation methods are working.

To help with this process, you can also work with other instructors at your school, especially your school's ESL specialist. If you're a subject teacher, you'll want to consult the school's ESL teacher. ESL teachers are there to be a resource for your students and for other teachers in the school.

Keep communication lines open. Take suggestions from your ESL teacher on how best to differentiate for your ELL students.

ELL students want to know that they're important, intelligent and are subjected to the same academic rigor as all students in the class.

The more teachers understand this and create differentiated strategies to help them grow, the more we'll see these types of learners develop into confident, fluent English speakers.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here to get a copy. (Download)

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Differentiation for ELL Students: 6 Simple Steps For Implementing Differentiation Strategies | FluentU English Educator Blog

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Differentiation for ELL students can be one of the most effective ways to help non-native English speakers in your class. Read this guide to find out how to identify areas where differentiation in your ESL classroom can be implemented, and what strategies you can use to help ELL students succeed.

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1. ELL Edition

2. ELL Assessments

ELL Assessments are designed for tracking students' language skills progress at key points in the school year. Assessments at all grade ranges give teachers in-depth information about students' language development across the domains of speaking, writing, reading, and listening. These resources connect to content-area vocabulary and specific language functions to correlate to WIDA, TESOL, and Common Core State Standards.

Tools for Progress Monitoring

Assessment Set 1

Assessment and Instructions

Vocabulary Lesson and Cards

Assessment Set 2

Assessment and Instructions

Vocabulary Lesson and Cards

Assessment Set 3

Assessment and Instructions

Vocabulary Lesson and Cards

Assessment Set 4

Assessment and Instructions

Vocabulary Lesson and Cards

Assessment Set 5

Assessment and Instructions

Vocabulary Lesson and Cards

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ELL Assessments | English Language Learners | Reading A-Z | Reading A-Z

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ELL Edition ELL Assessments ELL Assessments are designed for tracking students' language skills progress at key points in the school year. Assessments at all grade ranges give teachers in-depth information about students' language development across the domains of speaking, writing, reading, and listening.

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An anchor chart is an artifact of classroom learning. Like an anchor, it holds students' and teachers' thoughts, ideas and processes in place. Anchor charts can be displayed as reminders of prior learning and built upon over multiple lessons.

When?

Before, during and after reading

Why?

Children are able to focus on the information they are responsible for learning, and prepare themselves to increase comprehension. Previewing the lesson levels the playing field by providing all students, regardless of prior knowledge or background, with fore knowledge of the read-aloud vocabulary.

How?

1. Choose vocabulary words that are essential to student comprehension from the central text (such as Tier Two and Tier Three vocabulary, academic and domain-specific words, words deserving more attention, transition words and words likely to appear in future texts).

2. Before the read aloud, spend time orally identifying additional contextually relevant words (e.g., the civil rights movement, rights, Constitution, Supreme Court, Ruby Bridges) with students.

3. Create an anchor chart for on-going reference in the classroom.

4. Use a manipulative to help students conceptualize new vocabulary through original illustration.

5. Ask students to listen for the identified words while they listen to the read aloud.

6. Return to the text. Ask students questions about the unknown vocabulary words and phrases. Encourage students to use context clues, when possible, to determine meaning.

7. Add student answers and definitions to anchor chart. Clarify as necessary.

8. Extend the learning throughout the week by:

Guiding students to understand relationships between words (sort vocabulary words into categories, make real-life connections, recognize shades of meaning);

Asking students to look and listen for vocabulary words in conversations, books, television shows and advertisements and to share these observations with the class;

Requiring students to use the vocabulary words in conversations or writing.

English language learners

Explicitly teaching words supports language development, but using the word in context allows for a deeper level of understanding. English language learners benefit from the discussion that takes place among classmates to come to consensus the meaning of a new word meaning during the pre-reading oral presentation of the anchor chart. Verbalizing thoughts (as well as listening to others' view points) provides a context for understanding new vocabulary.

Connection to anti-bias education

Previewing focuses students' attention on specific information they will be responsible for learning, so all students can approach the text with the same foundational knowledge. This type of explicit instruction aims to narrow the achievement gap directly associated with vocabulary knowledge, development and access.

Sample anchor charts:

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Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

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Using Informal Assessments for English Language Learners

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Informal assessments (also called authentic or alternative) allow teachers to track the ongoing progress of their students regularly and often. While standardized tests measure students at a particular point in the year, ongoing assessments provide continual snapshots of where students are throughout the school year.

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If you are a Native youth and have a 'mind, body or spirit' question on your heart that a Relative can assist with good medicine, ask us!

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If you are a Native youth and have a 'mind, body or spirit' question on your heart that a Relative can assist with good medicine, ask us! Ask Your Relative When Barbara Vicknair (enrolled citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and a current...

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Graphic Organizers & Choice Boards

This collection of ready-to-use graphic organizers will help children classify ideas and communicate more effectively. All of our printable graphic organizers are designed to facilitate understanding of key concepts by allowing students to visually identify key points and ideas. By using graphic organizers across all subject areas, you will be empowering your students to master subject-matter faster and more efficiently. We have graphic organizers for reading, science, writing, math, and for general classroom use. You'll also find blank printable templates like graph paper, dot arrays, and other useful tools.

Popular Graphic Organizer Collections

Self-assessment Graphic Organizers

Growth Mindset Graphic Organizers

Graphic Organizers (PreK-2)

Help students, grades pre-K-2, with their reading comprehension, main idea organization, and more using our graphic organizers.

Graphic Organizers (Grades 3-5)

Help your grade 3-5 students with their organization by using our graphic organizers and reading webs.

Graphic Organizers (Grades 9-12)

These graphic organizers for grades 9-12 will aid students in reading comprehension, writing abilities, and sequencing.

Writing Graphic Organizers

Help students organize their writing with these sequence charts, reading organizers, outlines, webs, and more!

Research Graphic Organizers

Support students to practice and develop essential research skills.

Science Graphic Organizers

Use our venn diagrams, graphic organizer worksheets, and instructions to help your students organize their scientific thought.

Timelines and Sequence Charts

Sequence stories and picture orders with these timeline and sequence charts.

Reading Comprehension

Enhance your student's reading comprehension with these webs, main idea charts, plot summaries and more with our reading comprehension graphic organizers!

Concept Maps and Idea Webs

These concept maps and idea webs will help students organize their thoughts, whether they are history, science, or language arts related.

Math Graphic Organizers

Help your students enhance their math skills and stay on track with these homework checklists, KWL charts, column charts and more.

Galleries

These galleries provide you the best graphic organizers for every occasion. Whether it be writing, science, literature, or animal related, we have a slideshow for it all!

Customizable Graphic Organizers

Use our customizable graphic organizers to tailor each one to the specific lesson of the day.

KWL Charts

Help students organize what they know, what they want to know, and what they have learned with these KWL charts relating to all subjects.

Venn Diagrams

Venn Diagrams are a great way for students to compare and contrast two (or three) concepts. Use our venn diagrams to accompany your lesson for any subject.

Cause and Effect

Each effect has a cause. Help students identify the two in their readings, writing, and more with our cause and effect printable worksheets.

Main Idea and Supporting Details

It is important for students to distinguish main ideas and supporting details in order to comprehend their readings. We have provided printable graphic organizers, such as a stair step organizer, to help students organize the main idea from the supporting details.

Choice Boards

Choice Boards are similar to graphic organizers because they can be downloaded, printed, and given to students. What sets Choice Boards apart is that they provide students with the opportunity for choice. Rather than a graphic organizer that has one assignment, a choice board provides multiple ways that students can explore a topic or skill and demonstrate their learning. Choice boards also help you differentiate your instruction, as you can support students to make a choice that best aligns with their learning needs and learning preferences. Access our library of choice boards below.

Holiday Choice Boards

Math Choice Boards

English Language Arts Choice Boards

Social Studies Choice Boards

Science Choice Boards

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Graphic organizers for teachers grades K-12.

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With CLD students, as educators, we want to assess the student multiple times in different ways for the same skill to make sure the student understand the skill.

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Seeing growth and improvement can be a huge motivator for ELL students.

But you can't see growth if you don't measure it.

That's why no great class is complete without some way of assessing students.

Not only is it a fantastic way for both you and your students to see what they've learned, but you can also use the results to help you plan future lessons.

However, don't rely solely on tests to assess your students!

They're not always an accurate way to measure their skill levels. Instead, I have five alternative ways you can assess your ELL students, and examples of what each might look like. But first, let's take a closer look at the issue with tests.

Contents

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Why Tests Aren't an Accurate Way to Measure Performance

One of the most common reasons why teachers shouldn't only use tests is because students may have test anxiety. What tends to happen is that students are so nervous when presented with a test that they don't do as well. You then aren't able to see what the student is really capable of. For ELL students, they can be extra nervous because not only do they have to recall information they've learned, but they may have to decipher what the test question is asking in the first place.

Also, tests really only measure what students can memorize or recall, not necessarily what work they can produce. For example, if you give a multiple choice test about vocabulary they learned, it really only tests if they understand one meaning of the word, and not necessarily whether they understand how to apply the same word in different contexts.

Another example would be oral skills. If students understand certain phrases you've taught them, they may not understand if another person outside the classroom says it, especially if that person has an accent.

If an ELL student is a little slower to read or decipher material (especially if they've had lots of support in their class), a time constraint on a test won't give them sufficient time to complete the test. Just because a student didn't finish a test, doesn't mean they don't understand the material. You then are left guessing as to whether or not your student actually understood what you were testing them on.

So how can you start assessing English language learners without tests?

5 Alternative Ways to Assess English Language Learners

1. Rubrics and Performance Criteria

Using rubrics and performance criteria is a great way to assess a variety of student work. It's usually based on language proficiency and academic progression through work such as presentations, written assignments and reading activities. You can not only use these to grade your students, but to chart their growth over a set period of time.

Both tools feature a list of criteria or standards that students know you're assessing. Rubrics show what is considered below level, at level and above level. A performance criteria can simply be a checklist of what to assess for each student. With either of these assessment tools, it's important to develop your own, as assessments are based on the teacher's judgment.

A tool like RubiStar is helpful, as it can show you sample rubrics other teachers have developed, and anyone can modify them for their own use.

When creating rubrics or performance criteria, make sure that what you're assessing is clear and fair from the beginning. As well, don't assess too much at once, as it'll not only overwhelm you but your students as well. If it helps, ask other teachers how they created their rubrics, or simply have someone look over yours to see if it looks okay.

You can even take it a step further by bringing FluentU into the classroom.

Using authentic content in the target language is a great way to let your students see the language used in context-and FluentU has a wide array of videos to choose from. From music videos and movie trailers to interesting talks, you can use these videos in your English lessons to help immerse your students in the language. You can even assign homework for your students to complete outside of the classroom and monitor their progress.

2. Oral Presentations or Performances

Many students who have test anxiety might get nervous because their reading or writing skills aren't very good. That doesn't mean, however, that they aren't proficient in oral skills.

Assessing oral presentations or performances typically include role-plays, interviews, oral reports and summarizing/paraphrasing pieces of text. When used on an ongoing basis, it's a great way to monitor a student's comprehension through a longer period of time.

Here are some ideas to incorporate oral presentations or performances as part of your assessments:

Role-plays: Role-plays can be used to assess students individually or as a group. Some ideas include having students write a play and performing it or even having the students teach the teacher as part of a review class.

Interviews: This type of assessment is very helpful if you have students that are early English learners. To help test students on content knowledge, try to use a lot of visual cues. For example, have students pick from a pile of pictures, and ask questions to elicit responses from them. You can assess the student based on vocabulary used or comparing concepts.

Describing/explaining/retelling/paraphrasing/summarizing texts: Instead of a written book report or summary of a piece of text, you can have your students retell the plot in front of the class or just to you. Other ideas can include asking the students to pick a character in the book and tell a story from their point of view, or even to describe their favorite part of the text.

When assessing oral work, it's helpful to use a checklist of things to look for, such as pronunciation, volume, pace and content. Use the same checklist for the same types of oral presentations to see the progression over time.

3. Non-verbal Assessments

For students who are shy or aren't as proficient in English, using non-verbal assessments is a great way to see a student's academic progress. What you're looking for in this type of assessment is their understanding of vocabulary.

Examples include:

Charades: Give a student vocabulary words you've taught, and have them act it out to see if they understand what the word or concept is. You could even have them summarize a text by miming it.

Pictures: You can ask students to draw or collect pictures to show their knowledge on a topic. For example, if you're assessing a student on their knowledge of nouns, ask students to pick out pictures of nouns in a magazine. Pictures can also be used to assess reading comprehension. Students can read a paragraph and then draw a picture to show their understanding of the text. If the picture is mostly accurate except for a few details, it could be a vocabulary issue.

4. Written Assessments

Written assessments are a nice way to see how students can apply their knowledge of English over a wide variety of concepts. For example, you can use assignments to see just how well they understand a text, or even different forms of writing.

Some different ways to incorporate written assessments in your class include:

Creative and structured writing assignments: Ask students to write a creative story, or even give them a writing prompt-where students read the beginning of a story and are asked to write the ending.

Editing writing: Give students a piece of text with grammatical mistakes and ask them to correct it, to test their knowledge of grammar.

Reading response logs: Give students a list of questions, such as how do they know a character is evil, or how would they change the ending of a story. When students are finished reading a book or article, have them write down the answers to these questions. Make sure to only assess for content, and not spelling or grammar, unless you specify to your students that you're doing so.

Content logs: Have students write down facts they learned about a text. You can also have them write what parts they didn't understand. This is helpful for you to see if there are concepts you may need to reteach or review, particularly if a lot of students are confused about similar parts of the same text.

With writing, don't assess too much at once. For a writing piece, you could assess just spelling, complete sentences or unity in paragraphs. Build it up to assess more than a few criteria once you see that your students have mastered what you have taught them.

5. Portfolios

Portfolios are powerful assessments and are used to gather various samples of student work to track their development over a period of time. In order to maximize the potential of using a portfolio as an assessment tool, you should regularly curate student work to include in them, and have scheduled conferences with students about their work.

You should also have a checklist of qualities that are important to showcase student achievement. Not only do you critique and assess the work, but so should the students. That way, they're responsible for their learning and take more ownership of making sure they improve.

Material you can include in a portfolio can include the following:

performance criteria or rubrics

recording of oral presentations

tests

writing samples, drafts and final copies

book reports

interview checklists

In order to best assess a student, you should include more than one kind of student work in the portfolio. The work does not have to be the best work they've done, rather a wide variety is best. Based on your judgment, you can even ask students for their opinion as to what types of work they should include.

In a portfolio, you are looking for any type of improvement in their work. For example, if you keep a couple of a student's writing pieces, look to see if their sentence or paragraph structure gets better. When looking at tests, see if their spelling tests, for example, have gotten higher scores over time. If you notice that they continually lack in certain skills, this would be the time to address it. You can either give the student extra support in class or find ways for them to practice with extra work at home.

Tests aren't bad, but they're not the only way to assess student achievement.

If you use a wide variety of assessments, you'll be able to portray an accurate picture of your student's English abilities.

In turn, you, your students and their parents will be able to see their progress, which can greatly motivate students!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here to get a copy. (Download)

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Measuring Growth: 5 Ways to Start Assessing English Language Learners Without Tests | FluentU English Educator Blog

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Assessing English language learners with a range of assessments will help demonstrate your students' abilities. From written assessments and portfolios to speaking assessments and activities, there are so many options available! Click here to see 5 simple alternatives to tests for assessing English language learners!

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Disability and ELs: Intersections of Civil Rights and Best Practices

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Disability and ELs: Intersections of Civil Rights and Best Practices

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Native Language Use

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Google’s service, offered free of charge, instantly translates words, phrases, and web pages between English and over 100 other languages.

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Native Language Use

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Native Language Use

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School districts often end up using five to ten different classroom communication apps across all their schools. Schools might be using one tool for msging, and a completely different tool for taking attendance or healthcheck forms. When a school or district uses too many communication apps, things get lost in the shuffle. Overloaded parents often miss important messages leading to further disengagement and frustration.

Bloomz is the unified parent teacher communication app that increases parental engagement by connecting everyone with one easy-to-use tool. Bloomz handles ALL district, school, teacher, parent, and student communication. Bloomz is designed to be the complete unified solution, bringing together teachers, parents and students.

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Parent Teacher Communication App with PBIS Behavior Management

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Bloomz makes it easy for teachers to securely share photos and classroom updates, reach parents through messaging, and coordinate events.

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The Digital Public Library of America, a free online digital library bringing together collections from across the United States, is the perfect complement to your local public library. To find one near you, zoom into your region or type an address or zip code.

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To incorporate cultural interests to instruction

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What National Day is Today? Find your answer quickly from the original and most authoriative National Day source on the planet, National Day Calendar.

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Potential field trips and create class calendar

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Draw your printable family tree online. Free and easy to use, no login required. Add photos and share with your family. Import/export GEDCOM files.

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Informal Assessments for English Language Learners

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Informal Assessments for English Language Learners

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Informal assessments (also called authentic or alternative) allow teachers to track the ongoing progress of their students regularly and often. While standardized tests measure students at a particular point in the year, ongoing assessments provide continual snapshots of where students are throughout the school year. By using informal assessments, teachers can target students' specific problem areas, adapt instruction, and intervene earlier rather than later.

Ongoing assessments are particularly important for English language learners (ELLs). Standardized tests in English do not usually reflect ELLs' true content knowledge or abilities. Yet informal assessments can provide a more well-rounded picture of their skills, abilities, and ongoing progress. Today's No Child Left Behind legislation requires that meticulous records be kept on the progress of ELLs. Having these records will make it easier when questions of program placement, special services, and grading arise.

There are two commonly used informal methods: performance-based assessment and portfolio assessment. Both methods utilize typical classroom activities to measure progress toward curricular goals and objectives. These activities can be monitored and recorded by teacher observation and student self-assessment.

Performance-based assessments

Performance-based assessments are based on classroom instruction and everyday tasks. You can use performance-based assessments to assess ELLs' language proficiency and academic achievement through oral reports, presentations, demonstrations, written assignments, and portfolios.

These assessments can include both processes (e.g., several drafts of a writing sample) and products (e.g., team projects). You can use scoring rubrics and observation checklists to evaluate and grade your students. These assessment tools can help document your ELLs' growth over a period of time.

Here is a sample language and academic assessment form that you can complete on a monthly basis to learn about the overall academic and English proficiency progress of your ELLs. If there is an ESL or resource teacher at school assisting your ELLs, you can share this assessment of the ELL's progress during the past month.

When using performance-based assessments, it is important to establish clear and fair criteria from the beginning. It might be helpful to develop these criteria in conjunction with other teachers or specialists at your school. Performance-based assessments promote a wide range of responses and do not typically produce one single, correct answer. Therefore, evaluation of student performances and products must be based on teacher judgment, using the criteria specified for each task. Here is a sample oral scoring rubric.

You can also develop assessment (and instructional) activities that are geared to your ELLs' current level of English proficiency. Performance-based assessment activities can concentrate on oral communication and/or reading. Here are examples of commonly-used activity types designed for assessing speaking or reading:

Reading with partners

Retelling stories

Role playing

Giving descriptions or instructions using visual or written prompts

Oral reporting to the whole class

Telling a story by using a sequence of three or more pictures

Completing dialogue or conversation through written prompts

Debating, either one-on-one or taking turns in small groups

Brainstorming

Completing incomplete stories

Playing games

When using performance-based assessments with beginner and intermediate English proficiency level ELLs, it is best to assess no more than three items at a time. For example, in one role play activity, you might assess ELLs' abilities to:

1. Respond to "what" and "where" questions

2. Ask for or respond to clarification

3. Read addresses or telephone numbers

Portfolio assessments

Portfolios are practical ways of assessing student work throughout the entire year. With this method, you can systematically collect descriptive records of a variety of student work over time that reflects growth toward the achievement of specific curricular objectives. Portfolios include information, sample work, and evaluations that serve as indicators for student performance. By documenting student performance over time, portfolios are a better way to crosscheck student progress than just one measure alone. Portfolios can include:

Samples of written student work, such as stories, completed forms, exercise sheets, and descriptions

Drawings representing student content knowledge and proficiencies

Tapes of oral work, such as role-playing, presentations, or an oral account of a trip

Teacher descriptions of student accomplishments, such as performance on oral tasks

Formal test data, checklists, and rating sheets

Checklists or summary sheets of tasks and performances in the student's portfolio can help you make instructional decisions and report consistently and reliably. Checklists can also help you collect the same kind of data for each student. In this way you can assess both the progress of one student and of the class as a whole. This sample math development checklist is an example of how you can organize your data collection for each ELL.

In addition, here are a few ways that your ELLs can have an active role in the portfolio process:

Students can select samples of their work and reflect on their own growth over time.

You can meet with ELLs to develop their goals and standards, such as with this sample writing criteria chart.

Together with students, you can set tangible, realistic improvement goals for future projects.

Students - as a class, in groups, or individually - can create their own rubrics.

Assessing content knowledge

ELLs need to learn grade level academic content even though they are still in the process of learning English. Even if ELLs are at the beginning or intermediate stages of English language development, you can still use their thinking ability and challenge them with content knowledge activities. ELLs need your help to exercise their critical thinking skills - such as knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation - in order to succeed in school during all stages of English language development.

It is possible to assess ELLs' understanding of math, science, social studies, and other content areas somewhat independently of their level of English proficiency. The following assessment techniques can help you adapt assessments to reduce English language difficulties while you assess ELLs' actual content knowledge. These techniques can be used separately or simultaneously as needed.

Scaffolding assessments allow ELLs to demonstrate their content knowledge through exhibits or projects, drawings, and graphic organizers. Consider giving ELLs extra time to complete these tasks, or to give short responses.

Differentiated scoring scores content knowledge separately from language proficiency. To score content knowledge, look at how well ELLs understand key concepts, how accurate their responses are, and how well they demonstrate the processes they use to come up with responses.

You can use a content area progress form with the above techniques to rate your ELLs' overall content achievement in class. You will need separate forms for math, science, and social studies performance.

It is important to note that if students are being instructed in content in one language (e.g., English), they should not be assessed on that content in another language, even if it is their native language.

For more information on assessing ELLs in general, visit the Northeast and Islands Regional Educational Laboratory (LAB) website.

Read about assessing fluency.

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Using Informal Assessments for English Language Learners

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Informal assessments (also called authentic or alternative) allow teachers to track the ongoing progress of their students regularly and often. While standardized tests measure students at a particular point in the year, ongoing assessments provide continual snapshots of where students are throughout the school year.

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Resources for Teaching English-Language Learners

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From literacy instruction to arts and technology integration, explore strategies for engaging English-language learners.

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Some might question the need to create an entire handbook specifically to guide general elementary teachers through issues relevant to English language learners (ELLs), thinking that perhaps the school ESL specialist can take care of any special needs these students have. However, I believe this is an area of significant importance for all elementary teachers and will increasingly become so over time as the United States population continues to grow in diversity. According to the year 2000 U.S. census, approximately 18% of Americans age 5 and over now speak a language other than English at home. Some would argue that most of those Americans live in states like California, Texas, or New Mexico and ask why this census data would matter to the predominantly mono-cultural northeast. However, the 2000 census indicates that ELLs are definitely not confined to southwestern states. The following figures identify the percentage of people over age 5 who speak languages other than English at home in several surrounding states here in the northeast:

Delaware - 9.48%

Maryland - 12.58%

New Jersey - 25.48%

New York - 27.95%

Pennsylvania - 8.42%

Virginia - 11.11%

Clearly there are large numbers of speakers of languages other than English, many of which lie in the school-age population. Based on these demographics, the purpose of this handbook is twofold:

1. To more clearly establish the need for general elementary teachers to take an active role in the education of ELLs;

2. To equip elementary teachers with some initial strategies for modifying instruction and assessment for ELLs.

This handbook should in no way be interpreted as all-inclusive, but rather as an introduction to the policies, instructional models, strategies, and political issues related to elementary ELLs.

English language learners (ELLs) are a diverse population of students who are learning English in school. They come from numerous cultural and economic backgrounds, and they live in all 50 states. They may be:

Immigrants from countries all over the world seeking educational or economic opportunity

Refugees from war-torn countries

Native Americans or other native born Americans

Children with well developed literacy skills in a first language

Teenagers with little prior formal schooling

Migrants

Children of university students

ELLs come from a variety of linguistic backgrounds. After English, the most common languages in the United States are Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Tagolog, Vietnamese, Italian, Korean, Russian, Polish, and Arabic, followed by numerous other languages.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the first piece of federal legislation to address the needs and rights of speakers of other languages in public education, asserting that school districts are responsible for providing equal educational opportunities to national origin minority students with limited English proficiency (LEP). Since then there has been additional legislation to further clarify the distribution of funding and the responsibilities of educators in addressing the education of LEP students, the most recent being the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 (NCLB). The overall stated purpose of NCLB is "To close the achievement gap with accountability, flexibility, and choice, so
that no child is left behind."

Challenging Standards for English and Content Area Instruction

NCLB requires states to establish challenging academic content standards for all students, and Title III of this act indicates that ELLs are not exempt from meeting these high expectations. It asserts that English learners must develop English proficiency and skills for high academic achievement in English WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY MEETING the same challenging State standards that all students are required to meet.

There are numerous resources on the web for learning more about these standards.

Each state creates its own standards documents for all content areas, including English language instruction. Pennsylvania's standards can be downloaded by clicking on Academic Standards on the PDE website: http://www.pde.state.pa.us.

TESOL, the professional organization for English language teachers, has outlined standards for ESL instruction that are also available online at http://www.tesol.org/advance-the-field/standards.

In accordance with the requirements of Title III, Pennsylvania is currently creating a document, the English Language Proficiency Standards for English Language Learners, to complement the existing PA Academic Standards. This document does not replace the Academic Standards, but will help all ESL specialists and general classroom teachers ensure that ELLs have full access to the content curricula during all stages of English language development. It will be available in January 2005 on the PDE website: http://www.pde.state.pa.us.

Accountability through Assessment

CLB also calls for accountability in meeting State standards through high quality assessments. Schools must not only demonstrate improvements in students' English proficiency each school year, but also demonstrate that English learners are making the same "adequate yearly progress" as other students. As a result, ELLs must participate in annual State assessments:

See Appendix 1 for further details on what parents of ELLs should expect from schools under No Child Left Behind.

What kind of Bilingual Education:

The discussion of bilingual education can come from two different perspectives. Additive bilingualism focuses on learning English while preserving use of the mother tongue while subtractive bilingualism focuses on teaching English to replace the mother tongue. Research has shown significant benefits in supporting additive bilingualism.

Social advantages: Bilingual children mature earlier, are more comfortable with diversity, exhibit social adaptability, and identify more with their ethnic group.

Cognitive advantages: Bilingual individuals show higher divergent thinking and increased social sensitivity in situations requiring verbal communication. They also demonstrate clearer thinking and analytical functioning.

Research also indicates that language development in the first language lays an important foundation for second language learning. Students with a high level of proficiency in both languages are likely to have an intellectual advantage in all subject areas when compared with monolingual classmates. For this reason children benefit from instruction in their first language during the early years, and additive bilingual programs are most effective if they provide long term support in both languages. In spite of these research findings, current educational policy tends towards transitioning ELLs to the use of English in school as quickly as possible.

Though elsewhere in the world bilingualism is expected of everyone, current thought in the U.S. often associates bilingualism with poor minority populations. Subtractive bilingualism or immersing students in English only environments is often educational practice. Some states have even passed English only legislation for schools or symbolically declared English as the official language of the state. Legislative attempts in support of both sides of this issue are frequently brought before the United States Congress. See Appendix 2 for samples of recently proposed bills. Turn to Appendix 3 for a look at the continuum of language policies worldwide.

