About the ELL program

Underwood's ELL program serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The program includes students who are just beginning to learn English all the way up to students whose English is approaching the level of their grade-level peers. ELL students are always learning academic language connected to their grade level curriculum.

As students learn and develop their English skills, the Newton ELL curriculum focuses on the functions of language use. Students are learning the English grammar and vocabulary necessary to describe, sequence, inquire, predict, and compare and contrast at their English levels and in connection to their grade level curriculum. As students’ skills in English reading, writing, speaking, and listening progress, the functions they learn become more complex, too.

Sometimes English language instruction takes place in the ELL room and other times the ELL teacher instructs and supports students in their grade level classroom. Classroom teachers have also been trained to provide language supports to ELLs in all areas of the curriculum.

It is a joy to support students as they develop their English in Underwood's ELL program!