Strategies and Resources for the Classroom Teacher ELLs: Strategies and Resources for the Classroom Teacher

ELL= English Language Learners ESOL ESL TESOL LEP

The English For Speakers of Other Languages Program in Wicomico County Purpose: - English Language Immersion Staffing - 10 teachers and 5 assistants serving 276 students. The ESOL teacher to student ratio is 1 teacher 25-30 students Elementary- Support provided in the classroom with pullout as needed Secondary- Students are serviced at Bennett Middle and James M. Bennett High Schools. Separate courses are provided with coaching as much as possible in the classroom.

Wicomico County Data on LEP Students (as of Oct. 31, 2003) Total enrollment of LEP students: 276 LEP students with an IEP: 7 Students with interrupted schooling: 7 Students illiterate in native language: 1 LEP students who dropped out: 1 LEP students refusing services: 3

Top Five Languages Spoken by LEP Students in Wicomico County Spanish: 100 Korean: 83 Haitian-Creole 37 Urdu (Pakistan) 17 Chinese 6 There are 18 languages spoken in the county. The total population of LEP students is 276 out of 14,276 students.

English Language Learners in the Classroom Benefits Hardships

Brainstorm strategies you already use in your classroom that could benefit ELL students.

ELL Proficiency Levels NEP: Non-English Proficient / Beginners Students have very few oral skills – little or no English proficiency They may go through a “silent period” where they attempt to make no English sounds. The English sound system is new to them, and they comprehend little of what is said in English. Beginners may demonstrate various levels of oral and literacy skills in their primary language.

Beginner Students Can: Point Nodding/Shaking Head Draw Match Select Circle State Choose Act Out Label Name List Answer yes/no ?s “I have no English proficiency.” © 2000, Intercultural Development Research Association South Central Collaborative for Equity

Beginning Level Strategies and Activities Language Experience Approach (LEA) Hands-on projects Author’s chair Flannel board stories Environmental labels Word banks/Word Walls Think-Pair-Share Model Skills Label classroom Use Manipulatives/Realia Total Physical Response (TPR) Non-verbal role play Rhymes, chants, songs, games Pre-recorded stories Reading aloud Choral/echo reading

ELL Proficiency Levels LEP: Limited English Proficient / Intermediate Can converse at length and comprehend almost anything that is said to them; however, reading and writing can continue to be a challenge. Students can understand written English that includes pictures, objects, actions, and sounds. May be literate at or above level in their primary language. Literate students quickly transfer reading and writing skills into English

Intermediate Students Can: Recall Retell Define Describe Compare Contrast Summarize Restate Answer Questions State Opinions Share Thoughts Converse at Length Comprehend Orally “I have good oral skills in English, but minimal reading and composition skills in English.” © 2000, Intercultural Development Research Association South Central Collaborative for Equity

Intermediate Level Strategies and Activities Role playing (verbal) Reading, reciting poetry, writing Group discussions Retelling stories Process writing, quick writes and dialogue journals Graphic organizers Summarizing Compare and contrast stories and authors Use real life objects or models Provide Prompts

ELL Proficiency Levels FEP: Fluent English Proficient / Advanced Students are able to use English comparable to native speakers. May still have difficulties with higher-order thinking skills which may hinder performance on standardized and norm referenced tests. Testing and classroom performance will determine monitor/exit status in the ESOL program

Advanced Students Can: Analyze Create Defend Debate Evaluate Justify Support Explain Use Extensive Vocabulary “I am fluent in oral English and have some reading and writing skills, but need help to pass tests.” © 2000, Intercultural Development Research Association South Central Collaborative for Equity

Advanced Level Strategies and Activities Age appropriate reading and writing Analyzing charts, graphs, and stories Predicting outcomes Supporting and defending positions/opinions Evaluating and judging processes Use the “ABCs” (Activity Before Content) of teaching. This will allow students to discover new concepts on their own which can make them more meaningful Incorporate all learning modalities, including visual, aural, and tactile

Four friends went to a restaurant. They ordered a pizza Four friends went to a restaurant. They ordered a pizza. It was divided into eight slices. How many slices will each friend get? Will there be any left over? If there were only three friends, how many slices will each friend get? Will there be any left over?

Resources The ESOL teacher McGraw-Hill Mathematics ELL Handbook The internet www.mhschool.com/math (has Span. and Eng.) www.tolearnenglish.com http://www.ezschool.com www.education.com http://bogglesworld.com/ www.eslcafe.com http://www.ccboe.com/adulted/resources/math.htm (lists math and ESL web-sites)