Attitudes Towards English Language Learners:

Mirroring the two sides of public policy, educators may view ELLs through two contrasting lenses. First they may perceive ELLs as language deprived and in need of compensatory education. They see English as the linguistic capital needed to survive and thrive in American society. In a sense this is true; words are central to the activity of schools and a gateway to higher education. Vocabulary is a part of every content area and a major component of standardized tests such as the SAT or GRE. However, this language deficiency view was historically more discriminatory. Prior to the 1960s many researchers set out to prove that bilingualism had negative impacts, actually handicapping students' language growth and intelligence. Though research has since disproved these notions, examination of current educational practice often uncovers an over-referral of ELLs to special education classes, revealing that they are often still viewed as deficient.

A contrasting lens looks more positively. ELLs enter school already having a rich linguistic background. ESL programs provide enrichment in that they help students gain another language. From an even more positive angle, ELLs can provide enrichment for the whole school with the diverse cultures and knowledge they bring to the classroom.

It is beneficial for all educators to examine their own attitudes towards ELLs and work towards a school policy that celebrates the benefits ELLs bring to the classroom.

English language development is a process that occurs over a long period of time. Think about it. Even those who were born into English speaking families continue to acquire new language skills throughout the course of life. English language development occurs at a different rate for every student, and it is easy to misjudge a child's language capabilities because of the seeming variance from week to week or even day to day. There are numerous factors contributing to this variance: the context for language use, the classroom environment, stages of culture shock, age, level of proficiency in the home language, motivation, parent attitudes towards English, and many others. However,
English language development does follow a few predictable patterns.

Beginning ELLs:

Intermediate ELLs:

Intermediate ELLs can understand and speak in face to face interactions with minimal hesitation and few misunderstandings. They are developing skills in reading and writing.

To support intermediate ELLs focus on encouraging communication rather than grammar, spelling, and pronunciation, provide support for academic vocabulary, and teach strategies for processing information.

Another important distinction to make in English language development is between BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) and CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency). Research shows that it takes students about two years to develop BICS, the oral skills needed to communicate effectively at a social level with teachers and peers. On the other hand, it can take five to seven years or longer for students to develop more advanced academic language skills at a level comparable to the ESL student's native English speaking peers. For this reason, it is important that general elementary classroom teachers provide support to ELLs even after they have formally exited ESL programs.

Although there are numerous ways to describe English language development, often a system of five levels is used. In many cases numbers are used, 1 to indicate the most basic English proficiency and 5 indicating the most advanced. The state of Pennsylvania uses the following terms to designate the same five levels: Entering, Beginning, Developing, Expanding, and Bridging.

Pull Out Model

As with other special services, such as Title I, Speech, or Special Education, ESL programs are often designed as a pull out program where the students leave the classroom to meet with the ESL specialist. Although it is difficult to coordinate schedules around specials and lunch times, this type of model may allow the ESL specialist to group students across classrooms or grade levels who are at a similar level of English proficiency for ESL support. This program model is especially effective for beginning ELLs who need to develop "survival" English skills. As students advance in their English language proficiency the ESL specialist may take responsibility for teaching a specific subject area, providing background information for upcoming lessons, or reviewing difficult content. However, grouping intermediate ELLs across grade levels or even across several classrooms from the same grade level for instruction bring challenges in effectively supporting students in content area learning.

Inclusion or "Pull IN" Model

Rather than pulling students out of their grade level classroom, this program model brings the ESL specialist into classrooms. The specialist may work with students individually at their seats or as a group someplace in the classroom. The specialist may assist ELLs with the same lesson that the rest of the class is doing or modify the lesson or assignment in some way. The ESL specialist could also assist while the classroom teacher instructs the whole class by displaying pictures, keywords, or providing other aids to comprehension. In this type of model the ESL specialist can sometimes even provide an extra set of hands in a way that is useful for the entire class.

Team Teaching Model

They ESL specialist may spend several hours a day in an elementary classroom when this model is implemented. As the name implies, when team teaching approaches are used the ESL specialist and grade level teacher work as a team both to plan and deliver instruction to all students in the class, the classroom teacher as the content expert, and the ESL specialist as the expert on effective strategies for ELLs. Though they could work together to teach the entire class at once or break up the class into two flexible groups, in this model all students receive the same high quality instruction. It is important that the team teaching occur in the curriculum areas in which ELLs would need the most language support. Because this model involves so much time in one classroom, it is most often used in schools with large populations of ELLs.

Other Program Models for Language Instruction

Transitional bilingual education: ELLs may receive instruction in both English and their home language for one to three years, but the goal is to develop English language proficiency as soon as possible.

Maintenance bilingual education: ELLs receive instruction in both English and their home language throughout elementary school and into the upper grades. The goal is to develop full bilingualism and biliteracy for English learners.

Structured English immersion: ELLs learn English through content area instruction in English. The goal is full English language proficiency.

As ESL specialists or schools consider which program model to employ, there are four essential factors for them to consider.

Regardless of the program model chosen, the ESL specialist is not the only individual in the school responsible for the language development and academic achievement of ELLs. The sections that follow will provide some beginning strategies that general elementary teachers can use to modify their instruction and assessment to support ELLs in their classrooms. But, in addition to modifying their own instructional practices, elementary content teachers can work collaboratively with the ESL specialist to optimize student learning both in the grade level classroom and in the ESL program.

Communication is one of the most important elements of this collaboration. Communication is most easily facilitated in a team teaching model and most difficult with a pull out model, but it is always important. The ESL specialist cannot align instruction to support content areas without knowledge of what content the grade level classroom is addressing. Providing support in the content areas does not mean that ESL specialists should take responsibility for explaining all assignments and correcting all misconceptions for ELLs, but they can help students make connections to prior experience, work to build background knowledge for students, support language development in the content areas, and review difficult concepts. General elementary teachers can facilitate this process by providing unit overviews, content-specific vocabulary, or any other information that the ESL specialists request so students receive the best support in both English language development and academic content learning.

Flexibility is another way to support the ESL specialist. Often there are many ELLs in a school at many different grade levels, and the ESL specialist wants to provide the fullest support for each one. The time ELLs are scheduled to leave your classroom may not be the best time for your schedule. Alternately, in an inclusion model the ESL specialist may not be able to schedule time in your classroom that matches your first preference. Ultimately flexibility in your schedule can ensure that the ESL specialist is not underutilized.

Provide a welcoming classroom environment

Creating a positive learning environment is important for supporting the growth of all students. Most elementary teachers try to establish a sense of community in their classrooms and provide structures such as predictable routines, procedures, and expectations. Because beginning ELLs may not initially understand verbal cues, predictable structures are even more significant in order to reduce anxiety, foster feelings of safety and comfort, and orient them to classroom expectations. Classroom patterns and predictable structures also aid language development. Here are a few examples:

In addition to helping a new student feel comfortable through pattern and predictability, it is important to help other students to welcome the ELL into the classroom. Talk to students about the challenges of learning a new language. Help them see that mistakes in English will not mean that the new student is unintelligent. After all, the new student already speaks another language very well. Help the class to look for
ways to include the new student in classroom and playground activities.

Know and include the student

It is beneficial for elementary teachers to get to know all the students in their classes as much as possible, but there may be extra factors to explore for an ELL or student from other cultural backgrounds. Get to know as much of the students' cultures as possible through reading about their culture, speaking with the ESL specialist or parents, and from observation of the students themselves. Though definitely not an exhaustive list, here are a few initial questions to consider:

Though it would be inappropriate to draw unnecessary attention a beginning ELL in front of the entire class, it is equally inappropriate to ignore the child just assuming he or she will naturally catch on to classroom expectations. Seating the student near the front of the classroom or near the teacher's desk can help incorporate the child into the classroom community. Additionally, frequent eye contact with the student can communicate care and inclusiveness. Encourage the student to participate in any way that child feels comfortable, but do not force verbal participation. Assigning the student a buddy, especially a buddy from the same home language, can help an ELL adjust to a new school environment. Though learning and practicing English is beneficial, allowing the child to communicate with others in the home language can help clarify classroom expectations and content knowledge.

Modify your speech

Though it will not guarantee perfect communication, using appropriate speech will help ELLs to comprehend both directions and content.

Speak more slowly, enunciating carefully while still using a natural tone and rhythm.

Use gestures with your speech. Hold up one, two, and three fingers as you list three attributes or give three steps to follow. Use facial expressions to indicate emotion and other kinds of body language or miming.

Provide visual aids in the form of pictures or realia (concrete objects or models) or point to sections of text or materials to be used as you mention them.

Model directions or processes.

Adjust questioning techniques so that students can respond in a way that is appropriate for their stage of English proficiency. The following chart provides some sample question starters appropriate to various stages of English proficiency:

Stage

Appropriate Expectation

Question Starter

Preproduction

Nodding, pointing, demonstrating.

"Show me..."
"Which of these..."

Early production

One or two word responses; make a choice between given options.

"Is it the ____ one or the ____ one?"
Questions with answers of one or two words.

Emergent speech

Phrase or short sentence with likely grammatical errors.

"What happened next?"
"Where did you find the answer?"

Intermediate fluency

Longer sentences with fewer grammatical errors.

"How did you...?"
"What was this character trying to do?"

Provide opportunities for interaction

Children cannot learn to speak English without opportunities to practice speaking English. Providing students with opportunities to interact with other students will naturally enhance English language development while also providing the scaffolding needed to help ELLs achieve in the content areas. Here are a few suggestions:

Use adequate wait time to help an ELL formulate a response in a large group context.

Use a think, pair, share strategy where students first think about a question for themselves, then talk about the question with a partner, and finally share their thoughts with the larger group.

Try conversational role plays in pairs or small groups. Topics could include using polite language (please, thank you, excuse me...), interviewing someone, how to use I-messages, resolving conflict, and others.

Provide time for buddy reading of texts that are a little beyond the ELLs independent comprehension level.

Use learning centers for literacy, math, science, or social studies investigations.

Use cooperative learning projects. Have teams work together to create an artistic display of their names, create an "assembly-line" style craft project where each team member contributes to the final product, have groups work together to complete a puzzle or word search, or do a jigsaw reading activity where each member reads a different text and reports back important information to the group.

Support literacy development

Literacy instruction is one area in which knowledge of the individual student is especially helpful. Depending on culture and life history, an ELL may have solid literacy skills in a language similar to English, in a language that is completely different from English, or very little prior literacy skills at all. The more fully a child's literacy skills in the home language have developed, the better foundation there is for literacy skills in English; and the more similar the two languages, the easier it is to transfer literacy from one to another.

Good instruction in reading and writing looks the same whether you are teaching native-English speakers or ELLs. This section highlights a few areas of best practice that are especially important to keep in mind when working with ELLs.

Reading Instruction

Helping students learn to decode words is important, but helping them make meaning of text is essential. Instruction in phonics and high frequency words is best done in the context of meaningful text. Reading texts multiple times can build fluency in word recognition while concurrently providing an opportunity to focus on comprehension strategies, such as the following examples:

Previewing: Paging through a text ahead of time to look at pictures or headings can begin to activate prior knowledge that helps a reader to both decode words and make meaning of text. ELLs may not bring the same kinds of background knowledge to a text as other students. For example, they may not be familiar with the "once upon a time... and they lived happily ever after" story structure for a fairy tale. They may know a lot about tortillas, but nothing about crackers. Taking time to help students build background knowledge is essential.

Predicting: Making predictions during reading about what will come next is both an effective comprehension strategy and a motivator. It builds anticipation, motivating students to keep reading to check and see if predictions are correct.

Monitoring and Questioning: Help students learn to think about what they are reading to monitor their own comprehension. When a "red flag" pops up during reading, help students ask questions like, "What does this word mean?" "How could that have happened?" or "What are they talking about now?" It is helpful if the teacher models this strategy and then helps direct students to where to find answers: reread, keep reading to see if there is clarification provided in the text, or asking someone for help.

Making connections: Connecting text to personal experience, other texts, or prior knowledge aids comprehension and helps students to internalize a text. Phrases like, "this reminds me of..." are useful for helping students to make connections.

Summarizing and retelling: Putting text into more general words is a great strategy for monitoring comprehension. Summarizing can occur during reading with a technique like GIST (Generating Interaction between Schemata and Text). In this technique, students work in cooperative groups and read sections of text silently. After each section the members of the group work collaboratively to generate one sentence that summarizes the "gist" of the passage. Each member writes the sentence down so that by the end each member of the group has a summary of the text. Summarizing can also occur after reading an entire text. Students can retell a story in a beginning, middle, and end chart or dramatize it.

Text Structures: ELLs do not always bring the same prior knowledge of story or informational structures to reading since different cultures may commonly use different structures for texts. Using graphic organizers before or after reading to cue students in on these structures can be especially helpful.

Development of Writing Skills

There are three factors that help determine the ease with which beginning ELLs learn to write in English: (1) whether or not they already know how to read in their first language, (2) the extent to which the home language alphabet is similar to the English alphabet, and (3) the number of opportunities they are given to practice reading and writing in English from the beginning.

Supporting students in developing and communicating ideas first and worrying about correct grammar and spelling later is becoming more common as the writing process guides writing instruction in an increasing number of classrooms ( Prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, publishing). Process writing is commonly used in ESL classrooms as well. The interactive process of conferencing provides opportunity for authentic conversation practice in addition to helping to develop a piece of written work. However, full participation in the process may not be possible until an intermediate or advanced level of English proficiency is acquired.

Beginning writers may simply draw pictures and label things. Over time they may begin to write one or two short sentences, though there may be problems with word order and they are likely to write only in present tense. There are a few strategies that can help support beginning ELLs in writing:

Intermediate writers will be able to write a number of sentences in a fairly organized sequence. They may be able to express all their ideas comfortable, but still lack the diverse vocabulary needed for fine shades of meaning. They can usually use several tenses in their writing, but may often make minor grammatical errors, such as leaving off the -s for third person singular verbs. Here are a few strategies that may help support intermediate ELLs in writing:

Help students learn to combine two short sentences into one longer sentence to add sentence variety.

Do mini-lessons focused on using precise vocabulary. Have students create class books on color words, strong verbs, emotions, or other lists of synonyms that can be used as resources during writer's workshop.

Allow students to use computers for their writing. The spelling and grammar functions of word processing programs can help students identify and correct their own errors more autonomously.

Support ELLS in the content areas: Math, Social Studies, Science

According to current educational policy, ELLs must be given full access to all academic content and must prove they can achieve at high levels on state testing. This means that teachers must adapt their instruction to support the language development of ELLs without watering down the content in any way. To make sure that language needs are addressed, all lessons in the content areas should have both content and language objectives. To determine the language objective, teachers should think about what kind of language support ELLs need to successfully meet the content objective. Lessons can be adapted to develop vocabulary, build background knowledge, modify texts, or provide a framework for understanding so that ELLs can access content objectives.

Vocabulary Development

There are four major categories of language support that might be necessary in content areas. (1) All content areas have specialized technical vocabulary that is not a part of everyday spoken English that all students must learn, such as isosceles triangle. (2) There is also language in each content area that English proficient students have mastered, but beginning ELLs have not yet learned, for example, microscope, thermometer, or ruler. (3) Often common English words may be used in a different specialized way in a content area, for example, table as a way to represent data. (4) Students may need a scaffold for everyday language structures or frameworks for reporting their learning, for example "The ____ is __ inches long."

Vocabulary activities can build background knowledge by introducing new terms, review terms that have been introduced previously, or help to organize or classify terms in a conceptual framework.

Word Walls: Content vocabulary of the greatest importance is hung in relevant groupings on a wall of the classroom. Students can each add an illustration to one word for the class wall. This way the wall provides connections to meanings.

Word Sorts: Content vocabulary words are written on index cards and students are asked to sort the words by category. For example, Length: inches, feet, yards, centimeters, meters; Weight: ounces, pounds, grams, kilograms

Concept Definition Map:
What is it? What is it like? What are some examples?

Dramatization: Have students act out content words, either the word itself or a situation in which the word would be used.

Since the focus of content area instruction is learning the content, it is important to provide opportunities for the students to talk about the content in both English and their home language if there are other students who speak the same home language in the class. This will allow students to engage more deeply with the content, clarify any questions they have, and correct any misconceptions that might arise as a result of misunderstandings of English.

Build or Connect to Background Knowledge

Use visuals, realia, and manipulatives whenever possible so that abstract ideas can be made as concrete as possible.

Go on field trips to build background knowledge for a new topic.

Some videos, computer software, and websites are resources that can be used to build background knowledge through their visual or interactive nature.

Modify Texts

Supplemental resources: Find books that cover the same concepts at a lower reading level.

Highlighted text: Reserve a few copies of texts specifically for ELLs. Highlight the overriding ideas, key concepts, important vocabulary, and summary statements in these texts and encourage students to first read only the highlighted sections. This reduces the reading demands of the text while helping students pick out the most important ideas.

Taped text: Record entire texts or highlighted sections so that students can listen as they follow along in the book. Tapes can be available for both school and home use so that students can listen multiple times.

Adapted text: If there are no other resources or adaptations that can be made to give access to ELLs, then adapting a text is appropriate. The teacher rewrites important sections of text in short simple sentences in a step by step manner, defining relevant vocabulary to create an easier read. ("Electrons have negative electric charges and orbit around the core, nucleus, of an atom." Can be rewritten as, "Electrons have negative charges. They orbit around the center. The center of the atom is called the nucleus.") Rewritten paragraphs should include a topic sentence and a few details to provide ease in identifying important information.

Provide a Framework for Understanding

Many graphic organizers can serve as advance organizers to build background knowledge or provide a review of a key concept from a lesson. Creating this type of framework during a lesson can also be useful for helping students to develop connections and understandings in their heads.

Timeline: A timeline helps students to sequence events and see visually how events are related over time.

Venn Diagram: Two things or concepts are compared. Information about each one is written in the designated circle. Any similarities are written in the area of the two circles that overlaps.

Attribute Chart: This type of chart helps students to make comparisons across multiple examples. The students should be actively involved in creating the chart, using resources or prior experience to fill the needed information.

Build autonomy by teaching learning strategies

Students can learn in the content areas more effectively and independently if they know the kinds of learning strategies that can help. Some students may naturally use these strategies, while others will need to be explicitly taught to employ them. There are metacognitive strategies which help students to monitor themselves and their own thinking and understanding; cognitive strategies which help students to organize information; and social-affective strategies which help students interact with others or control emotions to enhance their own learning. Many of these strategies are similar to the types of reading comprehension strategies that good readers learn. A few examples of such strategies are:
Metacognitive Strategies Cognitive Strategies Social-affective Strategies

Questioning: Ask others for clarification, rephrasing, or more information.

Self-talk: Use mental techniques to boost one's confidence or reduce anxiety about a learning task.

Cooperation: Working with peers to solve problems or pool information.

Modify assessments

Creating quality assessments for ELLs can be challenging. Most traditional assessments are very language dependent, requiring students to read and understand both directions and test questions and sometimes to write lengthy responses. Though such tests may provide information about an ELL's reading comprehension and writing composition skills, they may not give an accurate picture of student progress towards attaining instructional objectives or provide feedback to the teacher about the level of success of instructional strategies. For this reason, it is necessary to adapt tests, use alternate forms of assessment, and use as many different forms of assessments as possible so that language will not be an obstacle to obtaining a clear sense of each student's
progress in the content areas.

Adapting Tests

There are a number of different modifications that can be used to create a more approachable testing situation for ELLs, depending on the level of English proficiency:

Have the test translated into the student's home language or allow them to use bilingual dictionaries.

Provide the student with extra time for taking the test because thinking and processing takes longer in a new language.

Read directions and test questions aloud to the student.

Allow oral or pictorial responses.

Simplify the language on the test: use short sentences and easy vocabulary.

Allow students to make lists instead of writing essays or complete sentences.

Provide students with word banks containing relevant vocabulary.

Ask students to fill in graphic organizers similar to those used during instruction.

Using Alternate Forms of Assessment

Alternate assessments may provide more useful information about student progress than traditional tests. Often these assessments are less language dependent, more skill based, or more relevant to real life contexts.

Observations: Keep anecdotal records or skills checklists about what you notice as students are working or participating in class.

Formal Performance Assessments: Have a child demonstrate the mastery of a particular skill. For example, how to solve a math problem or how to read a map.

Sorting activities: Ask students to sort objects or word cards to demonstrate ability to understand a concept. For example, sort objects by initial sound, sort number sentences by sum or difference, sort pictures of animal by classification, sequence pictures of the water cycle.

Models and visual displays: Students create a model to demonstrate understanding of the characteristics of something or an understanding of how something works. For example, use clay to create an insect and a spider to show their differences; create a shoe box model of a habitat with both plants and animals, create a diagram that shows how the digestive system works.

Graphic organizers: Completing a web, comparison chart, or some other type of graphic organizer can uncover student conceptual understanding, especially if the student is already familiar with the uses for the particular graphic organizer.

Self-assessments: Ask students to complete a learning log, circle a number on a continuum to show how well they worked with group members, use a rubric to give themselves a score based on specific criteria, complete a K-W-L chart, tell what strategy they used to solve a problem, or write what was easy or hard about a concept.

Rubrics: Create rubrics along with students highlighting the different components that will be graded and the criteria for attaining each score. A written rubric along with a visual sample or demonstration helps students to understand and meet expectations. This is especially effective for grading writing, oral presentations, or projects. For example, a rubric for a writing sample might look at correct use of past tense verbs, story idea, the amount of detail included, and sequencing.

Differentiated Scoring: When a teacher uses this type of grading, an assignment receives two scores: one that is based on demonstration of content area knowledge and skills and another that is based on demonstration of English language proficiency. In this way progress in both content and English language can be monitored.

Using Multiple Forms of Assessment

To collect the most accurate information about each student's progress, a variety of assessments are best. Different kinds of assessment give different information about student learning, and some types of assessment might match the purpose or objective better than others. Portfolios are one way to collect and organize multiple forms of data. Portfolios can be collections of work that a student chooses to demonstrate best work or areas that need improvement. They can also be a holding place for all pertinent classwork, tests, checklists, self-assessments, rubrics, and projects. Regardless of how portfolios are put together, their ultimate purpose is the same as that of any assessment: to highlight student achievement and to create goals for continued learning.

Sample Assessments for an Insect Unit:
Original Unit Test
1. Describe the life cycle of the following:

Mantis
Honeybee

2. How do you know an animal is an insect?
3. What foods do insects eat?
4. Why are insects important?
Unit Test Modified for ELLs: A partially completed graphic organizer

Insect Name

Life Cycle

What it eats

How it looks

Why it's important

Interesting facts

Monarch butterfly

Milkweed leaves (larva)
Nectar from flowers (adult)

Head -- eyes, antenna
Thorax -- legs and 4 wings
Abdomen

Help to pollinate flowers

They do not fly at night

Alternate Assessments for a Unit Portfolio

Keep an observation log of the life cycle of real monarch butterflies in the classroom. Given a diagram of the life cycle of another insect, create one drawing to show the four stages of the butterfly's life cycle.

Create a drawing or clay model of two adult insects including three body parts, legs, wings, eyes, and antenna. Verbally tell how the insects are the same or different.

Work with a strong English speaker in a cooperative learning jigsaw reading to learn and share interesting facts about insects and why they are important. Complete a self-assessment on learning, participation, and contribution to the group.

The information presented in this handbook gives evidence to support the need for all elementary teachers to gain awareness of the needs of ELLs and take an active role in supporting their learning. Though it can take five to seven years or longer for students to acquire a level of academic English proficiency equivalent to that of their peers, legislation requires that these students maintain the same adequate yearly progress toward the highly challenging academic standards as their peers. Most ESL program models include ELLs in the mainstream classroom for a majority of content instruction, so it is the responsibility of the classroom teacher to implement strategies that can support these high expectations. Through creating a welcoming environment, getting to know each student, attending to communication patterns, planning language objectives for content areas, and modifying assessments, elementary teachers can support, instruct, and monitor the progress of ELLs effectively.

Becker, H. (2001). Teaching ESL K-12: Views from the Classroom. Boston: Henle & Henle.

Corson, D. (1999). Language Policy in Schools: A Resource for Teachers and Administrators. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Diaz-Rico, L. & Weed, K. (2002). The Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development Handbook. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Herrell, A. & Jordan, M. (2004). Fifty Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners, Second Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.

Maitland, K. (1997). Adding English: Helping ESL Learners Succeed. Torrence, CA: Good Apple.

O'Malley, J. & Valdez-Pierce, L. (1996). Authentic Assessment for English Language Learners: Practical Approaches for Teachers. Longman

Opitz, M.(ed.) (1998). Literacy Instruction for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Peregoy, S. & Boyle, O. (2001). Reading, Writing, and Learning in ESL. New York: Addison-Wesley.

United States Congress (2002). Public Law 107-110 (No Child Left Behind Act). Retrieved April 22, 2004, from the United States Department of Education website, http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.html.

Valdez-Pierce, L. (2003). Assessing English Language Learners. National Education Association.

Under No Child Left Behind, parents of English language learners can expect:

1. To have your child receive a quality education and be taught by a highly qualified teacher.
President Bush and Secretary of Education Rod Paige believe that the key to a quality education is a highly qualified teacher. The new education act requires that all teachers of the core academic subjects be highly qualified by the end of the 2005-2006 school year, including teachers of English language learners.

2. To have your child learn English and other subjects such as reading and other language arts and mathematics at the same academic level as all other students.
Schools must provide English language learners the same educational opportunities to meet the same high academic standards as their peers. The No Child Left Behind Act does not require schools to use a particular method for teaching English language acquisition nor does it prohibit a child from learning another language.

3. To know if your child has been identified and recommended for placement in an English language acquisition program, and to accept or refuse such placement.
A parent or guardian must be notified when his or her child is identified and recommended for placement in a program for English language instruction. Notification must include the reason for placement, the method of instruction and what is required for the child to exit the program, and it must be in a language or manner that the parents understand.

4. To choose a different English language acquisition program for your child, if one is available.
Parents may choose from among the various English language acquisition instructional programs in the school, if more than one is available. If the child is placed in a program that is not meeting his or her educational needs, the parent may have the child transferred to another available program in the district.

5. To transfer your child to another school if his or her school is identified as "in need of improvement."
Once a school has been identified as "in need of improvement," the public school choice provisions of the law provide parents with children in these schools the option of transferring them to another public school in the district, including a nearby charter school, if one is available, and the district will pay for or provide transportation.

6. To apply for supplemental services, such as tutoring, for your child if his or her school is identified as "in need of improvement" for two years.
A supplemental service is extra educational help provided to students, such as tutoring and other afterschool services. Students from low-income families who are enrolled in schools that are "in need of improvement" for two years are eligible to receive these services.

7. To have your child tested annually to assess his or her progress in English language acquisition.
Testing is used to assess how students are performing and what they have learned. The No Child Left Behind Act requires yearly assessment for English language proficiency (K-12). Schools must provide student assessment reports to parents that will, among other things, let them know how well their child is learning English.

8. To receive information regarding your child's performance on academic tests.
Under No Child Left Behind all children in grades 3-8 will be tested yearly, and those in grades 9-12 will be tested at least once in math and reading-language arts. No Child Left Behind requires that parents be notified of their child's academic progress in these subjects in a language or manner that they understand.

9. To have your child taught with programs that are scientifically proven to work.
English language learners can become fully proficient in English and master challenging content when enrolled in high-quality programs with a highly qualified teacher. No Child Left Behind requires that programs for English language learners funded under the act use curriculum and instructional methods that reflect scientifically based research.

