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Using esl task cards has been a game changer in in teaching language to my multilingual students. I've taught ESL students in first grade for eight years, and I am now teaching fifth grade ELLs. I've had so many rewarding experiences in both grade levels. Last year, one of my more apprehensive non-English speaking students left a picture on my desk. She hadn't spoken to me much as she was fairly new and skeptical of her surroundings in the classroom, and at home in a new country. The picture said three words. "My teacher good." I don't think I can explain how much those three words meant to me. I still get choked up thinking about it! Those moments are why the more challenging ones are a little easier to handle.

But we all know there are challenges.

Modifying content for ELLs, being sure we are providing them with enough academic vocabulary, supporting them both individually and with peers, are all examples of things that will rack my brain sometimes into the night. The big question is, what do we do when they first come to us and have little, if any, language? I don't have all of the answers that will work for you. But I have found my ESL task cards to be a huge support in helping students feel confident to read, speak and write English. This is how I use my cards and why I feel them to be beneficial.

There Are a Variety of Cards

My beginner task cards are broken into four different products: A basic vocabulary practice with a word bank, vocabulary using question words, vocabulary using verbs, and vocabulary using adjectives. Each set of cards uses real photos to help students make connections. Visuals are extremely important for ELL's because it helps their comprehension. Using picture cards for English Language Learners is always a great strategy to improve language.

The English Task Cards Are Not Intimidating for ELLs

The esl task cards break down grammar into non-intimidating, simple parts. They are reading small sentences which can help build confidence. Once they figure out the word to match the sentence or picture, they can repeat as many times as necessary with confidence. They are simple but certainly effective. Many of the pictures I have included with these cards are reflective of real-world situations that students of any language can connect with.

They Can Be Used With Flexibility

A different way you can use the cards is to simply print them and glue them into notebooks. Then students can have them to work on when they are finished with work, or during independent practice or intervention. You can even have a group of students sit together and work on them. This fosters peer relationships and gives ELLs the confidence to speak in a group setting. If you only have black and white available, you can still add a little color to them to make each word pop for students.

*If the task cards seem too easy for students, you can encourage them to add more detail to their sentences and paragraphs. There are many ways to modify so they work for you and your ELLs!*

Looking for other tips on how to welcome your esl newcomer into your classroom? Check out this blog post!

To purchase this product, click the cover below!

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Using ESL Task Cards With English Language Learners

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Using esl task cards has been a game changer in in teaching language to my multilingual students. I've taught ESL students in first grade for eight years, and I am now teaching fifth grade ELLs. I've had so many rewarding experiences in both grade levels.

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There's a growing population of English Language Learners (ELLs) in our classrooms now more than ever. These students already have one (or more) language down and are trying to learn another. WOW!! That is something big to be celebrated for sure! One misconception is that teachers of ELLs have to stop and completely change how they teach everything. Here's the good news - you don't! But, there are some strategies to include and practices you could tweak to make them more conducive to these students. Here are a few ways you can start supporting ELLs in the classroom.

1. Use sentence stems consistently.

Sentence stems are simply incomplete sentences that you begin for students to finish. They can range from simple to complex, verbal to written, and academic to social. By giving students a framework for sharing, you show them correct sentence structure and give them a chance to practice. Also, it allows them time to think about the content of their responses. Some simple examples during a read aloud could be...

"I liked/disliked the ending because..."

"My favorite character was...because..."

"I would like to know more about..."

"Another way to solve the character's problem would be..."

You can read more about sentence stems and partner talk HERE.

2. Provide visual support.

Offer some sort of visual aide anytime you can during lessons, for directions, and to teach expectations. In kindergarten, you might even have visuals for color, cut, glue, and write types of directions. For science experiments, have pictures for each step of the experiment along with written directions. If you're teaching a poem, maybe use a puppet or different pictures to help support various new words. When teaching classroom expectations, try to have a photograph of students demonstrating what the expectation was next to the written one. I did this often with writer's workshop expectations! Another great way to provide visual support is through thematic word walls with photos or pictures for math, science, or social studies. Finally, visual support also means modeling. Showing students what to do can have a strong impact on understanding what to do. I like to do a lot of, "Watch as I...."

3. Provide a language-rich environment.

Most primary grade classrooms already do this, but be intentional to include a variety of opportunities for students to listen, speak, read, and write. This can include anchor charts, music, read alouds, and writing in math and science notebooks. These things, plus all of the literacy stations you might already do, will give your ELLs practice with authentic language and keep them engaged while doing it.

4. Allow time for group work.

Group work provides ELLs opportunities to use academic language with their peers. Speaking in small groups can feel less intimidating, so you might be surprised to see an ELL talk more than in a formal whole-group setting. Group work also naturally has social conversation opportunities build in. This could be the setting when your ELLs will talk the most in the classroom.

5. Respect "the silent period".

The silent period is a period of time when a student is unable or unwilling to speak in the language that is new to them. Personally, I saw this more at the beginning of the year or with students who joined our class after school started. It depends on personality, but it can range from a few days to a few months. Respect this time by letting them listen and observe. They will begin to talk more when they feel safe and confident to do so.

