Instructional Practices

The goal is to ensure that students with varying degrees of English proficiency are able to access and participate in academic learning, strengthen their literacy skills, and collaborate with their peers (August).

For instruction to be effective, begin with examining your own philosophy, practices, and possible biases. Evaluate if you are using a social justice lens that views English Language Learners positively. Evaluate both how you teach, and what you teach.

5 KEY PRINCIPLES FOR EFFECTIVE ELL INSTRUCTION: 

1. Provide Access to Grade-Level Course Content

The learning of content should be integrated with the learning of language. The exposure to grade-level content provides access to academic language that is required for learning and to become fully proficient in English

2. Provide Supports to Help ELLs Master Content and Skills

ELLs benefit from visual and verbal supports. Visual supports include pictures, short videos, and graphic organizers. Keep in mind that many effective practices for English-proficient students can also be effective for ELLs.

3. Encourage Peer Learning Opportunities

Make use of strategic pairings (pair ELL students with bilingual students so they can first share ideas in their home languages). In small group settings, ELLs are able to share their ideas and rehearse new skills in a lower-risk setting. This helps students develop their confidence.

4. Capitalize on Students’ Home Language, Knowledge, and Cultural Assets

Translanguaging honors students’ funds of knowledge and the language skills they come to school with, and allow students’ voices to be heard. Translanguaging practices may include multilingual and culturally-responsive texts, small group collaborations, and performance-based assessments. This creates opportunities for deeper understanding as students are actively engaging with the content. This then empowers students in a learning environment that is relevant and reflective of their life experiences. Educators also gain access to the full academic capabilities of students, developing a broader and deeper picture of students’ knowledge and skills. Translanguaging also provides opportunities for cross-linguistic transfer, where students use their language and literacy skills from their L1 and transfer them to learning English.

“By incorporating translanguaging spaces, teachers enable students to recognize their own innate abilities and build on the strong foundation that exists by allowing students to use their home language to communicate and facilitate their learning” (Cioe-Pena and Snell, 2015).

5. Screen for Language and Literacy Challenges

Continually monitor progress and support ELLs who are struggling. Use a system such as Multi-Tiered Support System (MTSS) to screen and collect progress monitoring data. By screening and monitoring progress, you are able to provide intensive and targeted (small group) interventions, and identify whether additional interventions or supports are needed. Disengagement from ELL students can resemble learning disabilities (e.g. attention issues, poor comprehension, and/or low academic achievement). Having a structured assessment method that is continually monitored for feedback, along with a UDL framework for lessons, can begin to create a more accurate picture of what the student is actually able to do.

Also consider social-emotional factors for ELLs. Students’ disposition towards learning and academics affect their motivation and engagement. Positive teacher attitudes, high expectations, and effective instruction can help foster ELLs’ motivation to learn. Translanguaging emphasizes students’ sense of belonging in the classroom and the greater community.

Key instructional practices include:

• Translanguaging

• Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

• Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS)

• Explicit Instruction

• Reading Instruction

• Writing Instruction

Click the above links to explore each practice in more depth.

INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY

Technology can enhance and transform learning when it is used to encourage higher-order thinking skills, and engages students in social learning, collaboration, and creativity. Digital resources should be selected based on their ability to enhance instruction, and provide ELLs with equitable access to learning. Technology should allow educators to differentiate instruction by creating learning experiences that will support content, language, literacy, and technology learning goals. Use the SAMR Model as one way to evaluate how you use technology in your teaching practice. 

DATELs Recommendations:

• Increase social interaction and engagement

• Provide authentic communication and contextually rich language practice

• Reduce the affective filter so more learning can occur

• Incorporate all six literacy skills (listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing, visually representing)

• Emphasize the 5 C’s for 21st century learning (communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, culture)