10. To have the opportunity for your child to reach his or her greatest academic potential.
For the first time in the history of public education, there is a federal law that specifically addresses the educational achievement gap between minority children and their peers by implementing strong accountability measures. A quality K-12 education will assist every child who aspires to a college education so that he or she can be academically prepared to enter an institution of higher learning upon
graduation.

No Child Left Behind--a new era in public education.
www.ed.gov--1-800-USA-LEARN
Office of English Language Acquisition-January 2004
www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oela
(January 2004)

Legislation of the 108th Congress
Concerning Foreign Languages and International Education
Proposed 2003-2004
Retrieved from http://thomas.loc.gov/
H.Con.Res. 5 - English Plus Resolution
Introduced: January 1, 2003
Sponsor: Representative Jose E. Serrano (D-NY)
Co-Sponsors: None
Latest Action: February 21, 2003 Referred to the Subcommittee on Education Reform

Purpose: (CRS [Congressional Research Service] Summary)
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the U.S. Government should pursue policies that: (1) encourage all residents of this country to become fully proficient in English by expanding educational opportunities and access to information technologies; (2) conserve and develop the Nation's linguistic resources by encouraging all residents to learn or maintain skills in a language other than English; (3) assist Native Americans, Native Alaskans, Native Hawaiians, and other peoples indigenous to the United States in their efforts to prevent the extinction of their languages and cultures; (4) continue to provide services in languages other than English as needed to facilitate access to essential functions of government, promote public health and safety, ensure due process, promote equal educational opportunity, and protect fundamental rights; and (5) recognize the importance of multilingualism to vital national interests and individual rights, and oppose "English-only" measures and similar language restrictionist measures.

H.R. 931 - National Language Act of 2003
Introduced: February 26, 2003
Sponsor: Representative Peter King (R-NY)
Co-Sponsors: 51
Latest Action: March 17, 2003 Referred to House Subcommittee on Educational Reform

Purpose: (CRS Summary)
Makes English the official language of the U.S. Government. Requires the Governments to: (1) conduct its official business in English, including publications, income tax forms, and informational materials; and (2) preserve and enhance the role of English as the official language of the United States of America. Provides that no person has a right, entitlement, or claim to have the Government act, communicate, perform, or provide services or materials in any other language, unless specifically stated in applicable law.

Provides that this Act shall not apply to the use of a language other than English for religious purposes, for training in foreign languages for international communication, in school programs designed to encourage students to learn foreign languages, or by persons over age 62.

Repeals the Bilingual Education Act. Terminates the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs in the Department of Education.

Repeals provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 regarding bilingual election requirements and regarding congressional findings of voting discrimination against language minorities, prohibition of English-only elections, and other remedial measures.

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require that all public ceremonies in which the oath of allegiance is administered pursuant to such Act be conducted solely in English.

Specifies that this Act shall no preempt the law of any State.

In his book, Language Policy in Schools: A Resource for Teachers and Administrators, Corson identifies six different approaches or orientations that are exhibit in national or school language policies and notes that in the United States typical policy focuses on levels 1 or 2.

1. New language group lacks English and needs to rapidly transition into English usage.

2. The minority groups' need for English is linked to family status, so aids, tutors, social workers, and other helps are provided.

3. The need for English is linked to disparities in esteem between group culture and majority culture: multicultural curricula, eliminating racial stereotypes, and sensitizing teachers are added to English instruction.

4. There is a belief that the premature loss of the first language inhibits develop of majority language, so the first language is at least occasionally or in early years a medium of instruction.

5. The minority language is seen as threatened with extinction so the policy is to provide the minority language exclusively as the language of instruction in early years.

6. Minority and majority languages are seen as having equal rights or status in society, so the minority language may be recognized as an official language; separate school systems may be provided; all children may be given the opportunity to learn both languages; and language support exists beyond the school system.

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Resource Guide for Working With ESL Students | College of Education at Penn State

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Some might question the need to create an entire handbook specifically to guide general elementary teachers through issues relevant to English language learners (ELLs), thinking that perhaps the school ESL specialist can take care of any special needs these students have.

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Literacy Daily is a space to connect educators, students, and leaders with the latest news, ideas, tools, strategies, and research in literacy instruction.

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The following strategies offer tips for building relationships with the families of English language learners (ELLs), getting to know their strengths and stories, and creating a welcoming environment.

Supporting immigrant families

For related ideas, see the following:

1. Learn about your ELL population

A. What you need to know

Learning about your ELL families provides an important foundation for everything else you do at the school. Even basic information about students' ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, or the situations from which they have come, can help you match students with the appropriate services and programs.

B. Reflection

Answer the following questions about your ELL families using a KWL chart:

What do you know about your ELL students and families?

What do you want to learn?

Who on the staff works most closely with your ELL families?

What would be valuable for your school-wide staff to know?

C. Strategies

If you do not yet know this information about your ELLs, find out:

What countries your families come from

How many of your ELLs were born in the U.S.

What languages they speak (which may be at least two or three!)

If families who speak the same language, such as Spanish, come from different countries or different regions within the same country

The educational background of families and the school system of their countries

If any of your ELLs are refugees or students with interrupted formal education

If your families have experienced war or another traumatic event such as a natural disaster.

In order to learn more about your ELL families:

Start with your ELL/bilingual educators. These individuals are an important resource whose experience working with ELL students and families can benefit the entire school community - and they will appreciate the opportunity to share their expertise!

Find out what resources are available from the district and community. This may include helpful background information as well as a network of interpreters.

Enlist a knowledgeable staff member, community member, or parent. If you find such a person, examine his/her background as it relates to what you need. For example, you may know a Somali young adult who is bilingual but doesn't remember Somalia. He may be more helpful as an interpreter than as a liaison for Somali families who have just arrived in the U.S.

Ask the families. You may want to include some questions in your home language survey or a very basic questionnaire that ELL parents fill out with an interpreter during student enrollment.

Note: Remember that your ELL population is not homogeneous. The child of a migrant worker from Mexico and the child of a teacher from Mexico probably won't have the same educational and economic needs. Learn what you can about each child's unique circumstances to the extent possible.

D. Example

An administrator from Minnesota wanted to better understand the needs of the children who were arriving at her school directly from Kenyan refugee camps. She wrote a grant that enabled her to travel to Kenya and visit the camps from which they were coming. What she learned at the camps was not only helpful for her; it was helpful for the entire staff. Based on her experience, she was also able to prevent some major misunderstandings around discipline issues. (Related video: Understanding Student Background, Dr. Cynthia Lundgren)

Resources

2. Integrate cultural traditions of your ELL families throughout the school

A. What you need to know

Becoming familiar with and including the cultural traditions of your ELL families within the larger school community not only enhances your ability to create a welcoming and respectful school environment - it has practical considerations as well. These include:

Scheduling: Scheduling around important cultural or religious holidays will help prevent large numbers of students from missing important instruction time, exams, and school events.

Classroom opportunities: Familiarity with ELL families' cultural traditions will provide teachers a base from which to build upon ELLs' background knowledge, create educational opportunities for other students, and foster a sense of respect among students for their peers.

Improved communication: Learning about your ELL families' traditions may help avoid miscommunication or cultural blunders that can damage a budding relationship.

B. Reflection

What are your ELLs' cultural behaviors and values? Which celebrations and holidays do they observe? How does your staff feel about the changes in your school population? How do they feel about working with ELLs?

C. Strategies

Avoid scheduling important events such as conferences or tests on major holidays and celebrations that large numbers of students are likely to miss.

Share these dates with the entire staff.

Share information about cultural celebrations with teachers so that they are able to positively support them and incorporate them into lessons. Even a simple memo that explains why students will be out and offers some ideas for follow-up activities will be helpful. (Encourage teachers to start with children's books, which often have background information and activities, such as these titles about Ramadan, Chinese New Year, and Día de los muertos.)

Learn about, recognize, and celebrate special events or holidays throughout the school.

Invite parents to share food, activities, and music at school events and in the classroom.

Encourage students to share traditions in school assemblies, talent shows, potlucks, and fairs.

Offer food that reflects the cultural influences of your families on the cafeteria menu.

Be mindful that students who are fasting may be less energetic in the afternoon. If possible, avoid school-wide parties or food-centered activities during these times.

Notes: Staff may resist the changes happening around them, and they may be uncomfortable discussing those changes. Such was the case of a school custodian in Minnesota who asked a receptionist "why they (the Muslim students) get special days off and we can't even celebrate Christmas." Dr. Lundgren explains the importance of having an open, non-threatening conversation with the entire staff that acknowledges the challenges of serving a new ELL population and explores steps the school can take to address those challenges. (Related video: Cultural shifts, Dr. Lundgren)

You may find it helpful to bring in a neutral, outside party who specializes in cross-cultural education and communication in order to help moderate these conversations if they seem particularly fraught with tension. An open dialogue with a professional will give your staff the tools they need to adjust to the new reality and create a more positive, welcoming environment for everyone in the school.

D. Examples

Storyteller Lucía González remembers a storyteller-in-residence program she led at a Colorado elementary school. The program was going to culminate with a Spanish-language story hour for the Latino families at the school. On the night of the event, the weather was bad, and few people had arrived as she was getting ready to start. Seeing the small crowd, the principal turned to her and said, "Don't worry if they don't come, because usually they don't come." At 7:00 p.m., however, the parents began to arrive, led by the excited children who had heard her stories. (Related video: A dream come true - The Storyteller's Candle, Lucía González)

A group of Muslim students at Forest Heights Collegiate Institute in Ontario approached principal Jim Woolley about finding a place to pray within the school. After working with an immigration settlement worker and local imam, the school reserved a classroom in which students pray on Friday afternoon after the school is closed. They use the classroom and then lock the door when they finish. According to Mr. Woolley, it doesn't cost the school anything and it doesn't require supervision. "We trust them," he said (D'Amato, 2011).

3. Create a welcoming environment for families

A. What you need to know

A welcoming environment can make a tremendous difference for all families, including ELL families. Entering a friendly, vibrant atmosphere lets families know that the school is "an integral part of the community" (Houk, 63) and that they are valued members of that community. This is especially important for immigrant families who may be intimidated by the formal school environment and the English language needed to participate.

Another way to think of this is to keep your ELLs visible. ELLs are often treated as an invisible minority, but ELLs and their families should "see themselves" throughout the school:

On the walls, through student work and photos

In the classroom, with books and lessons that incorporate their experiences and traditions

In school-wide cultural activities

In the faces of staff and volunteers who come from similar backgrounds.

B. Reflection

Imagine that you have arrived in a new country where you don't speak the language and where you will be enrolling your child in a local school. Think about arriving at the school for the first time, only to discover that no one at the school speaks English. Imagine the feeling of leaving your child in the hands of people with whom you can't communicate. Now envision, instead, that someone who speaks English greets you at the door, and you see a picture of an American flag in the front hallway. What might you be able to accomplish as a parent in the second situation that you wouldn't in the first?

C. Strategies

Make sure parents know how to get into the building, especially if doors are usually locked during the school day.

Post signs in multiple languages.

Display student work on the walls.

Display student and family photos on the walls.

Display the maps and flags of your students' native countries.

Display a large map in the front lobby where parents can mark their native countries with a pin.

Enlist a bilingual morning greeter to welcome students and families.

Ensure that your bilingual staff and volunteers are visible throughout the building.

Create a parent room (such as a lounge or classroom) with bilingual information and magazine subscriptions, a bulletin board, a lending library, and a computer (Houk, 58, 63).

Include bilingual books in the school library and classrooms.

Consider playing music in the front entryway or lobby.

Encourage teachers to create a welcoming environment within the classroom.

D. Example

At Lincoln Options School, in Olympia, Washington, there are photos of the entire school community - students, staff, and families - to greet guests in the front lobby. Each year, the school hires a photographer to attend its annual back-to-school barbeque and take informal photos (Houk, 9). In addition, student work is posted throughout the building (16).

Resources

4. Make a personal connection with families

A. What you need to know

Getting to know ELL families helps build an important relationship based on trust, which in turn can pave the way to student success. This approach is most effective when the communication is personal and face-to-face (Hori, 40; Alford 85). While it will require additional time and effort, building a more personal relationship with ELL families early in the year will yield big dividends throughout the rest of the year (Hori, 40). It will also provide opportunities for the staff to see just how deeply ELL parents care about their children's education.

Indeed, as Dr. Lundgren notes, many ELL families have come to this country with the hopes of offering their children a better future, and they are eager to talk with their children's teachers about what they can do to help their child be successful. (Related video: A better life, Dr. Lundgren)

B. Reflection

What are the challenges in meeting your ELL families personally? What are some ways to facilitate more personal interaction?

C. Strategies

Hold a special back-to-school event or picnic for ELL families in which they have time to meet you, other school leaders, their children's teachers, and school staff.

Create a welcome DVD in multiple languages. This may even be a great student project!

Provide staff the opportunity to learn some common phrases in your families' languages, as well as cultural gestures.

Visit local neighborhoods to meet families.

Connect new families with a contact person who speaks their language as soon as they enroll in the school for guidance and information (Houk, 66).

Create an "ambassador" program in which students and parents are trained to give tours.

D. Examples

Educator Maricela Rincon in Las Cruces, NM calls a different parent every day to share something positive about his/her child. According to Rincon, some parents say, "This is the first time I've had a positive phone call about my child." While Rincon is enthusiastic about the calls, they weren't her idea - they were required by the school principal (Flannery, NEA.org). (Related video: Parent outreach in high school, Bobbi Ciriza Houtchens)

A group of school educators asked experts from a local university to help them learn more about their ELL community. After the initial conversation, it was clear that the school leaders assumed that the parents' lack of input, communication, and attendance reflected a lack of interest in their child's education. After getting some parent input, however, the educators discovered that the parents weren't enthusiastic about the school letters inviting them to events. They didn't feel that the events were planned with them in mind, and the letters seemed very impersonal. The parents didn't see the letters as the invitations they were intended to be. They expressed preference for more personal contact and invitations from the school, at least in the beginning of the year, in order to establish a strong relationship (Alford and Niño, 81-82).

This is an excerpt from a parent letter to the principal about her first visit to her child's school:
I was very surprised when we were not able to speak to Lupe's teacher, Mrs. Gibbons, individually. In Guatemala we all knew the teachers and the teachers knew the parents...We do not know anyone here nor does anyone know us...we would have liked to tell Mrs. Gibbons how much we value education (Amaya, 53).

5. Show that you value families' native languages

A. What you need to know

As the school leader, one of your most important roles is defining the terms of engagement when it comes to ELLs' native languages. Do you see those languages as a barrier or an asset? Do you see native language literacy and instruction as a crutch or a tool?

Unfortunately, the political climate often dictates district or state policy regarding native language support (Wright, 51), and important information regarding the value of native language literacy is often left out of the debate. Frequently, ELL parents themselves are the party most resistant to promoting their native language at home or in school because they believe it will hinder their child's ability to learn English. While this belief is entirely understandable, the research is clear that strong native language skills contribute to ELLs' academic success throughout their education - in their native language and in English.

What can you do to navigate this tricky terrain and encourage the continued development of students' native language skills, as well as biliteracy and bilingualism for all students?

Respect parents' intentions: It is critical to assure parents that you respect their wishes and goals for their children; you can do so by explaining that strong native language skills will help their children learn English. This reassures parents that you have their children's best interests at heart and that you view their native language as an asset, not an obstacle.

Encourage native language use at home: Don't miss any opportunity to encourage parents to use their native language, whether it's through reading (which will help their children's reading skills in English) or taking the time to talk to each other at home. Look for ways that the school can support this interaction by offering bilingual books, educational materials, and activities.

Professional development: Provide training to all staff on the importance of maintaining students' native language and ways in which they can support students' bilingual development. Understandably, many teachers still feel that the best way to help ELLs is to forbid native language use in the classroom. Often, in this case, the teachers have good intentions - they just need more information. There may also be some anxiety about not being able to understand what students are saying. The best way to address this issue is through good professional development with an expert in second language or dual-language acquisition. Not only will the staff learn strategies that will help them and their students, they will learn how to answer parent questions about this topic with confidence as well!

B. Reflection

What is the current attitude towards ELLs' native languages in your school? Is a student's use of his/her native language encouraged or discouraged in the classroom? Do parents know where to get information in their language? How do teachers approach this issue?

C. Strategies

Post information in multiple languages.

Discuss with parents the value of strong native language skills and being bilingual.

Encourage parents to read or tell stories to their children in their native language.

Offer parent sessions, workshops, and classes in parents' native languages (Meyers, 44).

Include books in students' native languages in the school and classroom libraries (Freeman, 42).

Make resources available to students in their native languages to support content learning.

Consider the possibility of adding academic coursework (such as Spanish Literature for Spanish speakers) or AP courses in students' native languages.

Hire bilingual staff and recruit bilingual volunteers to the extent possible.

Inform parents that they are welcome to bring their own interpreter to a school meeting.

Provide training to all staff on why maintaining students' native language is important and how to support students' bilingual development.

Offer staff guidance on how to respond to parents' questions and comments.

D. Examples

In Illinois' Evanston/Skokie School District 65, parents are continually encouraged to use their native language at home and read to their children in their native languages daily. Washington School, a two-way immersion school, offers a family literacy program funded with a state grant in which parents participate in afternoon and evening literacy activities at the school and public libraries. Parents also learn how to help their children with homework - all in their native language (Yturriago, 51-52).

At Webster Elementary School in Long Beach, California, the school library has a large collection of books in Spanish and Samoan, the two dominant languages of the school's ELLs. Parents are encouraged to borrow books and bring younger siblings to the library (Houk, 45-56).

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Connecting with ELL Families: Strategies for Success

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The following strategies offer tips for building relationships with the families of English language learners (ELLs), getting to know their strengths and stories, and creating a welcoming environment. Supporting immigrant families For related ideas, see the following: A. What you need to know Learning about your ELL families provides an important foundation for everything else you do at the school.

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The third, meanwhile, wouldn't stay in his seat or even open his book, and when I redirected him, he looked at me blankly while another student translated for him, before reverting to misbehavior. I was unable to help him and ended up needing to call the principal for support. Instead of feeling comfortable and receptive to learning, he may have felt that he was simply being controlled.

All students, regardless of their language skills or behaviors, want to feel safe in the classroom. Along with everyday obstacles, ELL students must confront the changes of a new environment. They may feel ostracized for their otherness and may not trust that a teacher wants to help.

However, teachers can build successful connections with ELL students.

3 Tips for Connecting With ELL Students

1. Find out about students' backgrounds, cultures, and customs: Becoming familiar with students' cultural heritage and norms will assist you in fostering mutual understanding. Recognizing cultural differences in behavior and reacting to them appropriately will enable you to ease students' transitions to their new school and environment.

One great way to learn more about your students is to ask them and their parents questions such as, "Do you come from a big city or small town?" and "What holidays do you celebrate?" The answers will help you to get a better grasp of your ELL students' backgrounds.

Knowing the answers to such questions are important for building engaging lessons. When teachers include literature by writers and concerning topics relating to ELL students' cultural backgrounds, students can see themselves in classroom materials. And this introduces other students to their new peers' cultures, which creates a more comfortable and welcoming classroom environment.

2. Assign an ELL peer to mentor new students during their transitions: Linking a new student with a classmate who has successfully acculturated can help develop student relationships and familiarize the student with their new school surroundings. Multiple studies have determined that ELL mentor/mentee relationships result in increased mentee confidence with speaking and communicating in English, as well as in improved academic performance.

This mentorship can take various forms: Mentors and mentees might join a club or sport, play together after school, or study a particular subject together. The new student can lean on their mentor by asking for clarification in their native language (with the understanding that this support must lessen over time). And the mentor can invite the new student to engage with others, perhaps in a game during recess or a physical education class.

In each of these scenarios, the new ELL students socially interact with a peer with whom they can identify and potentially develop a friendship, which also leads to connections with other classmates. Both mentors and mentees have reported feelings of trust and belonging through these partnerships.

3. Encourage parental involvement: Despite wanting their children to succeed, many ELL parents feel nervous about participating in the education process due to language barriers. However, there are ways to help them feel more comfortable.

If there's a language barrier, translating letters sent home and having translators present at parent-teacher conferences can help families feel included. Additionally, educating parents on the ins and outs of the U.S. school system significantly improves their understanding of teacher/school expectations, procedures, and curricula.

Arranging a home visit is a great way to communicate with ELL families since some ELL students come from cultures or backgrounds that don't use phones or email. When working with these families, it's important to keep their cultural values in mind so that you don't accidentally offend them. For example, you may give the thumbs-up to parents who have done a good job enforcing a regular homework schedule at home-without realizing that many people in Greece, Russia, and Latin America view this gesture as equivalent to the middle finger.

When interacting with immigrant families, aim to be as culturally responsive and respectful as possible. Multicultural Manners, by Norine Dresser, is a fabulous book about different interpretations of everyday socially acceptable actions that may be viewed differently by ELL families. In the same vein, Derald Wing Sue's Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence provides helpful scenarios and reflective questions for understanding and meaningfully interacting with people of diverse backgrounds.

Overall, putting forth a little extra effort can positively influence ELL students' progress as well as their relationships with, and at, their new school. Before teachers can expect full participation from ELL students, they must foster a sense of safety and security within the classroom environment. Creating this type of positive atmosphere results in lower stress levels and higher student engagement-which is beneficial for everyone.

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3 Tips for Connecting With English Language Learners

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The third, meanwhile, wouldn't stay in his seat or even open his book, and when I redirected him, he looked at me blankly while another student translated for him, before reverting to misbehavior. I was unable to help him and ended up needing to call the principal for support.

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Some might question the need to create an entire handbook specifically to guide general elementary teachers through issues relevant to English language learners (ELLs), thinking that perhaps the school ESL specialist can take care of any special needs these students have. However, I believe this is an area of significant importance for all elementary teachers and will increasingly become so over time as the United States population continues to grow in diversity. According to the year 2000 U.S. census, approximately 18% of Americans age 5 and over now speak a language other than English at home. Some would argue that most of those Americans live in states like California, Texas, or New Mexico and ask why this census data would matter to the predominantly mono-cultural northeast. However, the 2000 census indicates that ELLs are definitely not confined to southwestern states. The following figures identify the percentage of people over age 5 who speak languages other than English at home in several surrounding states here in the northeast:

Delaware - 9.48%

Maryland - 12.58%

New Jersey - 25.48%

New York - 27.95%

Pennsylvania - 8.42%

Virginia - 11.11%

Clearly there are large numbers of speakers of languages other than English, many of which lie in the school-age population. Based on these demographics, the purpose of this handbook is twofold:

1. To more clearly establish the need for general elementary teachers to take an active role in the education of ELLs;

2. To equip elementary teachers with some initial strategies for modifying instruction and assessment for ELLs.

This handbook should in no way be interpreted as all-inclusive, but rather as an introduction to the policies, instructional models, strategies, and political issues related to elementary ELLs.

English language learners (ELLs) are a diverse population of students who are learning English in school. They come from numerous cultural and economic backgrounds, and they live in all 50 states. They may be:

Immigrants from countries all over the world seeking educational or economic opportunity

Refugees from war-torn countries

Native Americans or other native born Americans

Children with well developed literacy skills in a first language

Teenagers with little prior formal schooling

Migrants

Children of university students

ELLs come from a variety of linguistic backgrounds. After English, the most common languages in the United States are Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Tagolog, Vietnamese, Italian, Korean, Russian, Polish, and Arabic, followed by numerous other languages.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the first piece of federal legislation to address the needs and rights of speakers of other languages in public education, asserting that school districts are responsible for providing equal educational opportunities to national origin minority students with limited English proficiency (LEP). Since then there has been additional legislation to further clarify the distribution of funding and the responsibilities of educators in addressing the education of LEP students, the most recent being the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 (NCLB). The overall stated purpose of NCLB is "To close the achievement gap with accountability, flexibility, and choice, so
that no child is left behind."

Challenging Standards for English and Content Area Instruction

NCLB requires states to establish challenging academic content standards for all students, and Title III of this act indicates that ELLs are not exempt from meeting these high expectations. It asserts that English learners must develop English proficiency and skills for high academic achievement in English WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY MEETING the same challenging State standards that all students are required to meet.

There are numerous resources on the web for learning more about these standards.

Each state creates its own standards documents for all content areas, including English language instruction. Pennsylvania's standards can be downloaded by clicking on Academic Standards on the PDE website: http://www.pde.state.pa.us.

TESOL, the professional organization for English language teachers, has outlined standards for ESL instruction that are also available online at http://www.tesol.org/advance-the-field/standards.

In accordance with the requirements of Title III, Pennsylvania is currently creating a document, the English Language Proficiency Standards for English Language Learners, to complement the existing PA Academic Standards. This document does not replace the Academic Standards, but will help all ESL specialists and general classroom teachers ensure that ELLs have full access to the content curricula during all stages of English language development. It will be available in January 2005 on the PDE website: http://www.pde.state.pa.us.

Accountability through Assessment

CLB also calls for accountability in meeting State standards through high quality assessments. Schools must not only demonstrate improvements in students' English proficiency each school year, but also demonstrate that English learners are making the same "adequate yearly progress" as other students. As a result, ELLs must participate in annual State assessments:

See Appendix 1 for further details on what parents of ELLs should expect from schools under No Child Left Behind.

What kind of Bilingual Education:

The discussion of bilingual education can come from two different perspectives. Additive bilingualism focuses on learning English while preserving use of the mother tongue while subtractive bilingualism focuses on teaching English to replace the mother tongue. Research has shown significant benefits in supporting additive bilingualism.

Social advantages: Bilingual children mature earlier, are more comfortable with diversity, exhibit social adaptability, and identify more with their ethnic group.

Cognitive advantages: Bilingual individuals show higher divergent thinking and increased social sensitivity in situations requiring verbal communication. They also demonstrate clearer thinking and analytical functioning.

Research also indicates that language development in the first language lays an important foundation for second language learning. Students with a high level of proficiency in both languages are likely to have an intellectual advantage in all subject areas when compared with monolingual classmates. For this reason children benefit from instruction in their first language during the early years, and additive bilingual programs are most effective if they provide long term support in both languages. In spite of these research findings, current educational policy tends towards transitioning ELLs to the use of English in school as quickly as possible.

Though elsewhere in the world bilingualism is expected of everyone, current thought in the U.S. often associates bilingualism with poor minority populations. Subtractive bilingualism or immersing students in English only environments is often educational practice. Some states have even passed English only legislation for schools or symbolically declared English as the official language of the state. Legislative attempts in support of both sides of this issue are frequently brought before the United States Congress. See Appendix 2 for samples of recently proposed bills. Turn to Appendix 3 for a look at the continuum of language policies worldwide.

Attitudes Towards English Language Learners:

Mirroring the two sides of public policy, educators may view ELLs through two contrasting lenses. First they may perceive ELLs as language deprived and in need of compensatory education. They see English as the linguistic capital needed to survive and thrive in American society. In a sense this is true; words are central to the activity of schools and a gateway to higher education. Vocabulary is a part of every content area and a major component of standardized tests such as the SAT or GRE. However, this language deficiency view was historically more discriminatory. Prior to the 1960s many researchers set out to prove that bilingualism had negative impacts, actually handicapping students' language growth and intelligence. Though research has since disproved these notions, examination of current educational practice often uncovers an over-referral of ELLs to special education classes, revealing that they are often still viewed as deficient.

A contrasting lens looks more positively. ELLs enter school already having a rich linguistic background. ESL programs provide enrichment in that they help students gain another language. From an even more positive angle, ELLs can provide enrichment for the whole school with the diverse cultures and knowledge they bring to the classroom.

It is beneficial for all educators to examine their own attitudes towards ELLs and work towards a school policy that celebrates the benefits ELLs bring to the classroom.

