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Sharable 4: 9-9-25

TLDR:
If you’re working with ESOL students:

• Need help? Email jason.mccoy@slps.org or check resources: MLL Toolbox.

• Level texts (simplify reading): Use Diffit, CommonLit, Newsela, or AI (“Rewrite in simple English, define tier 2 words”). Sentence stems, word banks, and vocabulary instruction help too.

• Translate texts: Use Google Docs, Google Translate, Chrome tools, or AI rapid translation. Some stories are already translated. Spoken translation cheat sheet.

• Phonemic Awareness Test: Available free via Wayground here.

• ESOL Achievement: See reclassification & improvement results here.

• Get an expanded version and a calendar below:

Sharable 4: 9-9-25
Translation Methods:

• If you are struggling with ESOL students, please email jason.mccoy@slps.org

• If you need some resources right now, try this: https://sites.google.com/view/mlltoolbox/help 

• If you are not able to provide English instruction to an ESOL student, translation might be the best way to get the material to the student.  You should do this carefully.  You should also know that some of our learners don't read in their first language, so leveling texts might be better than translating them.

  • Leveling Texts

    • Diffit does this for you: https://web.diffit.me/ 

    • It is possible to level texts with AI, but your results will vary.  I suggest asking the bot to: "Rewrite this text in simple English.  Where tier 2 words are used, define them in parentheses".

    • Common Lit will give you leveled texts:https://www.commonlit.org/ 

    • Newsela will give you leveled texts: https://newsela.com/ 

    • Providing Sentence Stems is helpful: https://sites.google.com/view/mlltoolbox/sentence-stemsframes 

    • Providing wordbanks, terms, and definitions is helpful.

    • Explicitly covering vocabulary is helpful.

  • Translating Texts

    • Google Documents will translate the texts you have already created: https://support.google.com/docs/answer/187189?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop 

    • Google Translate will translate PDFs and whatever else you want to translate: https://translate.google.com/?sl=en&tl=ar&op=translate 

    • Chrome will translate webpages: https://go.screenpal.com/watch/cZQTlQVSzUH 

    • AI can do translation and translate for multiple languages: https://sites.google.com/view/mlltoolbox/reduce-the-linguistic-load/rapid-ai-translation-with-multiple-languages 

    • Many popular stories are already translated and sometimes, you can find them through a google search.

GSTEM Live Spoken Translation Cheat Sheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xYpFKV7fbZllwm5z0yIawcpJsRhK3KWM/view?usp=sharing 

Phonemic Awareness Test

I made a phonemic awareness test in Wayground.  You'll need an account, but they are free.  Let me know if you need help with the test.

• Copy Link: https://wayground.com/admin/interactive-video/682c78957ee40c8b6935288a

• Teacher Link: https://wayground.com/admin/interactive-video/682c78957ee40c8b6935288a?source=lesson_share   

ESOL Achievement

• Our ESOL students did really great this year!  See who reclassified and who improved! https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NGD43-hn3QJEaiOSJBsP7Hh8qz69Bmgc?usp=drive_link 

Calendar:

Ongoing / Multi-Day Events

• Sept 11–18 → WIDA Screener – New ELL Students (Days 25–32/32)
  
  

• Sept 11–12 → ELL Benchmark #1 (Days 10–11/11)
  
  

• Sept 11–12 → Practice EOC – Biology & Government (Days 4–5/5)
  
  

• Sept 15–Oct 15 → Hispanic Heritage Month (Days 1–31/31)
  
  

Daily Events

Sept 12 (Fri)

• A Day
  
  

• Complete LAPs & share with teachers
  
  

• Teacher Performance Improvement Plan Meetings
  
  

• Fire, Intruder, & Tornado Drills
  
  

• Interim Progress Reports (Gateway STEM)
  
  

• Lesson Plan 2 Due
  
  

Sept 15 (Mon)

• Guatemala Independence Day
  
  

Sept 16 (Tue)

• Mexican Independence Day
  
  

Sept 18 (Thu)

• Distribute ELL Parent Notification Letters & ACCESS Score Reports
  
  

• Chile Independence Day
  
  

Sept 19 (Fri)

• 6–7am Lowe’s Card Due
  
  

• Site-Based PD / District PD (Gateway STEM)

Sharable 3: 8-26-25

TL;DR

McCoy shares:

• 📑 Useful vocabulary spreadsheets (translation, multilingual, Gateway STEM combined)

• 🤖 AI-made vocabulary exercises (story with ESOL staff, prefix/root/suffix word creation)

• 🔤 Dyslexic-friendly font: OpenDyslexic

• 🧰 Toolbox for educators new to ESOL

Links included; reach out if you need help or want off the updates list.

