1. Making the Connections! Proven Strategies for ELLs
Cleveland County Schools
2008
Alisha Das, ESL Lead Teacher
Harnett County Schools

2. Making the Connections! Proven Strategies for ELLs
We will…
Better understand English Language Learners (ELLs) in grades 9-12…
Take a walk in their shoes…
Explore strategies and interventions that help accelerate…
-acculturation
-second language acquisition
-academics

3. Who are our ELLs? What the State Says…
Score below Superior in at least one area of the IPT English Language Proficiency Test (L, S, R, W).
New Determination: W-APT or ACCESS
Qualify for ESL Services.
Remain LEP even if parents deny services.
Qualify for State Test Accommodations and Classroom Modifications grades k-12.
Must meet all high school requirements for graduation.
Senior Project can be in student’s first language.

4. Who are our LEP students? Important Questions!
What is the LEP student’s proficiency level?
How many years have they been in the U.S.?
Should they be in my EOC class?

5. Why are they different? Culture
Stage Stage 4
Honeymoon Acculturation
Stage 3
Limbo
Stage 2
Culture Shock

6. Why are they different? Culture
Religious beliefs…
Concepts about respect…
Concepts of time…
Concepts of education…

7. Making the Connections Acculturation Strategies
Involve parents…
Welcoming environment…
Peer tutors/helpers…
Validate language and culture…
Provide a multicultural environment for all…

8. Why are they different? Second Language Acquisition
Stages of Second Language Acquisition
Characteristics
Pre-production Stage
1-3 months or more!
Early Production
3 months-1 year or more!
Speech Emergence
1-3 years or more!
Intermediate Fluency
5-7 years or more!

9. Why are they different? Second Language Acquisition
Syntax
Order it…
Frontal Lobe
Occipital Lobe
Temporal Lobe  
See it…
Read it…
Know it…
Hear it…
Discrete Language Skills

10. Making the Connections Language Acquisition Strategies
Know the developmental stages…
Provide a stress-free climate…
Be respectful of the silent period…
Maximize exposure to natural communication…
Routine…
Concrete referents…

11. Making the Connections! Provide Relevance and Genuine Purpose

12. Making the Connections Accommodations and Modifications
Modifications allowed by NCDPI…
Oral retell
Read Aloud
Word Banks
Highlighting
Avoid word problems and test on concepts instead
Reduce the number of concepts introduced at any one time.
Modifications Checklist for LEP Students in Regular Classrooms

13. Making the Connections Accommodations and Modifications
How do you feel about…
Grading only the most important items?
Allowing for oral assessment?
Open-note/book tests?
Grading on effort/progress/process?
Allowing students to respond in their L1 occasionally?
Grading written work and focusing on content, not grammar and spelling?
Making a different test for LEP students?
Using a portfolio or project to measure progress?
Marcie Pachino/ESL 9-12, Durham County Schools

14. Making the Connections Accommodations and Modifications
When work is accommodated…
Do you give it a “passing grade”?
Do you give it an A if the student completes all/gets all answers correct?
Do you place it in a portfolio?
Discuss…

15. Making the Connections! Proven Strategies
Turn and Talk Draw
Think-Pair-Share Point, Show
Think-Write-Pair-Share Explain in L1
Four Corners! Demonstrate
Inside-Outside Circle Choose
Group Roles 50/50
Debate Phone a Friend
Poll the Audience
99 Ideas and Activities for Teaching ELLs with the SIOP Model

16. Making the Connections! Proven Strategies
Algebra I
In small group, determine the formula for…and present your findings to the group (EOC questions, textbook problem…)
Novice/Intermediate Students can…
Use their first language in group discussions
Rehearse the presentation with help of teacher/students
Use graphic organizer to stick to task, guide thinking
Use textbook, student notes
Yeah!!!!! What happened…what was the difference???
Built background
Comprehensible Input
Interactions
Strategies
Practice
Etc…
What was the reason for success? THE TEACHER!!!!!!

17. Making the Connections! Resources for Math
English/Spanish Math Glossary Download:
Math Lessons with LEP Modifications/Accommodations:
+Development
WIDA English Proficiency Math Standards and Resources:

18. Making the Connections! Resources for Science
9-12 Science Curriculum Units with LEP Modifications:
Science Lessons with LEP Modifications/Accommodations:
+Development
WIDA English Proficiency Science Standards and Resources:

19. Making the Connections! Resources for English Language Arts
Graphic Novels for High School Literature:
No Fear Shakespeare: Graphic Novels
Macbeth, Hamlet, and others…
Go to: google.com, amazon.com, etc…
English I, II Lessons with LEP Modifications/Accommodations:
+Development
WIDA English Proficiency English Standards and Resources:

20. Making the Connections! Proven Strategies
Non-linguistic Representation…
Illustrations, symbols, logographs, actions, signs…
27% overall gain
36% greater gains than definitions from dictionary,
or creating sentences with words…
Marzano
Compare/Contrast
Denial
Abstract to Concrete!
Go to transparency and do vvwa with evaporation…Explain that this one activity hits on all of the BB Features!!! Link to student, Link to past, Build Key Vocabulary

21. Research says… Non-linguistic/Multiple Modalities
-movement, physical, tactile,
hands-on…
-illustrations, diagrams,
realia notes…
-verbal representations,
student-made definitions,
dialogue, games, experiences

22. Making the Connections! Proven Strategies
Verbal Visual Word Association
Divide paper/card into four parts...
Write word…
Illustrate…
Write synonyms…
List places experienced…
Create a “cue” or action…

23. Making the Connections! Proven Strategies
On a sticky note/strip of paper, write a content word that is one of the following…
Hard for students to understand
Hard for students to remember
Your favorite content word

24. Making the Connections! Proven Strategies
Verbal Visual Word Association
Divide paper/card into four parts...
Write word…
Illustrate…
Write synonyms…
List places experienced…
Create a “cue” or action…

25. Making the Connections! Provide Relevance and Genuine Purpose
RIGOR
Relevence
Relationship 25
___% Experience/Opportunity
___% Intelligence
+ ___% Self-esteem/Motivation
100% Achievement 25
WARNING: There are fly-ins so that participants can guess what percent each category weighs in for Achievement… 50
Re: Donna Sawyer, Teacher On Loan, NC DPI

26. Making the Connections! Provide Relevance and Genuine Purpose
Dialogue Journal

34. Making the Connections! Proven Strategies for ELLs
Do we…
Better understand English Language Learners (ELLs) in grades 9-12…
Did we…
Take a walk in their shoes…
Explore strategies and interventions that help accelerate…
-acculturation
-second language acquisition
-academics