English language development is a process that occurs over a long period of time. Think about it. Even those who were born into English speaking families continue to acquire new language skills throughout the course of life. English language development occurs at a different rate for every student, and it is easy to misjudge a child's language capabilities because of the seeming variance from week to week or even day to day. There are numerous factors contributing to this variance: the context for language use, the classroom environment, stages of culture shock, age, level of proficiency in the home language, motivation, parent attitudes towards English, and many others. However,
English language development does follow a few predictable patterns.

Beginning ELLs:

Intermediate ELLs:

Intermediate ELLs can understand and speak in face to face interactions with minimal hesitation and few misunderstandings. They are developing skills in reading and writing.

To support intermediate ELLs focus on encouraging communication rather than grammar, spelling, and pronunciation, provide support for academic vocabulary, and teach strategies for processing information.

Another important distinction to make in English language development is between BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) and CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency). Research shows that it takes students about two years to develop BICS, the oral skills needed to communicate effectively at a social level with teachers and peers. On the other hand, it can take five to seven years or longer for students to develop more advanced academic language skills at a level comparable to the ESL student's native English speaking peers. For this reason, it is important that general elementary classroom teachers provide support to ELLs even after they have formally exited ESL programs.

Although there are numerous ways to describe English language development, often a system of five levels is used. In many cases numbers are used, 1 to indicate the most basic English proficiency and 5 indicating the most advanced. The state of Pennsylvania uses the following terms to designate the same five levels: Entering, Beginning, Developing, Expanding, and Bridging.

Pull Out Model

As with other special services, such as Title I, Speech, or Special Education, ESL programs are often designed as a pull out program where the students leave the classroom to meet with the ESL specialist. Although it is difficult to coordinate schedules around specials and lunch times, this type of model may allow the ESL specialist to group students across classrooms or grade levels who are at a similar level of English proficiency for ESL support. This program model is especially effective for beginning ELLs who need to develop "survival" English skills. As students advance in their English language proficiency the ESL specialist may take responsibility for teaching a specific subject area, providing background information for upcoming lessons, or reviewing difficult content. However, grouping intermediate ELLs across grade levels or even across several classrooms from the same grade level for instruction bring challenges in effectively supporting students in content area learning.

Inclusion or "Pull IN" Model

Rather than pulling students out of their grade level classroom, this program model brings the ESL specialist into classrooms. The specialist may work with students individually at their seats or as a group someplace in the classroom. The specialist may assist ELLs with the same lesson that the rest of the class is doing or modify the lesson or assignment in some way. The ESL specialist could also assist while the classroom teacher instructs the whole class by displaying pictures, keywords, or providing other aids to comprehension. In this type of model the ESL specialist can sometimes even provide an extra set of hands in a way that is useful for the entire class.

Team Teaching Model

They ESL specialist may spend several hours a day in an elementary classroom when this model is implemented. As the name implies, when team teaching approaches are used the ESL specialist and grade level teacher work as a team both to plan and deliver instruction to all students in the class, the classroom teacher as the content expert, and the ESL specialist as the expert on effective strategies for ELLs. Though they could work together to teach the entire class at once or break up the class into two flexible groups, in this model all students receive the same high quality instruction. It is important that the team teaching occur in the curriculum areas in which ELLs would need the most language support. Because this model involves so much time in one classroom, it is most often used in schools with large populations of ELLs.

Other Program Models for Language Instruction

Transitional bilingual education: ELLs may receive instruction in both English and their home language for one to three years, but the goal is to develop English language proficiency as soon as possible.

Maintenance bilingual education: ELLs receive instruction in both English and their home language throughout elementary school and into the upper grades. The goal is to develop full bilingualism and biliteracy for English learners.

Structured English immersion: ELLs learn English through content area instruction in English. The goal is full English language proficiency.

As ESL specialists or schools consider which program model to employ, there are four essential factors for them to consider.

Regardless of the program model chosen, the ESL specialist is not the only individual in the school responsible for the language development and academic achievement of ELLs. The sections that follow will provide some beginning strategies that general elementary teachers can use to modify their instruction and assessment to support ELLs in their classrooms. But, in addition to modifying their own instructional practices, elementary content teachers can work collaboratively with the ESL specialist to optimize student learning both in the grade level classroom and in the ESL program.

Communication is one of the most important elements of this collaboration. Communication is most easily facilitated in a team teaching model and most difficult with a pull out model, but it is always important. The ESL specialist cannot align instruction to support content areas without knowledge of what content the grade level classroom is addressing. Providing support in the content areas does not mean that ESL specialists should take responsibility for explaining all assignments and correcting all misconceptions for ELLs, but they can help students make connections to prior experience, work to build background knowledge for students, support language development in the content areas, and review difficult concepts. General elementary teachers can facilitate this process by providing unit overviews, content-specific vocabulary, or any other information that the ESL specialists request so students receive the best support in both English language development and academic content learning.

Flexibility is another way to support the ESL specialist. Often there are many ELLs in a school at many different grade levels, and the ESL specialist wants to provide the fullest support for each one. The time ELLs are scheduled to leave your classroom may not be the best time for your schedule. Alternately, in an inclusion model the ESL specialist may not be able to schedule time in your classroom that matches your first preference. Ultimately flexibility in your schedule can ensure that the ESL specialist is not underutilized.

Provide a welcoming classroom environment

Creating a positive learning environment is important for supporting the growth of all students. Most elementary teachers try to establish a sense of community in their classrooms and provide structures such as predictable routines, procedures, and expectations. Because beginning ELLs may not initially understand verbal cues, predictable structures are even more significant in order to reduce anxiety, foster feelings of safety and comfort, and orient them to classroom expectations. Classroom patterns and predictable structures also aid language development. Here are a few examples:

In addition to helping a new student feel comfortable through pattern and predictability, it is important to help other students to welcome the ELL into the classroom. Talk to students about the challenges of learning a new language. Help them see that mistakes in English will not mean that the new student is unintelligent. After all, the new student already speaks another language very well. Help the class to look for
ways to include the new student in classroom and playground activities.

Know and include the student

It is beneficial for elementary teachers to get to know all the students in their classes as much as possible, but there may be extra factors to explore for an ELL or student from other cultural backgrounds. Get to know as much of the students' cultures as possible through reading about their culture, speaking with the ESL specialist or parents, and from observation of the students themselves. Though definitely not an exhaustive list, here are a few initial questions to consider:

Though it would be inappropriate to draw unnecessary attention a beginning ELL in front of the entire class, it is equally inappropriate to ignore the child just assuming he or she will naturally catch on to classroom expectations. Seating the student near the front of the classroom or near the teacher's desk can help incorporate the child into the classroom community. Additionally, frequent eye contact with the student can communicate care and inclusiveness. Encourage the student to participate in any way that child feels comfortable, but do not force verbal participation. Assigning the student a buddy, especially a buddy from the same home language, can help an ELL adjust to a new school environment. Though learning and practicing English is beneficial, allowing the child to communicate with others in the home language can help clarify classroom expectations and content knowledge.

Modify your speech

Though it will not guarantee perfect communication, using appropriate speech will help ELLs to comprehend both directions and content.

Speak more slowly, enunciating carefully while still using a natural tone and rhythm.

Use gestures with your speech. Hold up one, two, and three fingers as you list three attributes or give three steps to follow. Use facial expressions to indicate emotion and other kinds of body language or miming.

Provide visual aids in the form of pictures or realia (concrete objects or models) or point to sections of text or materials to be used as you mention them.

Model directions or processes.

Adjust questioning techniques so that students can respond in a way that is appropriate for their stage of English proficiency. The following chart provides some sample question starters appropriate to various stages of English proficiency:

Stage

Appropriate Expectation

Question Starter

Preproduction

Nodding, pointing, demonstrating.

"Show me..."
"Which of these..."

Early production

One or two word responses; make a choice between given options.

"Is it the ____ one or the ____ one?"
Questions with answers of one or two words.

Emergent speech

Phrase or short sentence with likely grammatical errors.

"What happened next?"
"Where did you find the answer?"

Intermediate fluency

Longer sentences with fewer grammatical errors.

"How did you...?"
"What was this character trying to do?"

Provide opportunities for interaction

Children cannot learn to speak English without opportunities to practice speaking English. Providing students with opportunities to interact with other students will naturally enhance English language development while also providing the scaffolding needed to help ELLs achieve in the content areas. Here are a few suggestions:

Use adequate wait time to help an ELL formulate a response in a large group context.

Use a think, pair, share strategy where students first think about a question for themselves, then talk about the question with a partner, and finally share their thoughts with the larger group.

Try conversational role plays in pairs or small groups. Topics could include using polite language (please, thank you, excuse me...), interviewing someone, how to use I-messages, resolving conflict, and others.

Provide time for buddy reading of texts that are a little beyond the ELLs independent comprehension level.

Use learning centers for literacy, math, science, or social studies investigations.

Use cooperative learning projects. Have teams work together to create an artistic display of their names, create an "assembly-line" style craft project where each team member contributes to the final product, have groups work together to complete a puzzle or word search, or do a jigsaw reading activity where each member reads a different text and reports back important information to the group.

Support literacy development

Literacy instruction is one area in which knowledge of the individual student is especially helpful. Depending on culture and life history, an ELL may have solid literacy skills in a language similar to English, in a language that is completely different from English, or very little prior literacy skills at all. The more fully a child's literacy skills in the home language have developed, the better foundation there is for literacy skills in English; and the more similar the two languages, the easier it is to transfer literacy from one to another.

Good instruction in reading and writing looks the same whether you are teaching native-English speakers or ELLs. This section highlights a few areas of best practice that are especially important to keep in mind when working with ELLs.

Reading Instruction

Helping students learn to decode words is important, but helping them make meaning of text is essential. Instruction in phonics and high frequency words is best done in the context of meaningful text. Reading texts multiple times can build fluency in word recognition while concurrently providing an opportunity to focus on comprehension strategies, such as the following examples:

Previewing: Paging through a text ahead of time to look at pictures or headings can begin to activate prior knowledge that helps a reader to both decode words and make meaning of text. ELLs may not bring the same kinds of background knowledge to a text as other students. For example, they may not be familiar with the "once upon a time... and they lived happily ever after" story structure for a fairy tale. They may know a lot about tortillas, but nothing about crackers. Taking time to help students build background knowledge is essential.

Predicting: Making predictions during reading about what will come next is both an effective comprehension strategy and a motivator. It builds anticipation, motivating students to keep reading to check and see if predictions are correct.

Monitoring and Questioning: Help students learn to think about what they are reading to monitor their own comprehension. When a "red flag" pops up during reading, help students ask questions like, "What does this word mean?" "How could that have happened?" or "What are they talking about now?" It is helpful if the teacher models this strategy and then helps direct students to where to find answers: reread, keep reading to see if there is clarification provided in the text, or asking someone for help.

Making connections: Connecting text to personal experience, other texts, or prior knowledge aids comprehension and helps students to internalize a text. Phrases like, "this reminds me of..." are useful for helping students to make connections.

Summarizing and retelling: Putting text into more general words is a great strategy for monitoring comprehension. Summarizing can occur during reading with a technique like GIST (Generating Interaction between Schemata and Text). In this technique, students work in cooperative groups and read sections of text silently. After each section the members of the group work collaboratively to generate one sentence that summarizes the "gist" of the passage. Each member writes the sentence down so that by the end each member of the group has a summary of the text. Summarizing can also occur after reading an entire text. Students can retell a story in a beginning, middle, and end chart or dramatize it.

Text Structures: ELLs do not always bring the same prior knowledge of story or informational structures to reading since different cultures may commonly use different structures for texts. Using graphic organizers before or after reading to cue students in on these structures can be especially helpful.

Development of Writing Skills

There are three factors that help determine the ease with which beginning ELLs learn to write in English: (1) whether or not they already know how to read in their first language, (2) the extent to which the home language alphabet is similar to the English alphabet, and (3) the number of opportunities they are given to practice reading and writing in English from the beginning.

Supporting students in developing and communicating ideas first and worrying about correct grammar and spelling later is becoming more common as the writing process guides writing instruction in an increasing number of classrooms ( Prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, publishing). Process writing is commonly used in ESL classrooms as well. The interactive process of conferencing provides opportunity for authentic conversation practice in addition to helping to develop a piece of written work. However, full participation in the process may not be possible until an intermediate or advanced level of English proficiency is acquired.

Beginning writers may simply draw pictures and label things. Over time they may begin to write one or two short sentences, though there may be problems with word order and they are likely to write only in present tense. There are a few strategies that can help support beginning ELLs in writing:

Intermediate writers will be able to write a number of sentences in a fairly organized sequence. They may be able to express all their ideas comfortable, but still lack the diverse vocabulary needed for fine shades of meaning. They can usually use several tenses in their writing, but may often make minor grammatical errors, such as leaving off the -s for third person singular verbs. Here are a few strategies that may help support intermediate ELLs in writing:

Help students learn to combine two short sentences into one longer sentence to add sentence variety.

Do mini-lessons focused on using precise vocabulary. Have students create class books on color words, strong verbs, emotions, or other lists of synonyms that can be used as resources during writer's workshop.

Allow students to use computers for their writing. The spelling and grammar functions of word processing programs can help students identify and correct their own errors more autonomously.

Support ELLS in the content areas: Math, Social Studies, Science

According to current educational policy, ELLs must be given full access to all academic content and must prove they can achieve at high levels on state testing. This means that teachers must adapt their instruction to support the language development of ELLs without watering down the content in any way. To make sure that language needs are addressed, all lessons in the content areas should have both content and language objectives. To determine the language objective, teachers should think about what kind of language support ELLs need to successfully meet the content objective. Lessons can be adapted to develop vocabulary, build background knowledge, modify texts, or provide a framework for understanding so that ELLs can access content objectives.

Vocabulary Development

There are four major categories of language support that might be necessary in content areas. (1) All content areas have specialized technical vocabulary that is not a part of everyday spoken English that all students must learn, such as isosceles triangle. (2) There is also language in each content area that English proficient students have mastered, but beginning ELLs have not yet learned, for example, microscope, thermometer, or ruler. (3) Often common English words may be used in a different specialized way in a content area, for example, table as a way to represent data. (4) Students may need a scaffold for everyday language structures or frameworks for reporting their learning, for example "The ____ is __ inches long."

Vocabulary activities can build background knowledge by introducing new terms, review terms that have been introduced previously, or help to organize or classify terms in a conceptual framework.

Word Walls: Content vocabulary of the greatest importance is hung in relevant groupings on a wall of the classroom. Students can each add an illustration to one word for the class wall. This way the wall provides connections to meanings.

Word Sorts: Content vocabulary words are written on index cards and students are asked to sort the words by category. For example, Length: inches, feet, yards, centimeters, meters; Weight: ounces, pounds, grams, kilograms

Concept Definition Map:
What is it? What is it like? What are some examples?

Dramatization: Have students act out content words, either the word itself or a situation in which the word would be used.

Since the focus of content area instruction is learning the content, it is important to provide opportunities for the students to talk about the content in both English and their home language if there are other students who speak the same home language in the class. This will allow students to engage more deeply with the content, clarify any questions they have, and correct any misconceptions that might arise as a result of misunderstandings of English.

Build or Connect to Background Knowledge

Use visuals, realia, and manipulatives whenever possible so that abstract ideas can be made as concrete as possible.

Go on field trips to build background knowledge for a new topic.

Some videos, computer software, and websites are resources that can be used to build background knowledge through their visual or interactive nature.

Modify Texts

Supplemental resources: Find books that cover the same concepts at a lower reading level.

Highlighted text: Reserve a few copies of texts specifically for ELLs. Highlight the overriding ideas, key concepts, important vocabulary, and summary statements in these texts and encourage students to first read only the highlighted sections. This reduces the reading demands of the text while helping students pick out the most important ideas.

Taped text: Record entire texts or highlighted sections so that students can listen as they follow along in the book. Tapes can be available for both school and home use so that students can listen multiple times.

Adapted text: If there are no other resources or adaptations that can be made to give access to ELLs, then adapting a text is appropriate. The teacher rewrites important sections of text in short simple sentences in a step by step manner, defining relevant vocabulary to create an easier read. ("Electrons have negative electric charges and orbit around the core, nucleus, of an atom." Can be rewritten as, "Electrons have negative charges. They orbit around the center. The center of the atom is called the nucleus.") Rewritten paragraphs should include a topic sentence and a few details to provide ease in identifying important information.

Provide a Framework for Understanding

Many graphic organizers can serve as advance organizers to build background knowledge or provide a review of a key concept from a lesson. Creating this type of framework during a lesson can also be useful for helping students to develop connections and understandings in their heads.

Timeline: A timeline helps students to sequence events and see visually how events are related over time.

Venn Diagram: Two things or concepts are compared. Information about each one is written in the designated circle. Any similarities are written in the area of the two circles that overlaps.

Attribute Chart: This type of chart helps students to make comparisons across multiple examples. The students should be actively involved in creating the chart, using resources or prior experience to fill the needed information.

Build autonomy by teaching learning strategies

Students can learn in the content areas more effectively and independently if they know the kinds of learning strategies that can help. Some students may naturally use these strategies, while others will need to be explicitly taught to employ them. There are metacognitive strategies which help students to monitor themselves and their own thinking and understanding; cognitive strategies which help students to organize information; and social-affective strategies which help students interact with others or control emotions to enhance their own learning. Many of these strategies are similar to the types of reading comprehension strategies that good readers learn. A few examples of such strategies are:
Metacognitive Strategies Cognitive Strategies Social-affective Strategies

Questioning: Ask others for clarification, rephrasing, or more information.

Self-talk: Use mental techniques to boost one's confidence or reduce anxiety about a learning task.

Cooperation: Working with peers to solve problems or pool information.

Modify assessments

Creating quality assessments for ELLs can be challenging. Most traditional assessments are very language dependent, requiring students to read and understand both directions and test questions and sometimes to write lengthy responses. Though such tests may provide information about an ELL's reading comprehension and writing composition skills, they may not give an accurate picture of student progress towards attaining instructional objectives or provide feedback to the teacher about the level of success of instructional strategies. For this reason, it is necessary to adapt tests, use alternate forms of assessment, and use as many different forms of assessments as possible so that language will not be an obstacle to obtaining a clear sense of each student's
progress in the content areas.

Adapting Tests

There are a number of different modifications that can be used to create a more approachable testing situation for ELLs, depending on the level of English proficiency:

Have the test translated into the student's home language or allow them to use bilingual dictionaries.

Provide the student with extra time for taking the test because thinking and processing takes longer in a new language.

Read directions and test questions aloud to the student.

Allow oral or pictorial responses.

Simplify the language on the test: use short sentences and easy vocabulary.

Allow students to make lists instead of writing essays or complete sentences.

Provide students with word banks containing relevant vocabulary.

Ask students to fill in graphic organizers similar to those used during instruction.

Using Alternate Forms of Assessment

Alternate assessments may provide more useful information about student progress than traditional tests. Often these assessments are less language dependent, more skill based, or more relevant to real life contexts.

Observations: Keep anecdotal records or skills checklists about what you notice as students are working or participating in class.

Formal Performance Assessments: Have a child demonstrate the mastery of a particular skill. For example, how to solve a math problem or how to read a map.

Sorting activities: Ask students to sort objects or word cards to demonstrate ability to understand a concept. For example, sort objects by initial sound, sort number sentences by sum or difference, sort pictures of animal by classification, sequence pictures of the water cycle.

Models and visual displays: Students create a model to demonstrate understanding of the characteristics of something or an understanding of how something works. For example, use clay to create an insect and a spider to show their differences; create a shoe box model of a habitat with both plants and animals, create a diagram that shows how the digestive system works.

Graphic organizers: Completing a web, comparison chart, or some other type of graphic organizer can uncover student conceptual understanding, especially if the student is already familiar with the uses for the particular graphic organizer.

Self-assessments: Ask students to complete a learning log, circle a number on a continuum to show how well they worked with group members, use a rubric to give themselves a score based on specific criteria, complete a K-W-L chart, tell what strategy they used to solve a problem, or write what was easy or hard about a concept.

Rubrics: Create rubrics along with students highlighting the different components that will be graded and the criteria for attaining each score. A written rubric along with a visual sample or demonstration helps students to understand and meet expectations. This is especially effective for grading writing, oral presentations, or projects. For example, a rubric for a writing sample might look at correct use of past tense verbs, story idea, the amount of detail included, and sequencing.

Differentiated Scoring: When a teacher uses this type of grading, an assignment receives two scores: one that is based on demonstration of content area knowledge and skills and another that is based on demonstration of English language proficiency. In this way progress in both content and English language can be monitored.

Using Multiple Forms of Assessment

To collect the most accurate information about each student's progress, a variety of assessments are best. Different kinds of assessment give different information about student learning, and some types of assessment might match the purpose or objective better than others. Portfolios are one way to collect and organize multiple forms of data. Portfolios can be collections of work that a student chooses to demonstrate best work or areas that need improvement. They can also be a holding place for all pertinent classwork, tests, checklists, self-assessments, rubrics, and projects. Regardless of how portfolios are put together, their ultimate purpose is the same as that of any assessment: to highlight student achievement and to create goals for continued learning.

Sample Assessments for an Insect Unit:
Original Unit Test
1. Describe the life cycle of the following:

Mantis
Honeybee

2. How do you know an animal is an insect?
3. What foods do insects eat?
4. Why are insects important?
Unit Test Modified for ELLs: A partially completed graphic organizer

Insect Name

Life Cycle

What it eats

How it looks

Why it's important

Interesting facts

Monarch butterfly

Milkweed leaves (larva)
Nectar from flowers (adult)

Head -- eyes, antenna
Thorax -- legs and 4 wings
Abdomen

Help to pollinate flowers

They do not fly at night

Alternate Assessments for a Unit Portfolio

Keep an observation log of the life cycle of real monarch butterflies in the classroom. Given a diagram of the life cycle of another insect, create one drawing to show the four stages of the butterfly's life cycle.

Create a drawing or clay model of two adult insects including three body parts, legs, wings, eyes, and antenna. Verbally tell how the insects are the same or different.

Work with a strong English speaker in a cooperative learning jigsaw reading to learn and share interesting facts about insects and why they are important. Complete a self-assessment on learning, participation, and contribution to the group.

The information presented in this handbook gives evidence to support the need for all elementary teachers to gain awareness of the needs of ELLs and take an active role in supporting their learning. Though it can take five to seven years or longer for students to acquire a level of academic English proficiency equivalent to that of their peers, legislation requires that these students maintain the same adequate yearly progress toward the highly challenging academic standards as their peers. Most ESL program models include ELLs in the mainstream classroom for a majority of content instruction, so it is the responsibility of the classroom teacher to implement strategies that can support these high expectations. Through creating a welcoming environment, getting to know each student, attending to communication patterns, planning language objectives for content areas, and modifying assessments, elementary teachers can support, instruct, and monitor the progress of ELLs effectively.

Becker, H. (2001). Teaching ESL K-12: Views from the Classroom. Boston: Henle & Henle.

Corson, D. (1999). Language Policy in Schools: A Resource for Teachers and Administrators. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Diaz-Rico, L. & Weed, K. (2002). The Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development Handbook. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Herrell, A. & Jordan, M. (2004). Fifty Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners, Second Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.

Maitland, K. (1997). Adding English: Helping ESL Learners Succeed. Torrence, CA: Good Apple.

O'Malley, J. & Valdez-Pierce, L. (1996). Authentic Assessment for English Language Learners: Practical Approaches for Teachers. Longman

Opitz, M.(ed.) (1998). Literacy Instruction for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Peregoy, S. & Boyle, O. (2001). Reading, Writing, and Learning in ESL. New York: Addison-Wesley.

United States Congress (2002). Public Law 107-110 (No Child Left Behind Act). Retrieved April 22, 2004, from the United States Department of Education website, http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.html.

Valdez-Pierce, L. (2003). Assessing English Language Learners. National Education Association.

Under No Child Left Behind, parents of English language learners can expect:

1. To have your child receive a quality education and be taught by a highly qualified teacher.
President Bush and Secretary of Education Rod Paige believe that the key to a quality education is a highly qualified teacher. The new education act requires that all teachers of the core academic subjects be highly qualified by the end of the 2005-2006 school year, including teachers of English language learners.

2. To have your child learn English and other subjects such as reading and other language arts and mathematics at the same academic level as all other students.
Schools must provide English language learners the same educational opportunities to meet the same high academic standards as their peers. The No Child Left Behind Act does not require schools to use a particular method for teaching English language acquisition nor does it prohibit a child from learning another language.

3. To know if your child has been identified and recommended for placement in an English language acquisition program, and to accept or refuse such placement.
A parent or guardian must be notified when his or her child is identified and recommended for placement in a program for English language instruction. Notification must include the reason for placement, the method of instruction and what is required for the child to exit the program, and it must be in a language or manner that the parents understand.

4. To choose a different English language acquisition program for your child, if one is available.
Parents may choose from among the various English language acquisition instructional programs in the school, if more than one is available. If the child is placed in a program that is not meeting his or her educational needs, the parent may have the child transferred to another available program in the district.

5. To transfer your child to another school if his or her school is identified as "in need of improvement."
Once a school has been identified as "in need of improvement," the public school choice provisions of the law provide parents with children in these schools the option of transferring them to another public school in the district, including a nearby charter school, if one is available, and the district will pay for or provide transportation.

6. To apply for supplemental services, such as tutoring, for your child if his or her school is identified as "in need of improvement" for two years.
A supplemental service is extra educational help provided to students, such as tutoring and other afterschool services. Students from low-income families who are enrolled in schools that are "in need of improvement" for two years are eligible to receive these services.

7. To have your child tested annually to assess his or her progress in English language acquisition.
Testing is used to assess how students are performing and what they have learned. The No Child Left Behind Act requires yearly assessment for English language proficiency (K-12). Schools must provide student assessment reports to parents that will, among other things, let them know how well their child is learning English.

8. To receive information regarding your child's performance on academic tests.
Under No Child Left Behind all children in grades 3-8 will be tested yearly, and those in grades 9-12 will be tested at least once in math and reading-language arts. No Child Left Behind requires that parents be notified of their child's academic progress in these subjects in a language or manner that they understand.

9. To have your child taught with programs that are scientifically proven to work.
English language learners can become fully proficient in English and master challenging content when enrolled in high-quality programs with a highly qualified teacher. No Child Left Behind requires that programs for English language learners funded under the act use curriculum and instructional methods that reflect scientifically based research.

10. To have the opportunity for your child to reach his or her greatest academic potential.
For the first time in the history of public education, there is a federal law that specifically addresses the educational achievement gap between minority children and their peers by implementing strong accountability measures. A quality K-12 education will assist every child who aspires to a college education so that he or she can be academically prepared to enter an institution of higher learning upon
graduation.

No Child Left Behind--a new era in public education.
www.ed.gov--1-800-USA-LEARN
Office of English Language Acquisition-January 2004
www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oela
(January 2004)

Legislation of the 108th Congress
Concerning Foreign Languages and International Education
Proposed 2003-2004
Retrieved from http://thomas.loc.gov/
H.Con.Res. 5 - English Plus Resolution
Introduced: January 1, 2003
Sponsor: Representative Jose E. Serrano (D-NY)
Co-Sponsors: None
Latest Action: February 21, 2003 Referred to the Subcommittee on Education Reform

Purpose: (CRS [Congressional Research Service] Summary)
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the U.S. Government should pursue policies that: (1) encourage all residents of this country to become fully proficient in English by expanding educational opportunities and access to information technologies; (2) conserve and develop the Nation's linguistic resources by encouraging all residents to learn or maintain skills in a language other than English; (3) assist Native Americans, Native Alaskans, Native Hawaiians, and other peoples indigenous to the United States in their efforts to prevent the extinction of their languages and cultures; (4) continue to provide services in languages other than English as needed to facilitate access to essential functions of government, promote public health and safety, ensure due process, promote equal educational opportunity, and protect fundamental rights; and (5) recognize the importance of multilingualism to vital national interests and individual rights, and oppose "English-only" measures and similar language restrictionist measures.