Colleagues,

The first week was pretty busy for me, but I have a couple of things to share relating to vocabulary.

Useful Vocabulary Spreadsheets:

• Roo Languages Vocabulary Translation: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E2erNvtwD-vkfeXwIPThx3XxVEFXF_zKbuDLjwo1SJ4/edit?usp=sharing

• Multilingual Dictionary: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tYOo4dE7VDcppYfnBAWhhougmQ_9crQY5jp8CHvGuOU/edit?usp=sharing 

• Combined for 25-26 at Gateway STEM: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eYQydi5_8JTZXjjkZxP7iZW785rlwVuGCOXdBahVYpQ/edit?usp=sharing 

Vocabulary Exercises Made with AI

• I made this exercise by asking for a story to be made using three vocabulary words and characters from the ESOL staff. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bPtQvMPxDXcDoeiJRG9kE4bBX0IizS3t825YHgeK5qs/edit?usp=sharing 

• I made this exercise by asking for words to be made that don't exist from the prefixes, roots, and suffixes of our vocabulary words: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10RxgS8hz6YLoTrDRqLgQHz3Mporqo3hPhRT8DFT7beg/edit?usp=sharing 

Dyslexic Font

• Emily White wanted to share a dyslexic font with you.  It is pretty easy to switch the fonts that you print.  Email me if you need help with it.  Also, it helps a lot with reading the characters on passwords.  If you ever print passwords, do it with this font: https://opendyslexic.org/

HELP! I have not taught ESOL students before!

• If you are an educator that has little experience with ESOL students, or you know one, this is a place to start: https://sites.google.com/view/mlltoolbox/help
  
  

Anyway, that is all I have for now.  Feel free to share or ask me to stop sending you this.

Best,

McCoy

📅 August 26 – September 4 Events

Tue, Aug 26

📝 Assessment: WIDA Screener – New ELL Students (Day 9/32)

📊 Assessment: Star Fall Benchmark Window – Math & English 1–4 (Day 8/18)

⭐ Star Testing: Additional Make-up Sessions (Day 1/10)

Wed, Aug 27

📝 Assessment: WIDA Screener – New ELL Students (Day 10/32)

📊 Assessment: Star Fall Benchmark Window – Math & English 1–4 (Day 9/18)

⭐ Star Testing: Additional Make-up Sessions (Day 2/10)

Thu, Aug 28

📝 Assessment: WIDA Screener – New ELL Students (Day 11/32)

📊 Assessment: Star Fall Benchmark Window – Math & English 1–4 (Day 10/18)

⭐ Star Testing: Additional Make-up Sessions (Day 3/10)

Fri, Aug 29

📝 Assessment: WIDA Screener – New ELL Students (Day 12/32)

📊 Assessment: Star Fall Benchmark Window – Math & English 1–4 (Day 11/18)

⭐ Star Testing: Additional Make-up Sessions (Day 4/10)

🅰️ A Day

🚨 Fire Drill

⏰ Lesson Plan 1 Due (6:55am – 2:20pm)

Mon, Sep 1

🎉 Labor Day (District Closed) – Gateway STEM (6:55am – 2:20pm)

Tue, Sep 2

📝 Assessment: WIDA Screener – New ELL Students (Day 16/32)

📊 Assessment: Star Fall Benchmark Window – Math & English 1–4 (Day 15/18)

⭐ Star Testing: Additional Make-up Sessions (Day 8/10)

📝 ELL Benchmark #1: Administer & Score (incl. Alternate) (Day 1/11)

📝 Assessment: ELL Benchmark #1 – ELL Students (Day 1/11)

