English Language Learners

Review of Student Records

Begin by checking students' cumulative folders. Every EL will have a home language survey indicating native language and use of language in the home. Review initial assessment placement information, which indicate language proficiency at time of entry. Review WIDA ACCESS scores to review students' proficiency across the domains of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Identify areas of strength and need based on review of student records.

If an ELL or FLEP is moving forward to an Instructional Support Team, involve the students' ESL teacher and include a review of the following:

• Home Language Survey
• Initial Entry to Melrose assessment result.
• WIDA Access results for each year in ESL program. Consider requesting updated language proficiency testing if appropriate.
• Review educational history in native country and US including attendance.
• Interview of family to provide background on educational history of the student.

Lesson Design

Structure lesson to support the students' proficiency level.

• Provide for wait time.
• Provide opportunities for peers and collaboration in the classroom.
• Clarify directions frequently.
• Allow for native language use and connections.
• Accept varied levels of responses for students (e.g. approximations to correct responses, multiple attempts to be successful, etc).

Provide additional scaffolds to support lesson content.

• Provide visuals, realia, manipulatives
• Provide charts, tables, timelines, graphs
• Allow for physical representation of ideas including vocabulary.
• Post a variety of language supports (e.g., sentence stems, language frames, word walls, etc.) in the classroom to scaffold oral and writing participation.
• Provide for a learning buddy or peer mentor.
• Allow use of a grammar/spelling check.

Check for understanding frequently throughout the lesson.

Assessment

• Have students paraphrase directions and questions.
• Repeat and clarify directions or questions.
• Translate key words in student's L1.
• Provide visual and auditory directions.
• Model and incorporate self-assessment pieces.
• Provide alternative assessments as needed - Evaluate student understanding using multiple formats including performance based tasks, oral testing, etc.
• Teach and practice test-taking strategies and test-formats.
• Grant short breaks during testing and lessons (when the integrity of the lesson or test is not in jeopardy).
• Allow extended time.
• Allow use of word to word dictionary.
• Use timers/time reminders to help students pace themselves if timing is an issue.
• Consider alternative (modified) grading.

Reading

Provide opportunities to preview material.

• Pre-teach essential vocabulary.
• Preview the text before reading.

Provide connections for the student.

• Connect to students' cultural background and experiences.

Provide scaffolds for student to access the text.

• Explicitly teach and use graphic organizers (e.g. Top Down Web, Two-Column notes, Alphaboxes)
• Provide sentence frames and starters. For example, provide stems for comprehension strategies and reading responses (e.g. I predict..., I conclude..., the story was mostly about...).
• Provide multiple ways for students to participate in reading, i.e. choral reading, echo reading, and partner reading.
• Allow voice to text translation.

Model and provide practice of specific comprehension strategies.

• Use reciprocal teaching.

Oral Language

Provide technology (Vocaroo, etc) to practice Speaking

Examine similarities and differences between first language(s) and the language being acquired.

Support vocabulary development through learning of word meanings (e.g,, give an example of a synonym or antonym in native language to support understanding of concept, phonemic awareness, phonics, and math reasoning).

Supplement or modify the oral language used in your classroom to reduce the burden on ELs by minimizing idiomatic expressions, pausing more often, or giving students lesson outlines

Use a variety of interaction strategies to build oral language:

• Clock buddies
• Divide and slide
• Exit ticket
• Final word
• Gallery walk
• Numbered heads together
• Snowballs
• Different grouping structures such as Think-Pair-Share, Think-Pair-Square-Share, Turn and Talk, Jigsaw, Numbered Heads Together, and Expert groups.

Writing

Set objectives for students' writing using WIDA Can - Do Indicators for the students' proficiency level.

Provide scaffolds to support writing.

• Provide portable word walls available to move with students through the day.
• Provide sentence frames and starters for writing.
• Provide content related word bank.
• Provide models of completed products.

Resources

• Can Do Descriptors from WIDA (9-12, 6-8) provide specific language goals for students at each proficiency level.
• See grade level can do descriptors.
• Word to word content dictionaries help your ELLs acquire the technical vocabulary required for your content.
• Use a table to help you keep track of your ELLs strengths and needs. (like this table)
• Edutopia has a collection of useful articles for supporting English-Language Learners.

Technology

• Slides Translator is a Google Slides Add-on that can translate from one language to another. It will automatically detect the language of the selected text and provide a translation in the selected language.