H.R. 931 - National Language Act of 2003
Introduced: February 26, 2003
Sponsor: Representative Peter King (R-NY)
Co-Sponsors: 51
Latest Action: March 17, 2003 Referred to House Subcommittee on Educational Reform

Purpose: (CRS Summary)
Makes English the official language of the U.S. Government. Requires the Governments to: (1) conduct its official business in English, including publications, income tax forms, and informational materials; and (2) preserve and enhance the role of English as the official language of the United States of America. Provides that no person has a right, entitlement, or claim to have the Government act, communicate, perform, or provide services or materials in any other language, unless specifically stated in applicable law.

Provides that this Act shall not apply to the use of a language other than English for religious purposes, for training in foreign languages for international communication, in school programs designed to encourage students to learn foreign languages, or by persons over age 62.

Repeals the Bilingual Education Act. Terminates the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs in the Department of Education.

Repeals provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 regarding bilingual election requirements and regarding congressional findings of voting discrimination against language minorities, prohibition of English-only elections, and other remedial measures.

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require that all public ceremonies in which the oath of allegiance is administered pursuant to such Act be conducted solely in English.

Specifies that this Act shall no preempt the law of any State.

In his book, Language Policy in Schools: A Resource for Teachers and Administrators, Corson identifies six different approaches or orientations that are exhibit in national or school language policies and notes that in the United States typical policy focuses on levels 1 or 2.

1. New language group lacks English and needs to rapidly transition into English usage.

2. The minority groups' need for English is linked to family status, so aids, tutors, social workers, and other helps are provided.

3. The need for English is linked to disparities in esteem between group culture and majority culture: multicultural curricula, eliminating racial stereotypes, and sensitizing teachers are added to English instruction.

4. There is a belief that the premature loss of the first language inhibits develop of majority language, so the first language is at least occasionally or in early years a medium of instruction.

5. The minority language is seen as threatened with extinction so the policy is to provide the minority language exclusively as the language of instruction in early years.

6. Minority and majority languages are seen as having equal rights or status in society, so the minority language may be recognized as an official language; separate school systems may be provided; all children may be given the opportunity to learn both languages; and language support exists beyond the school system.

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Resource Guide for Working With ESL Students | College of Education at Penn State

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Some might question the need to create an entire handbook specifically to guide general elementary teachers through issues relevant to English language learners (ELLs), thinking that perhaps the school ESL specialist can take care of any special needs these students have.

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Listen to this post as a podcast:
A note on terminology: The acronym ESL is used less often now in schools than it used to be, because we recognize that many students who are learning English already speak several other languages, so English would not be a "second" language. I use it several times in the post because schools sometimes refer to the teachers as ESL teachers, and the term is still widely used as a search term for this topic. My intent in using the acronym is to make this post easier to find online.

You have a new student, and he speaks no English. His family has just moved to your town from Japan, and though he receives English as a Second Language (ESL) support, he will also be sitting in your room every day to give him more exposure to his new language. How can you be a good teacher to someone who barely understands you?

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, an average of 9 percent of students in U.S. public schools are English Language Learners (ELLs); that number is closer to 14 percent in cities. Although many of these students start off in high-intensity, whole-day English programs, most are integrated into mainstream classrooms within a year, well before their English language skills would be considered proficient.

How prepared are you to teach these students? If you're like most classroom teachers, you have little to no training in the most effective methods for working with English language learners (Walker, Shafer, & Iiams, 2004). So that means we have a problem here: Lots of ELL kids in regular classrooms, and no teacher training to ensure the success of that placement.

Below, three ESL teachers tell us what they know about the things regular classroom teachers can do to improve instruction for ELL students. These 12 strategies are simple, they are not very time consuming, and best of all, they will help everyone in your class learn better:

1. Make it Visual

"Avoid giving instructions in the air," says Melissa Eddington, an Ohio-based ESL teacher. "ELL kids have a harder time processing spoken language." So instructions - even basic directions for classroom procedures - should be written on the board whenever possible. Challenging concepts should be diagrammed or supported with pictures. And modeling the steps of a process or showing students what a finished product should look like can go a long way toward helping students understand. "Sometimes showing our students what to do is all they need in order to do it," Eddington says. Not only will this kind of nonlinguistic representation improve comprehension for ELL students, it will help all of your students grasp concepts better.

2. Build in more group work.

"Kids aren't just empty glasses that we pour stuff into and then at the end of the day they dump it back onto a test," says Kim, an ESL teacher who was the subject of my very first podcast interview. "If you really want the kids to learn, they've got to be engaged." That means less teacher-led, whole-class instruction, and more small groups, where students can practice language with their peers in a more personal, lower-risk setting. And if ELL students attend your class with a resource teacher, make use of that person: In most cases the resource teacher doesn't have to work exclusively with the ESL students; they can work with smaller groups that happen to contain these students, helping to improve the teacher-student ratio and give kids more time to practice.

3. Communicate with the ESL teacher.

Mary Yurkosky, a former ESL teacher in Massachusetts, credits much of her students' success to the strong relationship she had with the regular classroom teachers. "The classroom teachers were always talking to me about what they were doing in their classes," she says. "They made it so easy for me to support them: If a teacher was going to be doing a unit on plants, I could make sure we used some of that same vocabulary in the ESL class."

Ideally, this could be systematized, where ESL teachers could regularly get copies of lesson plans or collaborate with regular classroom teachers to build solid back-and-forth support, but "it doesn't have to be that much work," Yurkosky insists. "Just talk to each other. Talk about what's going on in your classrooms, invite each other to special presentations, share what your students are learning, and the words will naturally find their way into the ESL class."

4. Honor the "silent period."

Many new language learners go through a silent period, during which they will speak very little, if at all. "Don't force them to talk if they don't want to," says Eddington, "A lot of students who come from cultures outside of America want to be perfect when they speak, so they will not share until they feel they are at a point where they're perfect." Just knowing that this is a normal stage in second language acquisition should help relieve any pressure you feel to move them toward talking too quickly.

5. Allow some scaffolding with the native language.

Although it has been a hotly debated topic in the language-learning community, allowing students some use of their first language (L1) in second-language (L2) classrooms is gaining acceptance. When a student is still very new to a language, it's okay to pair him with other students who speak his native language. "Some students are afraid to open their mouths at all for fear of sounding stupid or just not knowing the words to use," Yurkosky says. "Letting them explain things or ask questions in their first language gets them to relax and feel like a part of the class."

And this doesn't only apply to spoken language. If you give students a written assignment, but the ELL student doesn't yet have the proficiency to handle writing his response in English, "Don't make them just sit there and do nothing," Eddington says. "Allow them to write in their first language if they're able. This allows them to still participate in journal writing or a math extended response, even if you can't read what they write." There has even been some evidence that allowing second-language learners to pre-write and brainstorm in L1 results in higher-quality writing in L2 in later stages of the writing process (Yigzaw, 2012).

6. Look out for culturally unique vocabulary.

"For most of these kids, their background knowledge is lacking, especially with things that are unique to American or westernized culture," says Eddington. It's important to directly teach certain vocabulary words: "Show them videos of what it looks like to toss pizza dough, show pictures of a juke box or a clothing rack - things that are not common in their own language."

One way to differentiate for ELL students is to consider the whole list of terms you're going to teach for a unit, and if you think an ELL student may be overwhelmed by such a long list, omit those that are not essential to understanding the larger topic at hand.

7. Use sentence frames to give students practice with academic language.

All students, not just English language learners, need practice with academic conversations. Sentence frames - partially completed sentences like "I disagree with what _________ said because..." - show students how to structure language in a formal way. Keep these posted in a highly visible spot in your classroom and require students to refer to them during discussions and while they write.

For this kind of language to really sink in, though, Kim says it has to become a regular part of class. "They won't do it if it's not the norm in the class, because they'll be embarrassed to use it among their peers," she says. "But if they can put it off on the teacher and say, Oh, well, you know, Miss Kim makes me talk like this, then they don't look as hoity-toity as they would otherwise."

8. Pre-teach whenever possible.

If you're going to be reading a certain article next week, give ESL students a copy of it now. If you plan to show a YouTube video tomorrow, send a link to your ESL students today. Any chance you can give these students to preview material will increase the odds that they'll understand it on the day you present it to everyone else. "That kind of thing is wonderful," Yurkosky says. "The kids feel so empowered if they've had a chance to look at the material ahead of time."

9. Learn about the cultural background of your students...

Our second-language populations grow more diverse every year. Taking the time to learn the basics of where a child comes from - exactly, not 'somewhere in the Middle East/South America/Asia/Africa' - tells the student that you respect her enough to bother. Kim remembers one time when she had to set the record straight about the diverse South American population at her school: "I was listening to the teachers talking about the 'Mexican' kids in our building," she says, "and I was like, 'We don't have any Mexicans.'" Not taking the time to at least correctly identify a child's country of origin, much like not bothering to pronounce their name correctly, is a kind of microaggression, a small, subtle insult that communicates hostility toward people of color. Make a commitment to be someone who bothers to get it right.

Once you have the country straight, take things up a notch by learning about students' religious and cultural practices. If he is a practicing Muslim, he should be told if one of the pizzas you ordered for the class party has sausage on it. If she comes from a culture where eye contact with adults is viewed as disrespectful, you'll know not to force her to look you in the eye when she's talking.

10. ...but don't make a child speak for his entire culture.

In her podcast interview, Kim shared a story about watching a teacher ask a new Iraqi student how he felt about the war in his country, right in the middle of class. "That's not cultural inclusiveness," she explains. "I've seen teachers do this and then pat themselves on the back. The students' English is limited so they can't express themselves very well, and they don't want to 'represent'; they just want to be there." If you anticipate a theme coming up in your class that's going to be relevant to one of your students, have a conversation with them in advance, or check with your ESL teacher to see if they think it's appropriate for in-class discussion.

11. Show them how to take themselves less seriously...

By modeling the risk-taking that's required to learn a new language, you help students develop the courage to take their own risks, and to have a sense of humor about it. "I tried to say the word 'paint' ( pinta) in Portuguese and instead I said the word for 'penis' ( pinto). They all roared with laughter while I stood there with a What?? look on my face," Yurkosky says. "When they explained what I'd said, I laughed so hard! I told them that laughing was fine because sometimes mistakes are really funny, but ridicule is never okay."

12. ...but always take them seriously.

One of Kim's pet peeves about how teachers interact with English language learners is the way they often see students' efforts as 'cute,' missing the whole point of what the student is trying to say. "A student will be desperate to communicate, and the teacher will get distracted by the delivery and miss the message," she says. "That's painful for me to watch." It bothers her when teachers mistake a lack of language for a lack of intelligence or maturity. When a child can't express themselves as well as they would in their native language, it's far too easy to assume the concepts just aren't in their heads.

"It breaks my heart when I hear teachers say (ELL kids) don't know anything," says Eddington. "These are brilliant kids and they know a lot. They just can't tell us in English yet." Make a conscious effort to see past the accent and the mispronunciations and treat every interaction - every student - with the respect they deserve.

"They're doing twice the job of everybody else in the class," Kim adds, "even though the result looks like half as much." ♦

Further Reading

The ESL/ELL Teacher's Survival Guide is one of the highest-rated books on teaching English-language learners available. In addition to offering an overview of the research on second-language learners and best practices in teaching ESL, it also includes a whole section on teaching ESL in the content areas and another specifically geared toward teaching ELL students in mainstream classrooms.
References:
Walker, A., Shafer, J., & Iiams, M. (2004). "Not in my classroom": Teacher attitudes towards English language learners in the mainstream classroom. NABE Journal of Research and Practice, 2(1), 130-160.

Yigzaw, A. (2012). Impact of L1 use in L2 English writing classes. Ethiopian Journal of Education and Sciences, 8(1), 11-27.

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12 Ways to Support English Learners in the Mainstream Classroom

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Advice from three ESL teachers on the things regular classroom teachers can do to help English language learners thrive in mainstream classrooms.

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Teachers carefully craft classroom walls to dazzle and sparkle as well as engage and inspire. Student work, alphabet charts, and number lines transform walls into learning-enhancing tools. One specific wall serves to build vocabulary and word knowledge: the word wall. Word walls create a print-rich environment by featuring words that students are currently learning. All students benefit from word walls, but they can be particularly helpful for English Language Learners (ELLs). Take a look at these tips and tricks for creating word walls that work for ELLs!

Keep it Current - Word walls should be updated on a regular basis. Unfamiliar words may come up during read alouds or conversation. Make those moments teachable by tacking up the new word on the wall. Also add words when you introduce new topics.

Post Pictures - Make sure to post pictures of words when possible. Visuals help ELLs make connections in their new language.

Interact with It - Rethink how to use the perfectly pinned words on your wall. Engage students in a learning game with words on display. Turn off the lights and shine over sight words with a flashlight. Students will have fun reading the lit up word. Words don't need to stay stapled on a wall. Make words detachable so students can easily access them during writing activities. Students can even sort word cards by categories, such as people, place, or things.

Include Cognates - Cognates are key for ELLs, as they are words in two languages that sound alike and share similar definitions. Set up a space in your class for a cognate word wall. Hang up the words in English as well as the students' home language, to provide a link between the two. Use differently colored sentence strips to signify the different languages. For example, write English cognates on green sentence strips, then jot down the Spanish, French, or other language equivalent on yellow sentence strips. Invite students to add cognates that they may find while reading.

Showcase Content-Specific Words - Create content-specific word walls for math, social studies, or science. Display photographs or illustrations of the vocabulary words to provide concrete examples of the terms. Ask students to contribute to words walls with their own illustrations of the words.

Share Synonyms and Antonyms - Comparing and contrasting words helps ELL students make connections, categorize concepts, and deepen word knowledge. Feature synonyms and antonyms around the room to help students identify similar words and opposites.

Use these tips to make the most out of your word wall for all your students! Remember, word walls are a resource, so use them as such!

For more ELL best practices and supplemental tools visit VocabularySpellingCity!

Create Word Walls that Work for ELLs

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Teachers carefully craft classroom walls to dazzle and sparkle as well as engage and inspire. Student work, alphabet charts, and number lines transform walls into learning-enhancing tools. One specific wall serves to build vocabulary and word knowledge: the word wall. Word walls create a print-rich environment by featuring words that students are currently learning.

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English Language Learners

Students learn better when they first access what they already know-and this plays a big role in improving English language learners' academic literacy.

Educators and researchers, along with the Common Core authors, recognize that activating prior knowledge is a necessary step in accessing complex texts, whether in the form of written words, images, charts, or other text types. However, you can have too much of a good thing. As the , "Student background knowledge and experiences can illuminate the reading but should not replace attention to the text itself."

of K-W-L extend the chart to include columns for how students can find answers to their questions (online searches, personal interviews), what actions they might take after learning this new information (apply it, teach someone else, create something new), and/or what new questions they have based on what they've learned.

Providing simpler, preparatory texts in anticipation of a more complex reading task can be very helpful in building background knowledge and reading confidence. We often use the same text written in different Lexile levels. There are that make it easy to find or create these types of accessible texts. We're not suggesting that teachers simplify the complex text they're planning to use for close reading. Instead, teachers can provide simplified texts addressing topics or themes similar to the ones in the complex text as a way to build background knowledge.

Providing ELLs in advance with texts or videos in their home language can be another way to promote background knowledge. There are also many that can help with this kind of support.

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Activating Prior Knowledge With English Language Learners

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Students learn better when they first access what they already know-and this plays a big role in improving English language learners' academic literacy.

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Visual aids are an item of illustration. Visual aids can be in the form of films, slides, modeling, poster, graphic organizers, etc. Visual aids are designed to supplement written or spoken information so it can be understood more easily.

"Using visual facilitation and pre-drawn flip charts not only helps draw in learners, but it makes it easier for students to remember the concepts they've just learned. The simple pictures and words about the topic offer an easy way for people to link the concept to the picture," (Stancampiano, 2013)
"Make lectures or presentations more compelling to the brain by using objects, photographs, slides, graphs, bulletin board displays, and color. Visuals are important for remembering information. Change things up: use vivid posters, drawings, videos, and other ways to grab attention," (Jensen, 2008, pg. 104).

Why visual aids are helpful to ELL students

Visual aids used in the classroom are essential for English language learners. Visual aids provide a different form of explanation, and provides the students with information that they may not have understood if it was presented to them in written or spoken form. If a student cannot read or understand spoken English, drawings, videos in their native language, graphs etc. help the students immensely in learning the content that is presented to them.

​"Providing a model as the students are taken through the task verbally eliminated ambiguity and gives the messaging in more than one way. Students are then able to complete the rest of the worksheet," (Eehevarria, Vogt, Short, 2010, pg. 102)
​
"ELL's often have difficulty processing auditory information and so instruction that is supported with visual clues is more beneficial to them. Web sites, magazines, commercial photos, and hand drawing can provide visual support for a wide variety of content. Many teachers also use whiteboards, PowerPoint slides, or smart boards to help provide additional visuals," (Nieto & Bode, 2008, pg. 42).

During your reading instruction visual aids can be a helpful tool to use for your ELLs. A visual aid such as an anchor chart can provide assistance to for ELLS if they are unsure of a specific word. Last year, I used an anchor chart during an interactive read aloud of the story "Mean Jean." The students each received a star and wrote one internal and one external personality trait of the character in the story. Using visual aids deepens the connection of learning.

Visual Aids In Mathamatics

The use of visual aids in a math classroom should capture the students attention, and get them interested in the concepts that will be taught. The best visual aid that could be used in math would be manipulatives. By using real objects the students can visually see, and be hands on with the concept that is being taught. The visual aids used in a math class should be appropriate for the lesson, and communicate the message that they teacher wants to convey.

"All students can benefit from using visual representations, although struggling students may require additional, focused support and practice. Visual representations are a powerful way for students to access abstract mathematical ideas," (Zorfass & Han, 2014)

References

Echevarria, J., Vogt, M., & Short, D. J. (2010). Making Content Comprehensible for Elementary English Learners The SIOP Model. Pearson.​

Stancampiano, J. (2013, March 1). Benefits of Visual Facilitation in the classroom. Retrieved from
https://www.trainingindustry.com/content-development/articles/
the-benefits-of-visual-facilitation-in-the-classroom.aspx

Zorfass, J., & Han, A. (2014). Using Visual Representation in Mathematics. Retrieved from
http://www.ldonline.org/article/61885/

Visual Aids In social Studies

While teaching social studies to English Language Learners could produce special challenges for them. ELL's sometimes need additional support/materials to understand content. Visuals make excellent learning tools for all students, especially ELL's. Some examples of visual aids you can use in social studies would be; photographs, graphs, maps, globes, charts, timelines, and venn diagrams.

Visual Aids in Science

The use of visual aids in a science classroom should engage the students and capture their attention. The best visual aid that could be used in science would be visuals of animals, the periodic table, and visuals that would be related to the content being taught. Another form of visual aids that could be used in a science classroom would be manipulative, or hands on materials. This way students can see how the content is being taught, and can communicate the message in a different way so that all students can learn the content in a way that makes sense to them.

Watch this quick video below to learn why the use of visual aids in your classroom is a proficient strategy to teaching your ELLS.

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Visual aids are an item of illustration. Visual aids can be in the form of films, slides, modeling, poster, graphic organizers, etc. Visual aids are designed to supplement written or spoken...

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Graphic organizers are a great tool to use when teaching English language learners (ELLs). Visual illustrations allow ELLs to better understand the material while learning important vocabulary.

Graphic organizers are most useful to ELLs when presented in small group activities. During the activities ELLs benefit from opportunities to work cooperatively - students are able to discuss and share their thoughts as they begin to contribute to the group effort. When ELLs use graphic organizers, they show achievement benefits across a variety of content areas, in all grade levels.

Ideas for Graphic Organizers

When teachers begin to use graphic organizers they need to follow some simple steps to make sure ELLs gain knowledge from such a simple yet reliable tool (Merkley & Jefferies, 2001). For example as a teacher begins to present a new topic, such as the solar system, an organizer can assist introducing the new idea (see graph 1).

Teachers should also begin to verbalize the relationship between the ideas, and the information that will be taught. Students or adults can write/draw the information provided by other students using a KWL Chart (click for a blank one). Graphic organizers should be tailored to reinforce the relationships between concepts, reminding students that this is just a quick preview of the material that will be taught next.

Secondly, teachers need to provide the opportunity for students to participate in discussions. ELLs need to have numerous pauses to process language in order to participate. For instance, classroom activities can be tailored to let students create graphs such as a concept definition map (see graph 2). Students can create a list of familiar terms to these maps.

Once students had the opportunity to share their thoughts and understand the topic that it is to follow, teachers can start to connect new material to their prior knowledge. Lessons need to guide ELLs to activate prior knowledge as they recollect earlier taught content to be able to retain new material (Merkley & Jefferies, 2001). In other words, graphic organizers provide a visual summary as they describe information - introducing ELLs to new technical vocabulary as they reinforce decoding skills of key words for an upcoming lesson.

Graphic organizers facilitate ELLs' comprehension through visual illustrations of key terms, vocabulary, ideas, and the relationship among them. Improving student's reading comprehension can be challenging, but such progress is necessary when focusing on students who are learning English (Kim, Vaughn, Wanzek, & Wei, 2004).
Education Oasis: Graphic Organizers for Vocabulary Development
Links to vocabulary development graphic organizers.
TeacherVision: Language Arts Graphic Organizers
These graphic organizers can be used to prepare for a five-paragraph essay, organize sentences in a paragraph, map concepts and events, compare topics with a Venn Diagram, organize notes for a presentation, create a double-entry journal, and much more.
TeacherVision: Graphic Organizers
This page has over 50 different types of graphic organizers that will provide you with an ample amount of choices in several subject areas.
Education Place: Graphic Organizers
Education Place is Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's website for teachers. Resources offered include graphic organizers in English and Spanish, such as story maps, word webs, and KWL charts.

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Graphic organizers are a great tool to use when teaching English language learners (ELLs). Visual illustrations allow ELLs to better understand the material while learning important vocabulary. Graphic organizers are most useful to ELLs when presented in small group activities.

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Discover Spanish language and bilingual materials for ESL and dual language learning. Choose from a variety of writing activities, games and kits for varying proficiency levels. Really Good Stuff provides teachers with high-quality, affordable, and innovative tools.

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Special Education and ELLs: Recommended Resources | Colorín Colorado

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Colorín Colorado is a national multimedia project that offers a wealth of bilingual, research-based information, activities, and advice for educators and families of English language learners (ELLs). Colorín Colorado is an educational service of WETA, the flagship public broadcasting station in the nation's capital, and receives major funding from the American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association.

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English grammar guide | EF | Global Site

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Do you have a question about the correct usage of the semicolon or how to place adverbs in a sentence? If so, you’ve come to the right place. These pages are a complete English grammar guide filled with the rules of English usage. Each grammatical rule is explained in plain English with several exam…

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Listen to this post as a podcast:
A note on terminology: The acronym ESL is used less often now in schools than it used to be, because we recognize that many students who are learning English already speak several other languages, so English would not be a "second" language. I use it several times in the post because schools sometimes refer to the teachers as ESL teachers, and the term is still widely used as a search term for this topic. My intent in using the acronym is to make this post easier to find online.

You have a new student, and he speaks no English. His family has just moved to your town from Japan, and though he receives English as a Second Language (ESL) support, he will also be sitting in your room every day to give him more exposure to his new language. How can you be a good teacher to someone who barely understands you?

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, an average of 9 percent of students in U.S. public schools are English Language Learners (ELLs); that number is closer to 14 percent in cities. Although many of these students start off in high-intensity, whole-day English programs, most are integrated into mainstream classrooms within a year, well before their English language skills would be considered proficient.

How prepared are you to teach these students? If you're like most classroom teachers, you have little to no training in the most effective methods for working with English language learners (Walker, Shafer, & Iiams, 2004). So that means we have a problem here: Lots of ELL kids in regular classrooms, and no teacher training to ensure the success of that placement.

Below, three ESL teachers tell us what they know about the things regular classroom teachers can do to improve instruction for ELL students. These 12 strategies are simple, they are not very time consuming, and best of all, they will help everyone in your class learn better:

1. Make it Visual

"Avoid giving instructions in the air," says Melissa Eddington, an Ohio-based ESL teacher. "ELL kids have a harder time processing spoken language." So instructions - even basic directions for classroom procedures - should be written on the board whenever possible. Challenging concepts should be diagrammed or supported with pictures. And modeling the steps of a process or showing students what a finished product should look like can go a long way toward helping students understand. "Sometimes showing our students what to do is all they need in order to do it," Eddington says. Not only will this kind of nonlinguistic representation improve comprehension for ELL students, it will help all of your students grasp concepts better.

2. Build in more group work.

"Kids aren't just empty glasses that we pour stuff into and then at the end of the day they dump it back onto a test," says Kim, an ESL teacher who was the subject of my very first podcast interview. "If you really want the kids to learn, they've got to be engaged." That means less teacher-led, whole-class instruction, and more small groups, where students can practice language with their peers in a more personal, lower-risk setting. And if ELL students attend your class with a resource teacher, make use of that person: In most cases the resource teacher doesn't have to work exclusively with the ESL students; they can work with smaller groups that happen to contain these students, helping to improve the teacher-student ratio and give kids more time to practice.

3. Communicate with the ESL teacher.

Mary Yurkosky, a former ESL teacher in Massachusetts, credits much of her students' success to the strong relationship she had with the regular classroom teachers. "The classroom teachers were always talking to me about what they were doing in their classes," she says. "They made it so easy for me to support them: If a teacher was going to be doing a unit on plants, I could make sure we used some of that same vocabulary in the ESL class."

Ideally, this could be systematized, where ESL teachers could regularly get copies of lesson plans or collaborate with regular classroom teachers to build solid back-and-forth support, but "it doesn't have to be that much work," Yurkosky insists. "Just talk to each other. Talk about what's going on in your classrooms, invite each other to special presentations, share what your students are learning, and the words will naturally find their way into the ESL class."

4. Honor the "silent period."

Many new language learners go through a silent period, during which they will speak very little, if at all. "Don't force them to talk if they don't want to," says Eddington, "A lot of students who come from cultures outside of America want to be perfect when they speak, so they will not share until they feel they are at a point where they're perfect." Just knowing that this is a normal stage in second language acquisition should help relieve any pressure you feel to move them toward talking too quickly.

5. Allow some scaffolding with the native language.

Although it has been a hotly debated topic in the language-learning community, allowing students some use of their first language (L1) in second-language (L2) classrooms is gaining acceptance. When a student is still very new to a language, it's okay to pair him with other students who speak his native language. "Some students are afraid to open their mouths at all for fear of sounding stupid or just not knowing the words to use," Yurkosky says. "Letting them explain things or ask questions in their first language gets them to relax and feel like a part of the class."

And this doesn't only apply to spoken language. If you give students a written assignment, but the ELL student doesn't yet have the proficiency to handle writing his response in English, "Don't make them just sit there and do nothing," Eddington says. "Allow them to write in their first language if they're able. This allows them to still participate in journal writing or a math extended response, even if you can't read what they write." There has even been some evidence that allowing second-language learners to pre-write and brainstorm in L1 results in higher-quality writing in L2 in later stages of the writing process (Yigzaw, 2012).

6. Look out for culturally unique vocabulary.

"For most of these kids, their background knowledge is lacking, especially with things that are unique to American or westernized culture," says Eddington. It's important to directly teach certain vocabulary words: "Show them videos of what it looks like to toss pizza dough, show pictures of a juke box or a clothing rack - things that are not common in their own language."