6. Use games, music, and hands-on experiences for authentic learning.

Playing games is a great way to get students to interact with each other and practice using new vocabulary. Hands-on experiences also give all students, but especially ELLs, the chance to make a physical connection with new words. For example, in science, you might teach a new concept, introduce a song that reinforces the new learning, have students complete an experiment, and then write about the experiment in interactive notebooks. This is giving your students several different ways to process, understand, and successfully learn new content.

7. Explicitly teach new vocabulary.

In each content area, take time to teach vocabulary and check for understanding. Introduce the word, define it, use it in sentences, and provide visuals. Then allow students to practice using it and illustrate it. Sentence stems come in handy for teaching vocabulary!

One method I used when I taught two-way dual language was the graphic below. We would write the word in the middle, then define the word, use it in a sentence, illustrate it, and then write words that were synonyms.

Don't forget to integrate the new words throughout the day when you can build in opportunities.

8. Regularly check for understanding.

We want to make sure our ELLs understand everything from seemingly simple directions to heavy lesson content throughout the day. Besides more formal testing, you can also use non-verbal cues like thumbs up, thumbs down, or thumbs sideways (for "not sure"). It's important to make sure ELLs know that it's completely okay to let you know they didn't understand something. As you consistently check for their understanding, they'll become more aware of monitoring their learning, too.

We want our ELLs to be learning, understanding and applying language skills at high levels so they will be as successful as possible. Most kindergarten and first-grade students are all learning academic vocabulary together, so most of these strategies for your ELLs will also benefit the rest of your students. If you have any English Language Learners in your classroom, take a few minutes to see if you can add a strategy or two to your classroom to help them become more comfortable and successful. Supporting ELLs in the classroom might be easier than you thought!

10% of what we read

20% of what we hear

30% of what we see

50% of what we see and hear

70% of what we discuss

80% of what we experience

95% of what we teach others.

(William Glasser b.1925)

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Supporting ELLs in the Classroom - Mrs. Richardson's Class

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There's a growing population of English Language Learners (ELLs) in our classrooms now more than ever. These students already have one (or more) language down and are trying to learn another. WOW!! That is something big to be celebrated for sure! One misconception is that teachers of ELLs have to stop and completely change how they teach everything.

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Learning about the celebrations and traditions of ELL students and incorporating those into my teaching program.

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Learning about the celebrations and traditions of ELL students and incorporating those into my teaching program.

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Creating an Inclusive learning environment for ELLs. 

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Creating an Inclusive learning environment for ELLs. 

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These assessments are designed for newly arrived English language learners (ELL) and are to be used at strategic points, during the instructional cycle of the classroom to guide programming decisions. This tool is not designed for whole class assessment.

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These assessments are designed for newly arrived English language learners (ELL) and are to be used at strategic points, during the instructional cycle of the classroom to guide programming decisions. This tool is not designed for whole class assessment.

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English Language Learner Resources | Reading A-Z

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English Language Learners Classroom teachers, ESL/ELL teachers working with push-in or pull-out groups, bilingual teachers, dual-language teachers, reading specialists, tutors-anyone who works with English language learners will find resources to help meet the language needs of ELLs at all levels of language proficiency, from beginners to more advanced students, with Learning A-Z resources.

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Guaranteed to enrich a toddler's vocabulary, this simple and fun series of bilingual board books is ideal for helping children discover a foreign language. Highlighting more complex concepts that go beyond colors and numbers, titles in the series feature animals, fruit, home, and vegetables. This collection combines photographs, bright illustrations, and dual-language words in clear, bold text. Suitable for both individuals and groups, these books are a child's perfect introduction to exploring other cultures.

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my first bilingual book-friends (english-urdu)

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My First Bilingual Book-friends (english-urdu)

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Guaranteed to enrich a toddler's vocabulary, this simple and fun series of bilingual board books is ideal for helping children discover a foreign language. Highlighting more complex concepts that go beyond colors and numbers, titles in the series feature animals, fruit, home, and vegetables.

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Guaranteed to enrich a toddler's vocabulary, this simple and fun series of bilingual board books is ideal for helping children discover a foreign language. Highlighting more complex concepts that go beyond colors and numbers, titles in the series feature animals, fruit, home, and vegetables. This collection combines photographs, bright illustrations, and dual-language words in clear, bold text. Suitable for both individuals and groups, these books are a child's perfect introduction to exploring other cultures.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Guaranteed to enrich a toddler's vocabulary, this simple and fun series of bilingual board books is ideal for helping children discover a foreign language. Highlighting more complex concepts that go beyond colors and numbers, titles in the series feature animals, fruit, home, and vegetables.

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Memrise (Free)

Busuu.

Cram (Free)

Babbel.

Duolingo (Free)

MosaLingua.

Talk English (Free)

Fun English

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Supporting English Language Learners