English Language Learner Toolbox

Hello teachers and parents!

I am Roxanne Heuschkel, the Elementary ELL Lead teacher for the American School of Kuwait. This is my 4th year at ASK, where I service ELL students from grades 1-5 in small groups instruction using a combination of the WIDA and SIOP methodologies. I have created this site so teachers and parents can have easy access to ELL resources and materials.

My role as an ELL educator is to prepare each student for our 21st century global community. My objectives are:

• To ensure that students gain a foundation in the four language domains (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) and become comfortable and confident in communicating with others in English.
• To address the spectrum of students’ learning styles by using a wide variety of language teaching methods and techniques.
• To provide students with constructive, specific, and detailed feedback on all areas of their language development in order for them to understand their strengths and weaknesses and how they can most effectively develop their skills.
• To make language learning FUN and EXCITING by creating a welcoming classroom community where students are comfortable taking risks.
• To encourage students to use their primary language for learning and to respect their culturally and linguistically diverse classmates.

Curriculum planning and assessment for ELL students at ASK is based on the WIDA language domains of Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing, the WIDA English Language proficiency levels from Entering (1) through Reaching (6), and the WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards in alignment with grade level Common Core standards. Please see the WIDA page for more details.