One way to differentiate for ELL students is to consider the whole list of terms you're going to teach for a unit, and if you think an ELL student may be overwhelmed by such a long list, omit those that are not essential to understanding the larger topic at hand.

7. Use sentence frames to give students practice with academic language.

All students, not just English language learners, need practice with academic conversations. Sentence frames - partially completed sentences like "I disagree with what _________ said because..." - show students how to structure language in a formal way. Keep these posted in a highly visible spot in your classroom and require students to refer to them during discussions and while they write.

For this kind of language to really sink in, though, Kim says it has to become a regular part of class. "They won't do it if it's not the norm in the class, because they'll be embarrassed to use it among their peers," she says. "But if they can put it off on the teacher and say, Oh, well, you know, Miss Kim makes me talk like this, then they don't look as hoity-toity as they would otherwise."

8. Pre-teach whenever possible.

If you're going to be reading a certain article next week, give ESL students a copy of it now. If you plan to show a YouTube video tomorrow, send a link to your ESL students today. Any chance you can give these students to preview material will increase the odds that they'll understand it on the day you present it to everyone else. "That kind of thing is wonderful," Yurkosky says. "The kids feel so empowered if they've had a chance to look at the material ahead of time."

9. Learn about the cultural background of your students...

Our second-language populations grow more diverse every year. Taking the time to learn the basics of where a child comes from - exactly, not 'somewhere in the Middle East/South America/Asia/Africa' - tells the student that you respect her enough to bother. Kim remembers one time when she had to set the record straight about the diverse South American population at her school: "I was listening to the teachers talking about the 'Mexican' kids in our building," she says, "and I was like, 'We don't have any Mexicans.'" Not taking the time to at least correctly identify a child's country of origin, much like not bothering to pronounce their name correctly, is a kind of microaggression, a small, subtle insult that communicates hostility toward people of color. Make a commitment to be someone who bothers to get it right.

Once you have the country straight, take things up a notch by learning about students' religious and cultural practices. If he is a practicing Muslim, he should be told if one of the pizzas you ordered for the class party has sausage on it. If she comes from a culture where eye contact with adults is viewed as disrespectful, you'll know not to force her to look you in the eye when she's talking.

10. ...but don't make a child speak for his entire culture.

In her podcast interview, Kim shared a story about watching a teacher ask a new Iraqi student how he felt about the war in his country, right in the middle of class. "That's not cultural inclusiveness," she explains. "I've seen teachers do this and then pat themselves on the back. The students' English is limited so they can't express themselves very well, and they don't want to 'represent'; they just want to be there." If you anticipate a theme coming up in your class that's going to be relevant to one of your students, have a conversation with them in advance, or check with your ESL teacher to see if they think it's appropriate for in-class discussion.

11. Show them how to take themselves less seriously...

By modeling the risk-taking that's required to learn a new language, you help students develop the courage to take their own risks, and to have a sense of humor about it. "I tried to say the word 'paint' ( pinta) in Portuguese and instead I said the word for 'penis' ( pinto). They all roared with laughter while I stood there with a What?? look on my face," Yurkosky says. "When they explained what I'd said, I laughed so hard! I told them that laughing was fine because sometimes mistakes are really funny, but ridicule is never okay."

12. ...but always take them seriously.

One of Kim's pet peeves about how teachers interact with English language learners is the way they often see students' efforts as 'cute,' missing the whole point of what the student is trying to say. "A student will be desperate to communicate, and the teacher will get distracted by the delivery and miss the message," she says. "That's painful for me to watch." It bothers her when teachers mistake a lack of language for a lack of intelligence or maturity. When a child can't express themselves as well as they would in their native language, it's far too easy to assume the concepts just aren't in their heads.

"It breaks my heart when I hear teachers say (ELL kids) don't know anything," says Eddington. "These are brilliant kids and they know a lot. They just can't tell us in English yet." Make a conscious effort to see past the accent and the mispronunciations and treat every interaction - every student - with the respect they deserve.

"They're doing twice the job of everybody else in the class," Kim adds, "even though the result looks like half as much." ♦

Further Reading

The ESL/ELL Teacher's Survival Guide is one of the highest-rated books on teaching English-language learners available. In addition to offering an overview of the research on second-language learners and best practices in teaching ESL, it also includes a whole section on teaching ESL in the content areas and another specifically geared toward teaching ELL students in mainstream classrooms.
References:
Walker, A., Shafer, J., & Iiams, M. (2004). "Not in my classroom": Teacher attitudes towards English language learners in the mainstream classroom. NABE Journal of Research and Practice, 2(1), 130-160.

Yigzaw, A. (2012). Impact of L1 use in L2 English writing classes. Ethiopian Journal of Education and Sciences, 8(1), 11-27.

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12 Ways to Support English Learners in the Mainstream Classroom

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Advice from three ESL teachers on the things regular classroom teachers can do to help English language learners thrive in mainstream classrooms.

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Do you like learning English and having fun? In this section you can play games and practise your speaking with our fun tongue twisters. There are funny jokes in English to learn and tell your friends. You can also post comments!

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by Judie Haynes and Debbie Zacarian

Mrs. Sokolov, a 9th grade social studies teacher, began a unit of study that corresponded with her state's curriculum standards requiring students to understand the role of citizens in a participatory democracy. She introduced the unit by engaging her students in an exploration of the civil rights movement. In planning the first day of the unit, Mrs. Sokolov gathered several articles that she had collected about President Obama, most of which mentioned the fact that he was the first African American to become president. Mrs. Sokolov figured that the best way to begin the unit was to read one of the articles aloud and ask her students to share their opinions about it. She jotted this idea down in her planning notebook. She planned to finish the opening lesson by asking students to identify key words that they would use to describe the significance of President Obama's racial background. This would be followed with a homework assignment to read a chapter from the course text about civil rights and prepare a list of related vocabulary words.

Thinking that her first-day lesson plan was complete, Mrs. Sokolov went to the teacher's lounge for a cup of coffee. While there, she told one of the school's ESL teachers, Ms. Tedesco, how she planned to introduce the civil rights unit. In response, Ms. Tedesco said, "Have you thought about the students who have never experienced what it means to live in a democracy? Many of your ELLs come from countries that are not democracies."

* * *

When creating activities to help ELLs connect to content, teachers should be sensitive to U.S.-specific elements that may seem unfamiliar to students from different cultures. We often take for granted that our students have prior knowledge about various people, places, things, and events. If a teacher has not activated prior knowledge or built background information about content material, teaching the vocabulary that is associated with the new content will not solve the problem. Just because ELLs may be able to read words doesn't mean they will understand their meaning in the context of the content being taught. Indeed, many of the ELLs in Mrs. Sokolov's social studies class were not familiar with the democratic process, let alone the specific language and content associated with it. The essential question that the school faculty had chosen for the year was, "What does it mean to live in a democracy?"

At first, Mrs. Sokolov thought that teaching her students about the uniqueness of having the first African American president was a good plan. However, when she began thinking more deeply about the key purpose of her task, she realized that it involved much more than understanding and being able to use vocabulary associated with fighting for one's civil rights. She thought carefully about what it was that she wanted her students to learn. She developed a guiding question that she would post for her students: "How do civil rights affect your life?" By organizing her unit around this question, Mrs. Sokolov believed that she would be able to create and deliver lessons that would require her students to learn about the historical time period of the civil rights movement, and she felt that her guiding question related well to the school's essential question.

We believe that adequate lesson planning must include the following steps:

1. Thinking about what we want students to learn,

2. Identifying methods of assessing student learning,

3. Identifying and addressing ELL-specific challenges inherent to the lesson,

4. Deciding how to activate prior knowledge and build background knowledge, and

5. Designing ways to explicitly guide ELLs as they practice using new language and content.

Teachers also need to think about the visual aids that will best aid comprehension, how to simplify the language of instruction, and how to deliver instruction that is targeted to both the English proficiency levels of students and their grade-level content.

Thinking Backward

Researchers Wiggins and McTighe (2005) point to the importance of "thinking backward"-that is, considering what it is that we want students to learn and how to assess it when planning learning experiences. When Mrs. Sokolov began to plan her lessons, she decided to change her guiding question from "How do civil rights affect your life?" to "What is a civil right?" to ensure that her ELLs understood the concept. Each of the activities that she designed was for the purpose of helping students answer this core question. She also began to think more deeply about the term "civil rights" and the ways in which she might modify the language of her lesson for ELLs without diluting the material. The more she planned, the more she realized that her lesson would be stronger for all of her students.

Specific Content Area Challenges for ELLs

Here are some of the distinct challenges in different content areas that ELLs face and that teachers should consider when planning lessons.

Reading

Many ELLs lack content area vocabulary and have limited comprehension skills in English. Although they may be able to sound out words phonetically, they may not be able to ascertain meaning from the context. English contains many idioms and figurative expressions that may be overwhelming to ELLs. Furthermore, the cultural background depicted in the text may be unfamiliar to ELLs.

Writing

Because many ELLs write through the filter of their native language, word order, sentence structure, and paragraph organization in English may be problematic. There are a plethora of exceptions to the rules in English grammar. In addition, students often lack the vocabulary that they need to successfully write in English.

Mathematics

It is important to remember that mathematical concepts are not necessarily universal. Math teachers need to validate the foreign systems of mathematics and prior mathematical knowledge that ELLs bring to their classrooms. Students may not show work in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, or may show such work in a different way. Concepts such as the Fahrenheit temperature scale and U.S. currency units may be unfamiliar to many ELLs. Teachers should also keep in mind that many cultures use commas where we use periods and periods where we use commas; for example, "1,067.32" would be written "1.067,32" in many countries around the world.

Science

English language learners may lack familiarity with the "hands-on" approach to teaching science that is common in the United States. Making predictions and drawing conclusions independently may also be difficult for ELLs. In addition, the vocabulary of science presents a difficulty to students who speak languages where there are no cognates. Directions often involve multiple steps and can consequently be difficult to understand. Science textbooks, which feature complex sentence structures and passive voice, can also prove challenging for ELLs.

Social Studies and U.S. History

Social studies and U.S. history may be the most challenging content areas for ELLs, who may have very limited background knowledge to activate. As with science, textbooks will often contain an overabundance of complex sentences, passive voice, and pronouns. Students may also be unable to tell what is important in the text. Even maps have a nationalistic or cultural focus: In China, for example, the continent of Asia is in the center of the map and China appears larger than it does on U.S. maps.

Language and Content Objectives

Echevarria and colleagues (2008) point to the importance of coming up with both language and content objectives for lessons to let students know what they are expected to learn. Language objectives refer to the specific vocabulary or use of language that teachers want their students to learn and use during a lesson. An activity related to a language objective might be as simple as, "Write two key ideas that your partner shares with you." For ELLs, the act of writing ideas must be taught explicitly. Content objectives refer to the subect matter information that you want students to know by the end of the lesson.

Mrs. Solokov wrote objectives for the entire unit in her planning notebook and shared them with students on a handout. During the unit, she wrote each day's language and content objectives on the board. For example:

Content objective: Today we will understand what a civil right is by listening to Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech.

Language objective: Today we will write down three civil rights that are mentioned in Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech.

Connecting Content to Students' Prior Knowledge and Experience

To help students to meaningfully understand and express their understanding of the content, it is important to connect the lesson's core ideas to students' prior knowledge and experiences. Mrs. Sokolov's revised plan includes asking ELLs to discuss with their parents the kind of government and rights that people have in their home countries. Her plan also includes modeling the interview process. Modeling the tasks that we assign and engaging in think-alouds benefits ELLs greatly, as does guided practice. Many ELLs are not familiar with the step-by-step process of completing a task in a U.S. classroom. When Mrs. Sokolov jots down her think-aloud plan in her planning notebook, she notes the steps that she will model with her students as she prepares for the interview.

Supplementary Materials

Teachers should identify and compile any supplementary materials for their lessons in advance. Although Mrs. Sokolov had many newspaper articles about President Obama, she had not assembled materials about the various types of inequality that her students could discuss. She went to the guidance counselor to learn more about where her students had attended school and lived, then researched and found several Web sites about the types of political ideologies common to these areas. She also selected Web sites that contained news clips from various important events in the fight for civil rights.

It is important to visually display both the language and content goals of the lesson. Goals should be written on the board, on chart paper, or on handouts. If they are written simply, they can greatly assist students. It is also a good idea to include pictures that realistically depict what is to be learned.

Field Trips

Some teachers take their students on field trips to see and experience the content, often as a culminating activity at the end of a lesson. We suggest scheduling field trips for the very beginning of a unit instead, so that students can draw from the experience later. A good example is the teacher who takes students on a trip to a nearby garden, where she helps the students pick weeds. Upon returning to the classroom, the students staple their individual plants onto a piece of cardboard and begin labeling the parts.

Open-Ended Questions

We believe that turning the core ideas that we want students to learn into open-ended questions and posting them on the board is an important aid for learning. Such visual representations are critical, because spoken language is fleeting; once we speak, our words can no longer be retrieved. Posting the core ideas as questions allows students to refocus, revisit, and rethink what is occurring. Mrs. Sokolov posted the following question in her room: "Are civil rights important in a democracy?"

Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers offer students an important visual for examining the lesson's core ideas. We suggest that teachers use the same graphic organizer for similar tasks. A flowchart, for example, is used for describing a sequence of events. We also believe that all teachers in a particular grade level should use the same graphic organizers. Using similar graphic organizers throughout the school really helps ELLs comprehend the task at hand.

Planning Assessment

When planning lessons, teachers must think about the formative and summative assessments that they will use to determine that students are learning key ideas. In Mrs. Sokolov's case, she also needs to ensure that the language that she uses in her assessments matches the English proficiency levels of her ELLs. (See Chapter 7 for helpful information on creating effective assessments.) It is essential to know the level of English proficiency of each ELL in the class and create learning activities and assessments to match it. As noted in the previous chapter, these levels range from beginners with little to no proficiency to students who are nearly proficient.

Providing Multiple Practice Opportunities

Margarita Calderon (2007) suggests that students need multiple practice opportunities to truly "own" new vocabulary. It is our experience that students need at least 20 repetitions, if not more. To this end, Mrs. Solokov included paired and group work in her lesson plan, which she believed would help her students to practice the interview skills that they were to use at home. She wrote the group activities that she had come up with for the entire unit in her notebook and provided her students with a handout of the activities. Here is an example of a group activity that Mrs. Solokov designed:

Each group will

Create a short skit about one important event that occurred during the civil rights movement.

Find or draw illustrations depicting this event.

Create a list of the key terms, words, idioms, and phrases (TWIPs) that will be used during the skit.

Prepare to teach the vocabulary before presenting the skit.

Present the skit to the class.

Listen to other groups' skits and provide them with feedback based on whether the event was clearly described and key TWIPs were identified and displayed.

After completing her lesson plan, Mrs. Solokov reviewed it one more time to ensure that it was suitable for the various proficiency levels of her ELLs, ensured that the material would be explicitly taught, and provided a range of direct examples of how she wanted her students to use language to express understanding.

* * *

We suggest that classroom and subject area teachers complete the checklist in Figure 2.1 and the worksheet in Appendix 2 to help them modify lessons for ELLs. These modifications will benefit all of the students in the class.

Figure 2.1. Checklist for Modifying Lesson Plans for ELLs

□ Use graphic organizers.

In this chapter, we reviewed various planning strategies that are essential to teaching ELLs in the content area classroom. We discussed identifying core ideas and posting them in the classroom, tapping background knowledge, preparing visuals to use during the lesson, using think-alouds, and creating small-group configurations. We also discussed the importance of providing students with multiple practice opportunities to think and learn. In the next chapter, we will further discuss how teachers can use small-group configurations to help ELLs learn academic content.

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Lesson Planning to Ensure Optimal Engagement of ELLs

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by Judie Haynes and Debbie Zacarian Mrs. Sokolov, a 9th grade social studies teacher, began a unit of study that corresponded with her state's curriculum standards requiring students to understand the role of citizens in a participatory democracy. She introduced the unit by engaging her students in an exploration of the civil rights movement.

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Online listening and speaking practice for English language learners

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SIOP Lesson Plans and Activities

Our collection of SIOP lesson plans and activities includes exemplary SIOP lesson plans developed by teachers who were involved in the foundational SIOP research study, as well as new updates from our current research and professional development projects. We invite you to read these lesson plans and activities individually or with your colleagues in order to learn more about the SIOP Model. You may want to discuss why these lessons are effective for English learners or how to incorporate the SIOP strategies these teachers used in your own lessons.

All Grade Levels Early Childhood Elementary Middle High GED/Adult
Spotlight

CAL was a partner in the Center for Research on the Educational Achievement and Teaching of English Language Learners (CREATE). CREATE researchers developed curriculum to build the language and literacy skills of English learners in the middle grades. Lesson plans and materials were infused with instructional features of the SIOP Model including language objectives, explicit vocabulary instruction, student interaction, building background knowledge, and comprehensible input.
Learn more.

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Our collection of SIOP lesson plans and activities includes exemplary SIOP lesson plans developed by teachers who were involved in the foundational SIOP research study, as well as new updates from our current research and professional development projects. We invite you to read these lesson plans and activities individually or with your colleagues in order to learn more about the SIOP Model.

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2009-09-06 - ESL Games and Exercises Online - Vocabulary Games, Hangman, Snakes and Ladders, Wheel Game, Maze Games, Memory Games and more

2009-07-01 - Learn Chinese Online. Free Chinese Lessons for Beginners and elementary levels

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2007-6-10 Fun English exercises with interactive online Crosswords, Word Search & Cloze exercises.

2007-1-7- Building vocabulary through prefixes & suffixes. See our Intermediate, Advanced & Grammar areas for interactive affixes quizzes. For teachers see English word formation Worksheets on the ESL Galaxy. 2006-12-20- Advanced/Upper intermediate quizzes updates. Interactive vocabulary and grammar quizzes for Advanced students have been updated.

English Media Lab, Free English Video Lessons

Beginner video lessons: Learn & teach country names, animal vocabulary, colours, clothes, days more...

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Business and Survival English

Business English Quizzes: self-grading vocabulary tests on a number of topics, Banking, negotiations, money idioms, money talk, business across cultures and many more...

Survival English: This section deals with English for travelers going to foreign English speaking countries, You will learn words related to going through customs, checking into hotels, travel luggage, passport etc.

Pronunciation Exercises and Listening

Pronunciation and intonation: English pronunciation and intonation exercises, phonetics, diphthongs,word stress quizzes, and more...

Listening Exercises: Listening exercises, though not many, for listening practice. Done with a variety of standard English accents. Practice listening here..

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ESL Tower : There are grammar & vocabulary quizzes, crosswords, word search and several fun puzzles that make the learning and teaching of English easy and fun. Pronunciation is one area we have recently added more content. We have added phonetic vowel and consonant exercises in the form of videos, worksheets, self-tests and mp3 downloads.

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ESL, English Grammar Exercises, Video lessons,Quizzes, Vocabulary Exercises

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​On March 25, 2021, the State Board of Education approved the K-12 Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) for Health Education. Full implementation began in the 2022-2023 school year.

World Languages

On January 17, 2019, the State Board of Education approved 7 new Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) courses for world languages. These courses will be implemented during the 2019-2020 school year. The courses include 6 new Middle School Dual Language Immersion Courses and a Spanish for Native Speakers Level 3 course.

Fine Arts

The Georgia Standards of Excellence have been created for all courses in Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theatre, and Visual Art. Full adoption for Georgia Standards of Excellence in Theatre and Visual Art begin in the 2018-19 school year and Dance and Music were ​adopted in the 2019-20 school year. Extensive resources, lesson plans, curriculum maps, and teaching aids were created by the GaDOE Fine Arts Department to aid teachers and can be viewed at the link below.

Physical Education

On May 3, 2018, the State Board of Education approved the K-12 Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) for Physical Education. Full implementation began​ in the 2019-2020 school year.

Science

​On June 9, 2016, the State Board of Education approved the K-12 Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) for Science. The K-12 Science GSE were​ implemented during the 2017-2018 school year following a full year of teacher training.

On July 18, 2019, the State Board of Education approved the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) for the following high school science courses: Astronomy, Botany, Ecology, En​tomology, Epidemiology, Forensic Science, Geology, Human Anatomy & Physiology, Meteorology, Microbiology, Oceanography, and Zoology. These Science GSE courses were implemented during the 2020-2021 school year.

Social Studies

The Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) for Social Studies were approved on June 9, 2016 and were implemented beginning the 2017-18 school year.

English Language Arts

All coding for standards and related instructional resources will be updated with the new GSE for use beginning in the 2015-2016 school year. For example, ELACC3RF3 will be changed to ELAGSE3RF3. All GPS and related documents in other content areas will be renamed to reflect the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) as revisions occur.

See below for links to the ELA.

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​On March 25, 2021, the State Board of Education approved the K-12 Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) for Health Education. Full implementation began in the 2022-2023 school year. On January 17, 2019, the State Board of Education approved 7 new Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) courses for world languages.

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Collaborative Questioning

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Objectives & Outcomes

Students will be able to engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. Students will come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion. Students will follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles. Students will pose and respond to specific questions to clarify or follow up on information, and make comments that contribute to the discussion and link to the remarks of others. Students will review the key ideas expressed and explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.

Materials Needed

An article or text on a standards-based science or social studies topic

Questioning worksheet (attached)

Costa's level of questioning poster/overhead (attached)

Pencil

Procedure

Opening to Lesson

Teacher will ask the students what they have been discussing at recess together.
For example, baseball, a popular singer, a scandal at school, etc...

Ask students to briefly describe what it is like when they discuss something with their friends.

Post a copy of the "Critical Thinking: Levels of Questioning" worksheet for students to see.

Explain that in every day discussions, you ask questions based on a variety of levels of critical thinking.
For example: What is the name of the Giant's pitcher (Level 1)? Are the Giant's going to win the World Series again (Level 3)? What are some obstacles they may have (Level 2/3)? What is your opinion (Level 3)?

Explain that we are going to generate and answer questions to generate one-on-one discussions about a topic in class.

Body of Lesson

The teacher will select a text. The text should be standards based in Science or History. It could be from the text book.

Students can read the text in pairs or aloud as a class.

Have the "Critical Thinking: Levels of Questioning" worksheet posted for reference.

Explain to the students that when we discuss something, there are various levels of discussion, and that the discussion begins with questions.

Explain that In Level 1 questions, you simply need to identify an answer.
For example: How many hours does it take for the earth to make a full rotation?

Showing the chart, explain that in level 2 questions, you need to explain and analyze facts. For example: Why does Earth rotate at a different speed than Jupiter?

Explain that in Level 3 questions, you can evaluate facts or make opinions based on facts: Do you believe it would be better to live on a planet that spins at a different speed?

Give students about 10 minutes to re-read the text you independently. Instruct them to think of questions that they could ask a partner and write their questions on the worksheet according to Costa's levels, using the guide words to create the questions.

After 10-15 minutes, if students are struggling to come up with questions, let them work with partners to create more questions.

Now, use a pairing method to partner students.

Give each pair 5 minutes to answer 2 of each other's questions and discuss the answers.

After 5 minutes, have students partner with a new student and answer another 2 questions.

Repeat until all questions are answered.

Closing

When students have returned to their seats ask the class who they think had the most interesting question. Use equity cards to choose a student and have them explain their favorite question (for example, would you rather live on a planet that rotated at a different speed). Lead a class discussion based on this students question. Repeat as time allows.

Assessment & Evaluation

Students will complete the worksheet attached and teacher will monitor discussions as they are taking place around the classroom.

Modification & Differentiation

The teacher can work in with students in small groups for those who need extra assistance.

Related Lesson Plans

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Collaborative Questioning Lesson Plan | Teacher.org

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Students will be able to engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

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English/Language Arts Lesson Plans | Teacher.org

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This section is filled with Language Arts lessons from kindergarten through high school

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Keeping students engaged and excited about math class can be a tall order. However, with the many advances in technology, it is much easier to make math lessons fun. In addition, technology can also make the math teacher's job a lot easier by providing pre-made activities, options for differentiating and even helping with pre- and post- assessments (including grading!).

The following is a list of different resources to help both new and veteran teachers make math class a whole lot more fun for students. Best of all, most of these resources are free! You should find materials that can be printed, ideas for activities to use in your classroom and even blogs with tips from teachers around the country to help you build your perfect learning environment.

Materials

Here is a look at the many different items that you can use in your classroom to make math class more engaging for students and easier for you. These items range in cost, but there's something here for everyone (no matter your budget).

"Make personal student white boards just by laminating cardstock."

White Boards. For those of you on a budget, you can make personal student white boards just by laminating cardstock. A dry-erase marker and a piece of tissue is a great way to get students more involved in the classroom while also allowing teachers to assess student learning throughout the class period. There is no easier way of determining if your students are getting the main concepts from the lesson than being able to see their work on their own white boards. If you have a little more money in the budget, you can get a sturdier white board at your local home improvement store. Ask for "white panel board." Most home improvement centers will even cut larger sheets into smaller pieces for you. You will leave with a class set of white boards for less than $50.

Interactive White Boards. Some of you might know these interactive white boards as "promethean boards" or "smart boards." These are the next step up from the old-school overhead projectors. Best of all, you will no longer need transparencies! You can connect the white board to a computer and share documents, websites and even play games. With a large touch screen, students will be excited to come up to the white board to help complete notes, do examples or take part in one of the many interactive games and demonstrations that can be used.

Tablets. A tablet can act as a personalized interactive white board. Instead of one large white board on the wall for the whole class to use, each student can have a touch screen right in the palm of his or her hands. The best feature of tablets is that they allow for customized learning. Ever wondered how you could possibly differentiate your lessons for all the different types of learners in your class? Tablets are the way to go. Students can work at a pace that suits them, and still be learning.

Clickers. Clickers allow every student to feel like he or she is on a game show. Clickers, when used wisely, can keep students engaged during a lesson, help promote discussion and also give the teacher instant feedback on student comprehension.

Graphing Calculators. The graphing calculator has come a long way. Some calculators can now be connected to the teacher's calculator, the interactive white board, the computer or other technology. The graphing calculator can give students an amazing tool for seeing math come to life. Many models can also work as clickers.

Printable Stuff. A teacher's time is a precious commodity, and saving time on the little things is critical when teaching. The Cornerstone offers many free items that can be printed directly from the website, including customizable flash cards, awards and even specialized forms for just about any school occasion. You will not have to recreate the wheel; instead, just print what you need.

Practice Drills. Sometimes students need practice to become fluent in their math skills. Practice drills, or "mad minutes," can be a quick and easy way to provide students with the practice they need. You can design your own practice drills, or if you'd like to save time, simply print some of these pre-made items.

You can find tons of drills already made at Math-Drills.com.

Donna Young also has pre-made practice sheets on her website as well.

Manipulatives

Manipulatives make learning mathematical concepts fun and engaging for students. However, buying supplies for the classroom can get expensive, and you can't always expect to be reimbursed. Therefore, you may want to create some of the manipulatives yourself. Instead of spending time trying to get everything formatted correctly, you can visit one of the many free websites offering pre-made math goodies and have them ready to print for your use!

Black Line Masters offers a wide-range of printable tools and resources geared towards students in pre-K through ninth grade. Check it out, and see what you can use in your classroom. Bookmark it for later so you can go back and print more as your needs change.

SEN Teacher has a page of printable items mostly geared towards the elementary level, including clocks, polygons and even coins. These items look even better when printed in color. Be sure to print on card stock and laminate the items so that they last longer.

IAmHomeschooling.com also offers plenty of ready-made manipulatives and other tools. From pre-K to high school, there are items for students at every level. You can print algebra tiles, Cuisenaire style rods or fraction circles. These are also colorful and can be used over and over if printed on thick card stock and laminated

Craig Loewen of Lethbridge University has a small batch of excellent resources for students in higher level classes, including tangrams and geoboards. These tools have tons of possible uses to enhance your math lessons!