🇻🇳 Vietnam’s Independence Day

Wed, Sep 3

📝 Assessment: WIDA Screener – New ELL Students (Day 17/32)

📊 Assessment: Star Fall Benchmark Window – Math & English 1–4 (Day 16/18)

⭐ Star Testing: Additional Make-up Sessions (Day 9/10)

📝 ELL Benchmark #1: Administer & Score (incl. Alternate) (Day 2/11)

📝 Assessment: ELL Benchmark #1 – ELL Students (Day 2/11)

Thu, Sep 4

📝 Assessment: WIDA Screener – New ELL Students (Day 18/32)

📊 Assessment: Star Fall Benchmark Window – Math & English 1–4 (Day 17/18)

⭐ Star Testing: Additional Make-up Sessions (Day 10/10)

📝 ELL Benchmark #1: Administer & Score (incl. Alternate) (Day 3/11)

📝 Assessment: ELL Benchmark #1 – ELL Students (Day 3/11)

August Calendar

Tuesday, August 19

• Assessment: WIDA Screener – New ELL Students (Day 2/32)

• Assessment: Star Fall Benchmark Window – All Math and English 1-4 classes (Day 1/18)

• Holiday: Afghanistan's Independence Day

Wednesday, August 20

• Assessment: WIDA Screener – New ELL Students (Day 3/32)

• Assessment: Star Fall Benchmark Window – All Math and English 1-4 classes (Day 2/18)

• Testing: STAR Reading & Math testing (A-day ELA & Math classes)

Thursday, August 21

• Assessment: WIDA Screener – New ELL Students (Day 4/32)

• Assessment: Star Fall Benchmark Window – All Math and English 1-4 classes (Day 3/18)

• Testing: STAR Reading & Math testing (B-day ELA & Math classes)

Friday, August 22

• Assessment: WIDA Screener – New ELL Students (Day 5/32)

• Assessment: Star Fall Benchmark Window – All Math and English 1-4 classes (Day 4/18)

• School Day: B Day

• Meeting: Consult parents regarding reclassification

• Drill: Fire Drill

• Communication: Send Reclassification Letters Home

• Testing: STAR Fall Make-Up Testing session #1

• Submission: Submit ESOL Accountability Log

• Submission: Submit Materials Inventory (High Schools only)

Saturday, August 23

• Assessment: WIDA Screener – New ELL Students (Day 6/32)

• Assessment: Star Fall Benchmark Window – All Math and English 1-4 classes (Day 5/18)

Sunday, August 24

• Assessment: WIDA Screener – New ELL Students (Day 7/32)

• Assessment: Star Fall Benchmark Window – All Math and English 1-4 classes (Day 6/18)

Monday, August 25

• Assessment: WIDA Screener – New ELL Students (Day 8/32)

• Assessment: Star Fall Benchmark Window – All Math and English 1-4 classes (Day 7/18)

• Testing: STAR Fall Make-Up Testing session #2

Tuesday, August 26

• Assessment: WIDA Screener – New ELL Students (Day 9/32)

• Assessment: Star Fall Benchmark Window – All Math and English 1-4 classes (Day 8/18)

• Testing: STAR Testing Additional Make-up Sessions (Day 1/10)

Wednesday, August 27

• Assessment: WIDA Screener – New ELL Students (Day 10/32)

• Assessment: Star Fall Benchmark Window – All Math and English 1-4 classes (Day 9/18)

• Testing: STAR Testing Additional Make-up Sessions (Day 2/10)

Thursday, August 28

• Assessment: WIDA Screener – New ELL Students (Day 11/32)

• Assessment: Star Fall Benchmark Window – All Math and English 1-4 classes (Day 10/18)

• Testing: STAR Testing Additional Make-up Sessions (Day 3/10)

Friday, August 29

• Assessment: WIDA Screener – New ELL Students (Day 12/32)

• Assessment: Star Fall Benchmark Window – All Math and English 1-4 classes (Day 11/18)

• Testing: STAR Testing Additional Make-up Sessions (Day 4/10)

• School Day: A Day

• Drill: Fire Drill

• Lesson Plan: Lesson Plan 1 Due (6:55 am – 2:20 pm)