Lessons and Videos

Maybe you already have amazing technology in your classroom. All you need now is some great content to use with that technology to enhance classroom learning. There are many great resources to be found on the web, and many of them are free. Here is a breakdown of some of the sites offering the best lesson plans, videos or even entire courses.

Khan Academy is completely free and offers an excellent library of videos presenting complex math topics in a way that is easy to comprehend. There are also practice questions that can be used in conjunction with the videos.

Saylor University is branching out with brand new, fully-loaded courses for grades K-12. Many courses included assessments, lessons, videos and discussion questions. New courses aligned to the Common Core standards will also be added. For those students looking for a challenge, there is a whole line of open college courses, too.

Want to make your own online textbook for free? Need a lesson plan? Then CK-12 Foundation has what you need! From single lessons to entire courses, CK-12 has it all. Many of the lessons are connected to the Common Core standards as well.

Discovery Education offers a wide-range of new and interesting pre-made lesson plans for you to use. Be sure to check back as new materials are updated. To quick access to materials for the level you are teaching, simply click on K-5, 6-8, or 9-12.

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics believes math lessons should be more than just "drill and kill!" They've put together an excellent compilation of lesson plans and activities. These are free and geared towards many different levels. Be sure to click on your grade level to maximize your search results.

PBS Learning Media offers an eclectic library of activities and is a great place to find videos or ideas to spice up your lessons. There is a section specifically for K-8, and a section for each of the high school topics. This resource is free, but you may be asked to set up an account.

Cynthia Lanius from Rice University has created this site featuring a broad collection of math lessons that are sure to be "fun, fun, fun!" The lessons are scattered about the page, but you can click on any of the links to get to the actual details. Many involve real-life scenarios and ideas to really get students thinking. These lessons are suitable for upper elementary and middle school students.

K-5 Teaching Resources is an especially great website, and could really be placed under every category in this article. Not only are there lessons, practice tasks, math vocabulary practice ideas and math projects, but you'll also find games and printable items and just about anything else you could need for teaching grades K through 5. By clicking on the links to the different grade levels within the site, you will even be given lists of books that you can use to incorporate literature and language arts into your math lessons.

Learn Zillion is a great place to visit if you're looking to boost classroom discussions with videos and lessons that explain math topics in an easy-to-understand and engaging way. The site offers fun and educational content appropriate for all levels of students. You can use the videos to start a lesson and introduce new ideas, or you can use them to help students draw conclusions and bring it all together.

Who says math can't be fun? With Mathalicious, spicing up middle school and high school math lessons just got a whole lot easier. These amazing collections of lessons will not only get your students thinking and problem solving, but they will have fun while doing it! The lessons are typically geared towards using math in real-life applications, which really helps students see the importance of learning and understating math.

Have you ever heard of the Three Act Math Task? Dan Meyer's has put together some ingenious ideas for changing the way we teach middle and high school math. What's even better, these great ideas are available in a Google spreadsheet, which means anyone can apply them in the classroom. Some of the lessons include videos and data that can be a great starting point for enhancing your lesson, even if you don't follow the three acts.

Shodor is a great resource for students to see math in action. This interactive website has already designed a plethora of fantastic math activities to help students see math at work. The geometry and probability sections are especially helpful!

Online Games

Kids love games! Learning becomes easy with a game that is not only fun, but also meaningful. The next section outlines several resources for the best online math games available.

Mr. Nussbaum is geared towards students in grades pre-K-5. The games are free, entertaining and engaging. Many of the games can be played on iPads and iPhones as well.

Math is Fun is a free website offering mini explanations of math topics from all levels, including elementary to high school. It also features tons of games and puzzles to explore.

Sheppard Software is a great resource for teachers looking for new ways to differentiate. The games offered on this site have many levels, so no matter what stage your student is at, he or she can still practice and have fun! The games are geared towards elementary and middle school students.

Soft Schools has it all, from counting to AP statistics. There are tons of games, worksheets and even online quizzes to help students stay engaged in math.

Cool Math offers a broad collection of free games for a range of age levels. There's also a special section for 3- to 5-year-old students, and you will even find a special section for pre-calculus. Be sure to check out the lessons and activities, too.

Math Playground features games for students that are used to playing video games on consoles, such as Xbox, PlayStation or Nintendo DS. The graphics are great for math games, and most are made for elementary and early middle school students. You will also find a link to great iPad apps that give your brain a workout, and many math manipulatives that would be great for use with an interactive white board.

Math Blaster contains a selection of free games with an option to purchase a membership for access to lessons, additional games and other features. There is also a special section for teachers. Games specifically focus on skills for grades pre-K-6.

Math Activities

Some students just need to be able to learn while doing. Gone are the days of the math "drill and kill" lessons, where students silently solved hundreds of problems. Many students benefit from moving around and discussing with other students. The following list includes interesting activities already made or created to help get teachers thinking beyond the worksheet or textbook.

"Gone are the days of the math "drill and kill" lessons..."

Hands on Math Activities was put together by Wendy Sawatzky. Activities are divided up into categories, and each category includes a basic summary of the activities included and an explanation of any extra materials you might need to carry them out.

Education.com has an interesting selection of activities that will keep students motivated about learning. There's a ton of fun and educational activities that will help keep students engaged in the learning process, including projects like using math skills to make toothpaste or making collages of cityscapes using geometric shapes.

Activity Village has an assortment of games using dice! Students will enjoy this site because they will feel like they are playing a game, but they're also learning math, too! Dice are usually available at dollar or discount stores and can be an inexpensive way to spice up the classroom.

Crewton Ramone's House of Math shares some interesting ways of changing up card games in order to help promote math skills. There are so many ways to change up the games so that differentiation becomes a little easier while still allowing everyone a chance to play.

Teach Mama has three absolutely wonderful ideas for games that are easy to make, easy to play and a fun way to learn or practice math skills. These activities are most appropriate for elementary level students.

Homeschooling Hearts and Minds shares a simple way to help students practice place value and other math concepts through the use of an abacus. When students ask why they can't use a calculator in your class, you can tell them to use their abacus!

Education.com has yet another gem. They have put together a nice group of activities specifically for middle school students. The activities are fun and are a perfect way to spice up lessons.

Hands on Math is a blog with a lot of great ideas to make math more engaging and fun. You may have to sift through some of the other posts, but in between are excellent ideas for teaching math and getting students thinking. There is even talk of using playdough to help students learn. Who doesn't love playdough?

Cut the Knot features almost 1500 different activities to make learning math more exciting. Activities are organized into categories to help you quickly find what you are looking to teach. Many of the activities would be suitable to the high school crowd.

Science Buddies has a list of projects suitable for science fairs, but they also include ideas for math. The projects are organized into three difficulty levels. You can use these ideas to create class projects.

Many games can be switched around to fit the topic you are teaching. The difficult part is coming up with enough inventive ways to keep children excited to play. Multiplication.com has a comprehensive list of math games that are easy to play. There's also a guide for each game that explains how to use the games and how easy or difficult they may be for students.

David Gardner has put together 17 pages worth of games designed for primary school students. Again, some of these games can be adapted for use in lessons other than the ones mentioned on the site. In addition, many of the games require little-to-no cost or preparation.

Common Core

Making sense of the rigorous Common Core standards can be tough. However, there are tons of resources out there to help you create the best lessons in accordance with the new standards. The following compilation of resources includes activities, lessons, unit plans and even practice assessment questions to help you best prepare your students for success.

Learning Math at Home

Getting support from families really helps build a relationship between home and school; it also helps students learn and retain information. It is important to keep families informed about the happenings in your classroom. Moreover, parents are often interested in knowing what their children are learning in school. The followings websites include tips and tools that you can share with parents to help them get involved in their child's math education.

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has a special section geared towards families. They offer tips for helping with math homework and problems for families to solve together.

The US Department of Education has put together many activities to help build mathematics into everyday life. Helping students and families see the importance of math and how it can be used everywhere is an important step in getting everyone on board for learning! These activities also make math seem fun and interesting when done together as a family.

Here are some ideas on how families can help with math homework from Great Schools. This is another link that you might want to post to your teacher website or email to parents at the beginning of the year. There are also tips to help parents know where to start when trying to work through a difficult homework assignment.

For the elementary levels, Everyday Mathematics has some helpful guidance for parents to help their child(ren) build number sense and become better prepared for higher level math.

EngageNY has put together resources to help families as the Common Core standards are implemented. This is an excellent resource to share with parents of the school where you teach is using the modules created for Common Core.

Ideas for Over the Summer

Creating something meaningful for students to do to keep their math skills in tip-top shape can be time consuming. Instead, here are some premade activities that you can share with your students so that they return in the fall ready to learn.

For grades 1 through 5, there are summer themed math worksheets at Kid Zone . You can share the links with families or print them out and make a packet for students to work on over the summer break.

Family Education has some excellent ideas for activities that students can do over the summer that involve math.

Here are a few others:

Math Contests and Competitions

Sometimes students need an extra challenge. A math contest or competition could be a perfect push to get students motivated. In addition, you could help your students win money towards college, or you could win money for supplies and other classroom necessities.

Moody's Mega Math Challenge offers $20,000 to the winning team each year. Three to five students in 11th or 12th grade work with one teacher to solve a "mega problem." The problems may not seem like math problems at first, but the math is an important part of the solution.

Mathcounts has a Math Video Challenge. Students make a video showing a math problem and its real life applications. Students get a chance to mix their math skills with the technology. In the end, teachers have an archive of videos that answer the age old question, "When are we going to use this?"

The Mathematical Association of America offers the AMC 10/12 test for high school students. It is a multiple choice test with questions ranging from really easy to truly challenging! There is also an AMC 8 for students at the middle school level. If a student happens to do well on the AMC 10/12 he or she could be invited to take part in the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad. Yes, it is basically the Olympics for Mathematics!

If organizing a group of students to travel for a competition seems impractical or too difficult, you can also take part in the National Internet Math Olympiad. The contests are monthly and seasonal, so be sure to check the website often. There is also a Junior Online Math Olympiad) for lower level students to check out.

The Mathematical Association holds the Primary Math Challenge, a competition specifically designed for elementary students. The competition takes place in November, and students that do really well will be asked to take part in a bonus round in February.

The University of Alabama offers a Math by Mail contest. There is no traveling required, and there are cash prizes to be won! The entire contest is done through the mail.

Here is yet another contest for elementary students. Over at Noetic Learning, students can take part in a contest where they will have 45 minutes to answer 20 questions. The top students will earn a medal, and the top 50% will have their names placed on the Noetic Learning website.

The Art of Problem Solving has a great list of competitions categorized by state so that you can find even more way to challenge your students. There are other national competitions listed above as well.

Blogs

Teachers need a place to discuss and grow. Some of the greatest minds out there are blogging away while thinking about teaching and trying to find ways of reaching students and building math understanding. The following list includes some great blogs that you may want check out to gain perspective and build an online support system when you need help.

For the Love of Teaching Math is not only cute, but it's also home to some really great ideas. Sometimes you just need to see how other teachers are doing it, and this blog provides a chance to see a bit of what goes on in another math teacher's brain.

Reflections of a High School Math Teacher offers a great discussion of mathematics in real-world application. Each post is a true mathematical look at real life, and the applications tend to differ from what you find elsewhere.

Dividing by Zero is great for middle school math teachers looking for a blog that is focused on math and the classroom. This savvy blogger shares the triumphs and struggles of teaching middle school math and describes the different activities she has tried while teaching.

Mr. Andrew Stadel writes at Divisible by 3. This blog features a mix of all different types of posts. Many teachers, old and new, will find the discussions worth reading. Mr. Stadel offers a look at different activities he is working on for the 3 Act lessons, and he even discusses assessments. professional development and trainings.

I Speak Math has put together a master list of the many great middle school math blogs currently out there.

Walking in Mathland is a great place to go to find out what other teachers think about an activity they have tried before you try it yourself.

Over at dy/dan, Dan Meyer writes about math education, what is wrong with it and how it can be made better. He writes about the three act lessons that he has put together, professional development opportunities he has taken part in and even other proposed learning models. He thinks deeply about each topic and has a fun way with words that make his articles enjoyable to read.

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Useful Classroom Resources for Math Teachers

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Keeping students engaged and excited about math class can be a tall order. However, with the many advances in technology, it is much easier to make math lessons fun. In addition, technology can also make the math teacher's job a lot easier by providing pre-made activities, options for differentiating and even helping with pre- and [...]

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Using Manipulatives

What Is It?

Manipulatives are physical objects that are used as teaching tools to engage students in the hands-on learning of mathematics. They can be used to introduce, practice, or remediate a concept. A manipulative may be as simple as grains of rice or as sophisticated as a model of our solar system. They may be store-bought, brought from home, or teacher- or student-made. They can be used in all areas of math instruction-teaching number and operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, and so on-and across all grade levels.

The following are a few manipulatives that might be used at the elementary level.

Number and Operations

Two-sided counters can be used to model one-to-one correspondence, addition and subtraction, or skip-count.

Base-10 blocks can be used to model the variety of ways a number can be represented, and to model regrouping when adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing.

Money, in coins or bills, can be used to count, skip-count, or model regrouping when adding or subtracting.

Algebra

Geometry

Measurement

Data Analysis and Probability

Why Is It Important?

According to learning theory based on psychologist Jean Piaget's research, children are active learners who master concepts by progressing through three levels of knowledge--concrete, pictorial, and abstract. The use of manipulatives enables students to explore concepts at the first, or concrete, level of understanding. When students manipulate objects, they are taking the necessary first steps toward building understanding and internalizing math processes and procedures. For example, when learning to add fractions, students can use fraction strips to represent each addend. They then add the fractional parts to find the sum. After practicing with these, they can progress to finding sums for problems on paper, represented by pictures with corresponding fraction numerals (pictorial level). Over time, they will devise strategies and apply algorithms so they can find sums when given only the addition expression (abstract level).

For a learner to understand and handle a concept a the abstract or symbolic level successfully, he or she must first understand the concept at the other two levels, in the order given-concrete then pictorial. Using concrete manipulatives is the first step to using mental images and models. When students demonstrate understanding with the concept at this physical, or concrete, level then they are ready to move to the next level, where they can apply their knowledge using representations of the objects in place of the objects themselves.

Young children often solve addition and subtraction problems by counting concrete objects, beginning with their fingers. They go on to use concrete objects such as base-ten blocks and counters to develop more sophisticated problem-solving strategies based on what they know about counting (Siegler 1996).

Concrete models can help students represent numbers and develop number sense; they can also help bring meaning to written symbols and can be useful in building place-value concepts. You should try to "get inside students' heads" as they work with concrete materials by asking questions that elicit their thinking and reasoning. In this way, you can get a better sense of what students know and don't know, along with identifying misconceptions, thereby developing a basis for intervention strategies. You should also choose interesting tasks using manipulatives (such as an abacus) that engage students in mathematical thinking and reasoning, which builds their understanding of numbers as well as relationships among numbers (NCTM 2000).

In fact, research shows that using manipulatives can contribute to the development of well-grounded, interconnected understandings of mathematical ideas. Students can more easily remember what they did and explain what they were thinking when they used manipulatives to solve a problem (Stein 2001).

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Manipulatives are physical objects that are used as teaching tools to engage students in the hands-on learning of mathematics. They can be used to introduce, practice, or remediate a concept. A manipulative may be as simple as grains of rice or as sophisticated as a model of our solar system.

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Welcome to the UDL Project!

By Jana Nicol
​
It started as an action research project on Universal Design for Learning by a team of teachers at Island View School in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada...

...and has since become a place to learn about UDL, find useful tools to facilitate its implementation, and share ideas

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This website is dedicated to Universal Design for Learning (UDL). It is made by teachers, for teachers. our aim is to provide teachers with inspiration, practical ideas, and materials to implement UDL in their classrooms.

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Graphic Organizers to Help Kids With Math

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Graphic Organizers to Help Kids With Math

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Differentiating Instruction: Finding the Main Idea and Supporting Details in Informational Texts

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Differentiating Instruction: Finding the Main Idea and Supporting Details in Informational Texts

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What's in a Name? A Back-to-School Literacy Unit | Scholastic

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Get students acquainted during the first few weeks of school with this unit that emphasizes uniqueness and individuality.

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Copy of Word Problems- What’s all the FUSS about

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Teaching Main Idea So Students Actually Understand 

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Teaching Main Idea So Students Actually Understand 

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Sometimes I recommend products using affiliate links. If you click through and buy, I may be compensated at no cost to you.

Teaching main idea to my 3rd graders was always a frustrating experience because it is such a confusing and difficult skill. Nothing I taught seemed to have an effect on my students - either they understood it without my help or they didn't understand no matter what I did or said.

The curriculum my district used was no help - it introduced main idea by having students read a fictional story from our textbook (about 15 pages long) and fill out the main idea and supporting details in a blank graphic organizer together while we were reading. The students were magically supposed to understand main idea after this one activity. Needless to say, the majority of my students needed a LOT more scaffolding in order to have a thorough understanding of main idea. The problem with most main idea resources is that they don't teach students HOW To find the main idea; instead, the resources simply provide students with practice of a skill that they don't really understand. And then students practice finding main idea in the wrong way and form misconceptions that can be very difficult to correct. Over the years, I experimented with a variety of different ways to teach main idea and supporting details to my students. Below are the different strategies that I found most successful and that helped develop a TRUE understanding of main idea in my students. (For more ideas on how to teach main idea and summarizing to your 3rd grade, 4th grade, or 5th grade students, click here.)

At the bottom of this page, you can download a free main idea resource that includes some of the ideas addressed in this blog post!

Teaching Main Idea: Start with the Title

Teaching students how to use a title to help them figure out the main idea of a reading passage is one of the easiest and most overlooked strategies. In nonfiction especially, the title will usually tell you exactly what the topic of the passage will be, which is the first step to figuring out the main idea.

Let's say your class is reading Sheila Keenan's Animals in the House: A History of Pets and People. Just based on this title, students should be able to make reasonable predictions as to the main idea and supporting details of the text. You could ask some different questions to help encourage that thinking:

What will this book be mostly about?

Do you think one of the supporting details in the book will be about elephants? Why or why not?

Do you think one of the supporting details in this book will be about dogs? Why or why not?

What other animals might the author include to support the main idea? How do you know?

Which of the following statements is more likely the main idea of the book: "Dogs make great pets because they are friendly, loving, and loyal" OR "Throughout history, people have depended on a variety of pets for help, companionship, and protection.

Just by thinking carefully about the title, students should be able to predict a reasonable main idea to the book, as well as possible supporting details. In nonfiction books or passages, students can also use headings to make similar predictions of the main idea and details of smaller sections.

You could also cover up the title of a book or passage, and have students make predictions about what the title is after reading. This will get students thinking about what was most important and what the text was mostly about.

Teaching Main Idea: Group Words

This is a simple yet powerful activity that can help students distinguish between the topic and supporting details. Simply provide students with a list of words from several categories, have students organize those words into groups, and then have them come up with an appropriate title for each group.

This activity helps address an important struggle students have when it comes to main idea. Students have a hard time understanding that the details that support a certain main idea should all relate to each other to support the main idea. Requiring students to sort words into groups is a great introduction into this concept.

Another important aspect of this activity is having students come up with an appropriate title for each group of words. This is a great way to introduce the concept of topic to your students - which later will help them better understand main idea.

You can download this activity (along with 2 other main idea activities) for free at the bottom of this blog post!

Younger learners, ESOL students, or struggling readers could do this same activity using pictures rather than words. They will still get valuable practice with the skill without the frustration of reading words without any context.

Teaching Main Idea: Cross Out Sentences that Don't Support the Main Idea

This activity takes a lot more prep but is a valuable way to assess students' understanding of main idea and supporting details while getting them to think more critically.

Before the lesson, write a paragraph that has a very clear main idea. Then, add a sentence to the paragraph that is somewhat on topic, but doesn't really support the main idea of the paragraph. Students must read the paragraph and determine which sentence doesn't belong.

In order for this activity to be effective, the paragraphs must be written thoughtfully. The sentence that does not belong should not be immediate obvious to students, but instead require students to think carefully about how the details relate to each other to support the main idea. This is a much better assessment of main idea understanding than the typical "Find the Topic Sentence" activity that many main idea resources have.
You can download this activity (along with 2 other main idea activities) for free at the bottom of this blog post!

Teaching Main Idea: Scaffolded Graphic Organizers

I've seen a huge variety of cute main idea graphic organizers in my search for main idea resources - umbrellas, flowers, hamburgers, hands, tables, ice cream cones, clouds, popcorn - you name it, it's been done. But no matter how cute or fun it is, the graphic organizer itself is probably not going to make confused students miraculously understand main idea better.

One of the most frustrating things about typical main idea resources and graphic organizers is that they go straight to having students come up with the main idea of a passage without any scaffolding. This is a HARD skill for students - many adults struggle with this as well!

Instead of expecting students to be able to come up with the main idea statement themselves on a blank graphic organizer, provide students with the main idea and details but DON'T tell them which statements are the details and which statement is the main idea. Then have students put the statements in the correct spots on the graphic organizer. This takes away the frustration students feel of trying to come up with the main idea from thin air, while at the same time giving students valuable practice in distinguishing between the main idea and supporting details.

The more students do this type of activity, the more capable they will be of coming up with the main idea and supporting details themselves.

According to the feedback I have gotten from my Scaffolded Main Idea Resource for sale in my TeachersPayTeachers store, these scaffolded graphic organizers are one of the most helpful resources for teaching main idea.

For the complete resource, check out my best-selling main idea resource. Many teachers have come back and said how helpful this resource was in helping their students develop a true understanding of main idea.

The resource includes activities related to everything mentioned in this blog post, as well as other no-prep main idea activities that are scaffolded to help your students truly understand main idea.

Main Idea

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Teaching Main Idea So Students Actually Understand

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Sometimes I recommend products using affiliate links. If you click through and buy, I may be compensated at no cost to you. Teaching main idea to my 3rd graders was always a frustrating experience because it is such a confusing and difficult skill.

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Teaching Theme So Students Actually Understand

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Teaching Theme So Students Actually Understand

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Teaching theme to 3rd grade, 4th grade, or 5th grade students is just plain HARD. Theme is an abstract idea, making it really difficult for teachers to put into words and really hard for students to grasp. If your students are struggling with understanding theme, rest assured that they are not alone! Teachers all over the world have this same struggle.

Teachers often teach theme by creating anchor charts that list common themes or that list questions students should ask themselves when trying to determine the theme of a passage or story. These are helpful and good strategies to use, but most students will still have no clue how to determine the theme independently just through the anchor charts. There are other strategies you can use to help scaffold student understanding.

Why Teaching Theme is Hard

Students struggle with theme because it is unlike anything else they have learned in their ELA classroom.

In order to identify the theme of a text, students must also have the ability to summarize important parts of a text so that they have a clear understanding of what an entire passage says. Students must be able to distinguish the theme from the main idea. They must understand what lesson the author is trying to teach and recognize that they can disagree with the author's point of view. They must have a solid grasp of story elements and how characters change. They must be able to make inferences.

On top of all of that, students must understand how to actually determine the theme - no wonder teaching theme is so hard!

A Different Way To Teach Theme

In order to teach theme so students actually understand, first make sure they have at least been introduced to all of the other skills necessary for understanding theme, especially main idea. Find resources for teaching some of these skills below:

Once students have a solid foundation, practice each confusing aspect of theme in isolation. Start with smaller chunks of text - even as small as one paragraph - and make sure students really understand before moving onto larger text. This will help you determine where students are really struggling. It also scaffolds your instruction so struggling students are not overwhelmed.

The aspects of theme that I have found confuse students the most - as well as ideas for teaching each aspect - are below.

Themes aren't usually stated in the passage. To help students better understand this, have students read a paragraph with a clear theme. Tell students the theme of this paragraph, using a thinkaloud to explain how you figured it out. Go back and reread the passage, showing students that the theme was not stated anywhere in the passage.

Completely different stories can have the same theme. Seeing the same theme played out with a variety of different characters and plots can really help students better understand how to determine the theme. Read several very different paragraphs, each with the same theme to students. Download a freebie to help you with this here.

Theme and main idea are different. This is essential for students to understand, but very hard to teach. To help students understand this, have them read a short passage with a clear theme. Then, write 5 statements - 3 details from the passage, the main idea of the passage, and the theme of the passage. Do not tell students what is what, but instead have them figure that out. Doing this activity repeatedly really helps solidify students' understanding of the difference between main idea and theme. If your students are still struggling with main idea, then this activity will also help them be better able to differentiate between main idea and details.

You don't have to agree with the theme. This is particularly important in a world where biased information is available everywhere. Students need to know that they do not have to agree with everything they read. A good way to do this is to show students two paragraphs with opposing themes and have students discuss which theme they agree with more. For example, you could have a paragraph with the theme of "You can always trust your friends" and another paragraph with the theme of "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."

A reading passage or text can have more than one theme. This can be confusing to students, as not all passages have more than one theme, while novels almost always do. Build up to determining the theme of novels by showing students shorter passages with at least two themes.

Themes are meant to apply to real life. This is an important aspect of theme - themes are not just a lesson for the characters in a story. The author intends for people to learn from the theme of a story. To practice this, read short passages with clear themes and, after identifying the theme, ask students how they could apply it to their own life. (Or have them explain why they wouldn't want to apply it to their own life.)

After practicing each of these aspects of theme in shorter passages, students will be much better equipped to understand and determine themes in longer literature and novels.

Never Stress Over Sub Plans Again!

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Teaching Theme So Students Actually Understand

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Teaching theme to 3rd grade, 4th grade, or 5th grade students is just plain HARD. Theme is an abstract idea, making it really difficult for teachers to put into words and really hard for students to grasp. If your students are struggling with understanding theme, rest assured that they are not alone!

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Instantly access 35,000 high-quality books for kids

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The leading digital library for kids offering unlimited access to 35,000 of the best children's books of all time. Sign up for a free 30 day trial to instantly access high-quality online books for kids, ebooks, audio books, quizzes, videos, and more.

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SIOP Lesson Planning: Ingredients of Sheltered Instruction - Sheltered instruction is the practice of simultaneously teaching content and cultiv… | ESL | Ell strategies, Ell students, Lesson plans

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SIOP Lesson Planning: Ingredients of Sheltered Instruction - Sheltered instruction is the practice of simultaneously teaching content and cultivating language development. One framework that teachers can use to design sheltered instruction lessons is the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol.

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Here's a set of 99 ideas and activities for use in the SIOP model. | ESL | Ell strategies, Ell students, Lesson plan templates

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Here's a set of 99 ideas and activities for use in the SIOP model.

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200+ Common English Idioms and Phrases with Their Meaning

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Learn commonly used idioms in daily English conversations

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English grammar - Learn how to use Either and Neither correctly in conversation! #Englishgrammar #English #ESL | ESL | Learn english grammar, English language learning, English vinglish

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English grammar - Learn how to use Either and Neither correctly in conversation! #Englishgrammar #English #ESL

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Beautiful Visual Featuring 7 Ways to Do Formative Assessments in Class

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Free resource of educational web tools, 21st century skills, tips and tutorials on how teachers and students integrate technology into education

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Feelings Emoji Flashcards for ESL / English teaching. Free and printable! | ESL | Learning english for kids, English lessons for kids, Teach english to kids

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Feelings Emoji Flashcards for ESL / English teaching. Free and printable!

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Teaching with taxonomies - differentiating, scaffolding, and assessing ELLs. | ESL | Ell strategies, Instructional strategies, Ell students

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Teaching with taxonomies - differentiating, scaffolding, and assessing ELLs.

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Teach English Learners grade 5-adult about Homophones.  Sizes: 8.5x11, 11x14, & 17x22. | ESL | English Language Learners, English language learning, Phonetics english

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Teach English Learners grade 5-adult about Homophones.  Sizes: 8.5x11, 11x14, & 17x22.

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Teach English Learners grade 5-adult with a limited vocabulary about Synonyms. Sizes: 8.5x11, 11x14, & 17x22. | ESL | English Language Learners, English language learning, Learn english

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Teach English Learners grade 5-adult with a limited vocabulary about Synonyms. Sizes: 8.5x11, 11x14, & 17x22.

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A20 Differentiating Learning | ESL | Visible learning, Ell, Learning

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Don’t Pre-Teach Vocabulary: Cluing ELs into Context Clues | ESL | Teaching vocabulary, Ell strategies, Literacy skills

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Don’t Pre-Teach Vocabulary: Cluing ELs into Context Clues

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Tied to common core standards. Even without a subscription,  students can answer a limited amount. When a wrong answer is given, an explanation for the correct answer is given.

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Get your toolkit with strategies and resources for a successful school year:

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IXL | Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, and Spanish

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IXL is the world's most popular subscription-based learning site for K-12. Used by over 14 million students, IXL provides personalized learning in more than 9,000 topics, covering math, language arts, science, social studies, and Spanish. Interactive questions, awards, and certificates keep kids motivated as they master skills.

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Can be used to find lessons and materials for all subjects in elementary school.

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Games for math particularly students who need additional help.

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You can create fun interactive assignments or homework

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Play games where you progress by solving problems.

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An online reading program. Also available as an app on Iphones, Android, and Kindles.

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Practices for Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Instruction (Theme: Assessment to Inform Instruction)

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Practices for Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Instruction (Theme: Assessment to Inform Instruction)

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A few years ago, as I looked around the fourth/fifth grade combination class I taught, I saw a student staring at her math notebook and slowly shaking her head. I wandered over to her and said, "You can always talk to me if something is puzzling you. I might be able to help."

"It's not the math," she said. "It's just ... I like fractions and all, but I don't know why I'm learning this. When will I ever use it?"

In that second, I realized that I had been so focused on getting the instruction across that I'd forgotten a crucial part of the lesson: the Why. I hadn't taken time to help students see that the learning I was asking them to do connected with their daily lives. Without that connection, learning lacks meaning. And without meaning, students often struggle to find the motivation and the energy needed for the hard work of learning.

I began thinking a lot about ways I could give students the Why for each of our lessons. Computation of decimals was coming up-usually a tough skill to master. I decided to try a new approach to make the learning meaningful. First, I'd help students draw on their own experiences and background knowledge about decimals. Then I'd use those connections to help them see the importance of the skill. Here's how I did it.

Introduce the skill and look for a connection to students' lives

I wrote 1.39 on the board, asked students what they recognized about this number, and recorded all their ideas on chart paper:
"That looks like a price." "I've seen that in the grocery store." "I saw that at the candy shop!"

A few students even related the number to previous learning in school:
"Part of that is a decimal." "It has a decimal point." "The decimal part means less than one whole."

This discussion gave me insight into students' knowledge about decimals and helped me find the association that would become their link to the new skill. Right away, I noticed that many ideas students shared related decimals to money-a lot of their connections had something to do with shopping or buying. Eureka! This common theme from their background knowledge became the anchor for instruction.

Create a lesson based on personal connections

Once I found that connection to buying, I was able to use it to foster students' curiosity and encourage them to take ownership of their learning by creating a class mall. Each small group of shoppers chose a "store" in the mall. Then group members drew a few products likely to be found in their store and labeled each product with its price. They made signs for their stores, and we put the class mall up on one of our bulletin boards. The mall became our touchpoint for any kind of computation with decimals.

Once I'd taught the basics of adding, subtracting, and multiplying decimals, I paired students up and sent them on a shopping trip-each pair with an imaginary $20 to spend. As they talked about which things they could afford to buy, they deepened their learning about decimals and further connected that learning to their interest in shopping. As I walked around the room, I heard bits of engaged and productive conversations:
"How will you know if you'll have enough money to buy those two shirts?" "One shirt costs $9.79. We really need to do the addition because those decimals could add up to more than a dollar." "If I have twenty dollars, can I buy twelve candy whistles? Can you help me figure it out?" "One candy whistle is $0.49. If we change it to $0.50, then we can multiply 12 times $0.50 to get $6.00." "But then, don't forget, we'll have to subtract $0.12 from that since we added a penny to each price ... I think we have enough!" "How much money will I get back if I give the cashier five dollars for one of the toy cars?" "One toy car is $3.79. That's less than four dollars, so I bet you'll get more than a dollar back. Let's subtract to find out."

While students grew more comfortable with their new computation skills, they also became more invested in the outcome because they were using the connections that mattered to them. The result: more engagement and more focused thinking.

Invite students to reflect

Afterward, I asked students to reflect on the lesson: "How does knowing how to add and subtract decimals help you when you're shopping?"

Students offered insightful comments like these:
"I can really tell how much more expensive one thing is than another. I don't have to guess." "We have to use decimals to know the whole price when we're buying things that cost parts of dollars, like $5.95."
Finally, I asked an open-ended question to help students build more connections between their learning and their lives: "What other ways do you think knowing how to work with decimals could help you in your life?"

Students answered:
"When my mom pumps gas, it tells how many gallons and how much she owes in decimals." "When I watch sports, I see decimals; so maybe I could use those to help me see how many more points one team has." "Now I can shop all on my own without having to ask someone for help."
After everyone made personal connections, I finished off by saying, "Now that you know to look for decimals, you'll notice them everywhere! When we see some, let's be sure to share them and discuss how they were being used."

More Sample Lessons

Here are two more examples showing how to connect learning to things that matter to students:

Subject

Question inviting personal connections

Student answers that show personal connection

Lesson created

Student reflection on learning

Writing
After the class read the book I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff, I asked, "Have you ever tried to convince someone to do something?"
"I tried to convince my mom to let me sell my little brother; it did not go so well."

"I tried to convince my friend to go to a movie I wanted to see."
My response: "We might get a class pet. It's a lot of work, though, so I will need some convincing. In small groups, brainstorm some ways to persuade me to get a class pet, including which kind of pet we should get, and why."
"When our ideas were clear and organized, it was hard for you to argue against us because we had more reasons to follow up."

"Being prepared for what you might say helped me to think about the important parts of my side."

History/Oral Speaking
During a unit on the American Revolution, I said, "We've been talking about how the colonists were unhappy with things in the New World. But England was also pretty frustrated. What are some ways that conflict can be handled?"
"When my friend and I argue, we sometimes shout."

"It's fair when both people in the conflict have a chance to talk."
My response: "We're going to have a debate. I'll divide the class into two groups-the Patriots and the Loyalists. Each side will have writers, speakers, and fact-checkers."
"Now that I understand both sides, it's easy to see why they were fighting."

"I can see why England was upset, but if we hadn't fought for ourselves, we wouldn't be a country today."

Teaching to the Why

Once I discovered the power of connecting learning to students' lives, I looked for every opportunity to have conversations about what mattered to them. I observed them more closely, listened to what they had to say about their interests, and made sure to note places in the curriculum where I could add more real-life connections.

And I've seen similar results with every class that's followed. Students really do learn more when my instruction is all about the Why.
By Caitie Meehan Learn more:
Teaching Self-Discipline

The Responsive Advisory Meeting Book

Tags: Engaging Academics, Language Arts, Social Studies

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Making Learning Meaningful: It's All About the Why | Responsive Classroom

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A few years ago, as I looked around the fourth/fifth grade combination class I taught, I saw a student staring at her math notebook and slowly shaking her head. I wandered over to her and said, "You can always talk to me if something is puzzling you. I might be able to help."

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Practices for Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Instruction (Theme: Assessment to Inform Instruction)

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Practices for Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Instruction (Theme: Assessment to Inform Instruction)

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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3 Ways to Make Meaningful Connections With Your Students

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Edutopia blogger Nick Provenzano believes there’s more to teaching than dispensing curriculum, and he shares three practices that lead students and their families to trust him on a personal level.

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August, D., Calderón M., & Carlo M. (2002) The Transfer of Skills from Spanish to English: A Study of Young Learners. Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington, D.C.

Biemiller, A. (2001). "Teaching Vocabulary: Early, direct, and sequential." American Educator. Spring 2001.(25)(1): 24-28, 47.

Calderón, M., August, D., R. Slavin, A. Cheung, D. Durán & N. Madden (2005). Bringing words to life in classrooms with English language learners. In Hiebert, A & M. Kamil (eds.) Research and development on vocabulary. Nahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Hiebert, A & M. Kamil (eds.) (2005) Research and development on vocabulary. Nahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

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Knowing vocabulary words is key to reading comprehension. The more words a child knows, the better he or she will understand the text. Using a variety of effective teaching methods will increase the student's ability to learn new words.

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Practices for Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Instruction (Theme: Relevance)

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Practices for Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Instruction (Theme: Relevance)

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Creating Questions to Engage Critically with Texts

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This strategy provides tools to create questions that help students engage critically with Perspectives central texts and examine them for issues of power and social inequity. The activities suggested here also encourage readers to bring their knowledge and experiences to the reading of a text.

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Visual illustrations

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Story Maps | Classroom Strategy | Reading Rockets

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Story maps use graphic organizers to help students learn the elements of a book or story. The most basic story maps focus on the beginning, middle, and end of the story. More advanced organizers focus more on plot or character traits.

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Sentence stems

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Practices for Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Instruction (Theme: Relevance)

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Practices for Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Instruction (Theme: Relevance)

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1. Brainstorm possible scenarios from the central text that relate to issues of fairness.

2. Group students strategically. Each student in the group should take on a role in writing and performing.

3. Gather new or recycled materials for costumes and props. If possible, coordinate with an art or drama teacher.

4. Adapt the sample rubric into a visual checklist. Refer to the rubric to define expectations and components of the Fairness Fair before students begin working. Define expectations for equitable collaboration.

Get Set

1. Verbally introduce students to the preparatory steps included in the Do Something Planning Guide. Instruct them in the process of mapping the steps necessary to prepare for the Fairness Fair.

2. Brainstorm possible topics and themes explored in the central text that relate to fairness.

3. Put students in groups and instruct them to plan and prepare short skits or stories about fairness. Scripts should reflect content related to the central text's themes and topics; however, students can be creative in how they convey their understandings. Consider providing graphic organizers with story boxes to aid in planning storylines.

4. Give students time to create costumes and props. Have groups decide which students will perform which parts.

5. Give students ample time to rehearse telling their story or performing their skit.

Go!

1. Think about creative ways to physically transform the classroom into a Fairness Fair. For example, students can decorate the room and create posters with positive social messages or quotes about fairness.

2. Plan how seating will be arranged for the Fairness Fair.

3. Determine whom to invite to the Fairness Fair. Consider including:

Other classes

Other grades

Families

Members of greater school community

4. Host the Fairness Fair. Have students perform their skits and stories. Encourage students to snap or clap to show support for each group. Ask audience members to share feedback orally.

Reflection

Ask students to reflect on how their skit or story reflects the theme of fairness and connects to the central text during a class discussion or private journal reflection. Possible questions include:

How did a topic or theme from the central text relate to your skit/story?

What important message about fairness did your skit/story express to your audience?

Has a situation like any of those in the skits/stories happened to you or someone you know before? What did/would you do in that situation? How did/would you feel?

English language learners

This task allows students to communicate ideas and feelings expressively, but the heavy language focus can be challenging. Graphic organizers can help scaffold and support the skit- or story-writing process. This project engages linguistic, spatial/artistic, kinesthetic, and interpersonal learning modalities.

Connection to anti-bias education

The Fairness Fair encourages students to share their work and experiences in a safe, supportive space. Role-playing and storytelling are creative forms of writing that convey thoughts, feelings and understandings related to fairness in the writer's voice. By sharing their work with others, students can learn from and be inspired by one another.

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Brainstorm possible scenarios from the central text that relate to issues of fairness. Group students strategically. Each student in the group should take on a role in writing and performing. Gather new or recycled materials for costumes and props. If possible, coordinate with an art or drama teacher.

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Word wall

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Star for a Day-Building Classroom Community

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Star for a Day-Building Classroom Community

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Thought starters

1. How does this activity help to promote an appreciation of differences?

2. What strategies does Ms. Laurance use to make the writing activity accessible to all students?

3. How does this activity help to build community?

School Details

Washington Elementary School
2300 Martin Luther King Junior Way
Berkeley CA 94704

Data Provided By:

Teachers

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Kindergarten teacher Kimberly Laurance explains how she begins building community in her classroom by having first graders share about themselves. Through a process called "Star Student of the Day", Kimberly leads students through an interview process that reinforces reading and writing skills while helping students learn about one another.

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CCSS Professional Learning Modules for Educators

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Information about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) professional learning modules.

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Content Home :: A Deeper Dive into the California English Language Development Standards :: Digital Chalkboard

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California Common Core State Standards: Professional Learning Modules

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Differentiating Second Language Acquisition From Specific Learning Disability: An Observational Tool Assessing Dual Language Learners’Pragmatic Competence

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Differentiating Second Language Acquisition From Specific Learning Disability: An Observational Tool Assessing Dual Language Learners’Pragmatic Competence

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Megan Farnsworth, PhD
Southern Oregon University

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This essential book offers clear guidelines for determining if the Culturally Linguistically Diverse (CLD) students / English Language Learners (ELL) in your general education classroom are experiencing typical language differences, learning disabilities, or both

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Determining Difference from Disability | What Culturally Responsive Teachers Should Know

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This essential book offers clear guidelines for determining if the Culturally Linguistically Diverse (CLD) students / English Language Learners (ELL) in your

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California Association of Bilingual Educators (CABE)

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California Association of Bilingual Educators (CABE)

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CABE 2018 Annual Conference - Welcome to CABE 2018

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This book, edited by Drs. Kozleski and Thorius, covers lessons learned  from work that helps schools and classrooms move from a deficit model to a culturally responsive model that works for all learners.

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and culture: sustaining inclusive urban education reform (disability

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education / educational policy & reform / general

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teaching of specific groups & persons with special educational needs

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teaching of students with special educational needs

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Ability, Equity, and Culture: Sustaining Inclusive Urban Education Reform (Disability, Culture, and Equity Series)

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This comprehensive book is grounded in the authentic experiences of educators who have done, and continue to do, the messy everyday work of transformative school reform. The work of these contributors, in conjunction with research done under the aegis of the National Institute of Urban School Imp...

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The following strategies offer tips for thinking creatively about how to engage families around topics or activities that are important to them and their children.

Supporting immigrant families

For related ideas, see the following:

10. Look for ways that ELL parents can help with children's schoolwork

A. What you need to know

ELL parents may feel intimidated by or unprepared to help with homework or other schoolwork, especially if they have limited educational or English skills (Zarate, 9). You can help them understand their important role in supporting their child's success, however, with a few simple suggestions. (Related video: Reaching out to families, Kevin Eberle)

B. Reflection

What kinds of support do you expect your parents to give their children in terms of schoolwork? What kinds of resources and educational background (and language skills) do parents need in order to give their children that help? What are other ways parents can help?

C. Strategies

Encourage parents to:

Provide a place where children can do their homework

Check that homework is completed each night

Ask their children to tell them about what they learned each day

Keep in regular contact with a teacher or staff member about their child's progress

Ask teachers about any questions that arise

Learn more about homework help programs through before-/after-school programs and the public library

Read and tell stories in their native language.

D. Example

Marty Izaguirre is an ELL teacher in Okatie, South Carolina. Her elementary school holds Family Literacy Nights, which take place after school every other month and provide working parents with an opportunity to read to their children in both English and Spanish. Once parents come in, they find read-aloud circles (where teachers read books aloud to a small group), as well as areas where they can go and read with their child separately. The variety of activities provided to the parents allows them to join in an activity in which they feel comfortable. Adults and children are allowed time and space to read together. The school also provides an opportunity for parents and children to create their own special bookmark as they enjoy some refreshments. The events offer parents an opportunity to meet other parents, show their children the importance of reading, and learn how to support literacy development at home (Izaguirre, 2006).

11. Look for ways that ELL parents can participate and volunteer

A. What you need to know

There are a number of ways to include parents in the school community and to bring them together with other families at the school. This might include school visits, volunteering, or activities that draw upon their skills and hobbies.

B. Reflection

How likely are ELL parents at your school to sign up for events or volunteer? Do they know about all of the opportunities at the school? Are there certain events or places in the school where your active parents tend to gather? Do you know what skills and talents they might have to offer?

C. Strategies

Invite parents to visit the school and their child's classroom regularly (Houk, 66).

Invite parents to speak with their child's class about their native country, a hobby, or their job.

Encourage teachers to have an inviting activity ready for visiting parents.

Encourage parents to volunteer in the classroom, main office, lunchroom, or library; during events or field trips; or in a student club or after-school program (Meyers, 45). (Keep in mind that volunteering may include simple things like preparing items for an activity - such as cutting out shapes and organizing supplies.)

Find out what your parents' skills and hobbies are, and look for ways to draw on their talents.

Find ways to bring ELL and non-ELL families together through student performances, a student cultures night, storytelling, workshops, and exhibits (Meyers, 46). Your families might just realize that they have more in common than you - and they - originally thought!

D. Examples

Indiana teacher Miriam Soto-Pressley invites the parents of her ELLs into her classroom during reading time. The parents follow along with their children and they learn about read-alouds and how to interact with text. This helps them work with their children at home to increase reading comprehension.

A group of Latino parents at a preschool center in Florida who frequently sat outside in the sun waiting for their children each afternoon built a parent gazebo for the center, as well as a butterfly garden (Alvarado, 2010).

Following the arrival of a new group of students from El Salvador and Puerto Rico to a school in Massachusetts, a group of teachers decided to organize a school play that would be performed in Spanish. They distributed bilingual flyers to tell parents about auditions and asked parents to help with costumes and refreshments (based on earlier conversations they had had with the parents). On opening night, the auditorium was filled, and the school held multiple performances to accommodate parents' different work schedules. Word soon spread around the community about the play, and the students were invited to perform at other schools. By the final performance, more parent volunteers were participating in the school community than at any other time in the school's history (Zacarian, 119).

12. Think outside the box about parent engagement

A. What you need to know

One of the most important steps in engaging ELL parents is to realize that they may be coming from a very different cultural perspective when it comes to the educational system and their role in their child's education (Houk, 60). This may be due, in part, to:

Deep respect for teachers: Many ELLs come from cultures which revere teaching and where the teachers are considered the experts, not the parents. As a result, parents may be reluctant to ask questions so as not to question the teacher's authority, or they may assume that the schools don't want them to "interfere" in their child's education. Upon arrival in the U.S., newcomer parents may wonder why they are suddenly a school partner, and why in fact the school is asking the parent to do the teacher's job. As Betty Alford and Mary Catherine Niño note in Leading Academic Achievement for English Language Learners: A Guide for Principals, you wouldn't expect a doctor to ask the parents which medical procedure they would recommend for their child (80), and ELL parents may feel the same way about what their school is asking them to do.

Education vs. educación: These parents are likely to see an entirely different role for themselves in their child's education (Hori, 40). For Latino families, the idea of educación focuses on a child's personal and moral development, which has an important impact on the child's academic development. The authors of Understanding Latino Parental Involvement in Education: Perceptions, Expectations, and Recommendations note that, when asked, "(Latino) parents believed that monitoring their children's lives and providing moral guidance resulted in good classroom behavior, which in turn allowed for greater academic learning opportunities (9)."

The group vs. the individual: It's also important to keep in mind that many cultures outside of the U.S. are oriented more towards the group (the family, the class, the society, etc.) than the individual. In their book Managing Diverse Classrooms: How to Build on Students' Cultural Strengths, Carrie Rothstein-Fisch and Elise Trumbull explore this concept as it relates to the Latino ideas of educación:
One's social behavior in a group (such as the family or the classroom) is of paramount concern; being a respectful contributor to group well-being rather than focusing on one's own achievement is highly valued. So when immigrant Latino parents come for a parent-teacher conference, their first question is likely to be "¿Cómo se porta mi hijo/hija?" ("How is my son/daughter behaving?"). A teacher may find it difficult to stifle her consternation after hearing the same question from 25 or 30 sets of parents, believing that all the parents care about is their child's behavior, when the teacher's goal is to discuss the child's academic progress (13-14).

Nevertheless, what looks like a lack of interest to the teacher actually reflects a deep interest on the part of the parent in the child's personal development and how this will affect the child's ability to be successful in the classroom.

B. Reflection

Make a list of five things you hope or expect that "involved" parents will do at your school. What do parents need to know in order to participate in these events? What challenges might ELL parents face in participating in these events?

C. Strategies

Form small focus groups with ELL parents and an interpreter. Ask the parents:

How they define their role in their child's education

What their concerns, priorities, and hopes are regarding their child

What kinds of events they would be interested in attending

The obstacles that discourage them from participating and changes that would help

Events where being part of a larger group might make them feel more comfortable.

D. Example

Carrie Rothstein-Fisch and Elise Trumbull share the example of a teacher who redesigned her parent-teacher conferences into group conferences for her Latino parents. She divided children by ability levels and met with the parents of children in similar levels at the same time. She also offered both English and Spanish groups. She explained report card formats, grading, her expectations for students, and what parents could do to help. Parents then had the opportunity for a personal consultation after the group discussion. One of the key benefits was that parents' questions helped each other as they felt confident to speak up in a less threatening environment. She saw all twenty-eight parents in three days (62).

13. Consider alternative schedules, locations, and kinds of events

A. What you need to know

Sometimes, when families can't come to the school, the school has to go to the families. Meeting families in other settings such as community centers or churches can provide an informal way to start building a relationship, especially if ELL parents feel shy or nervous about going to the school. In addition, going into the community indicates a strong level of commitment on the part of the school to the families (Alford & Niño, 86). You might also try planning parent or family events around the schedules of the families, especially if they are working a couple of jobs or shifts.

B. Reflection

Do you experience low attendance at family events held at school? Have you ever held any school events in the community? Were they successful? Why or why not?

C. Strategies

Visit your students' neighborhoods. Find out where families are congregating and who local community leaders are that can connect you with parents.

Collaborate with apartment complex managers to make a recreation room available for families.

Plan events in the community and put them on the school calendar before the school year starts, setting aside funds, such as Title I or Title III grants, to provide support for the events.

Consider giving parents a few different options for meeting times based on teacher availability.

Consider contacting parents' employers about parent schedules or holding conferences closer to parents' workplaces.

Don't limit yourself to meetings. Ask your families what kinds of events they would find enjoyable, beneficial, and convenient.

Consider group parent-teacher conferences. Families may feel more comfortable in a group, and it can be an efficient option -- you provide the key information once, and then can have brief conversations with individual parents.

D. Examples

In Philadelphia, a preschool held a parent meeting in the afternoon for parents who worked in the food service industry in the evening. More than twenty parents (mostly fathers) came to the meeting (Alvarado, 2010) to discuss their children's preschool program.

In Oregon, parent liaison Ma'Lena Wirth wrote a letter to her parents' employers, sharing her goals for building a stronger partnership with the families and explaining that most parents couldn't attend conferences due to their work schedule. As a result, the employer agreed to give parents time off for school events if the events started after the employer's busy season.

In New York, Susan Lafond held parent-teacher-translator conferences at the food court where her students' parents worked so that parents could take turns coming to meet with her.

In Colorado, Becky Corr made an appointment at the salon where her student's father worked with him specifically to talk about the student's college application.

In California, a group of teachers organized a meeting for the school's Hmong and Cambodian parents (whose people had been farmers for many generations), in which they would discuss the creation of a new school garden. The teachers were disappointed when just a few parents attended the meeting, and they took that as a sign that there was little interest in the garden. On garden day, however, eighty family members arrived with hoes and dug up the garden in a single day. As one of the parents said, "We don't do meetings. We do gardens" (Ferlazzo, 45).

14. Look for the successes

A. What you need to know

Encourage your staff to look for all of the different ways, big and small, that ELLs' families (including parents, siblings, grandparents, and other relatives) support their children's well-being and education. For example, different relatives may be involved in taking the children to school and picking them up, providing child care, or making sure that they are getting fed and getting a good night's sleep. While we expect all families to manage these responsibilities, ELL families may be going to extraordinary lengths to meet their children's basic needs. In addition, older ELLs have a lot of responsibilities in their family, including working, taking care of siblings, and translating for their parents. What looks like laziness, irresponsibility, or absenteeism may in fact be the result of a lot of responsibility at home.

Some of the successes and strengths of ELL students and families may include:

Commitment to the family's well-being

High expectations for children

Making education a priority

Respect for the teacher

Good attendance and behavior

Well-developed cooperation skills

A strong sense of responsibility one's self and others

Resourcefulness

Note: ELLs' parents might be largely absent from the picture, whether it's because of difficult work schedules or a family separation (or worse) that happened before moving to this country.

B. Reflection

What is a typical day like for your ELL students? Does that differ from the typical day of your other students? Where are they sleeping? Who is taking care of them? How do they get to school every day? What do they do after school? What challenges are they facing in their daily lives?

C. Strategies

Learn what you can about your ELLs' routines (which will vary tremendously), including the responsibilities they have in their families. Share what you learn with your staff (observing confidentiality rules) and encourage your staff to look for all of the ways, big and small, that ELLs' families and extended families are supporting their children's well-being and education.

Find out whether these responsibilities are taking a toll on students' school work or health, and if so, brainstorm some ideas with staff members about possible solutions.

D. Examples

Susan Lafond notes that her elementary ESL teachers had students whose families brought them to the restaurant or family store where they worked so the children wouldn't be home alone. The kids helped out on the phone or register and did homework until the parents closed for the evening, which was often 9:00 PM or later.

Kristina Robertson remembers a 3rd-grade student named Lisbeth. Lisbeth was very conscientious and came to school with neat clothing, clean and braided hair, and notebooks and pencils ready to go. When the staff did home visits, they were welcomed graciously by Lisbeth's parents to their home. In the apartment for a family with four children, the only furniture consisted of two chairs, a kitchen table, and a mattress. The parents spoke about the importance of their children's education and explained that every night they had their children do their homework at that kitchen table even though the parents didn't understand English. The teachers, who had been unaware of the family's limited circumstances, were incredibly moved by what they saw and developed a new appreciation for the parents' commitment to their children's education.

Kristina also shares the experience of a 2nd-grade student who was missing school frequently. Kristina soon discovered that she was helping her mom (a single mom) babysit her younger siblings since they didn't have regular childcare. The staff met with the mom and helped her find resources to provide affordable childcare support.

Finally, Kristina remembers her high school students who attended school from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.., and then worked from 4:00 p.m. until midnight. All of their money supported their relatives here and in their home country, so they never had extra money (or time) for special activities. Homework was a struggle, but in Kristina's eyes, her colleagues' attitudes were the most difficult challenges to overcome. Once teachers discovered why the students were coming to class so tired and how hard they were working, however, they worked to modify assignments and help the students.

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Encouraging and Sustaining ELL Parent Engagement

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The following strategies offer tips for thinking creatively about how to engage families around topics or activities that are important to them and their children. Supporting immigrant families For related ideas, see the following: A.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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There are a number of ways to support, or scaffold, instruction for English language learners, even if they are at beginning levels of English proficiency. These ideas from veteran educators can help make content more accessible and provide students with an opportunity to participate in all classroom activities.

For more great strategies, see our popular Bright Ideas section.

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There are a number of ways to support, or scaffold, instruction for English language learners, even if they are at beginning levels of English proficiency. These ideas from veteran educators can help make content more accessible and provide students with an opportunity to participate in all classroom activities.