Teaching About Folktales to ELLs Folktales included fairy tales, fables, and legends. They were traditionally passed down by word of mouth. Folktales are great windows into the culture and values of the the group of people telling them. Fables have a lesson the the reader is meant to learn. Fairy tales and legends have more subtle lessons about good and evil. Cultures around the world often have their own version of a common folk tale. Here are some ideas for…
How to Prepare ELLs for Language Testing Each year ELLs take an annual language assessment. In many states this is WIDA ACCESS. I am not an advocate of extensive test preparation, but I do think that students should be exposed to the language of a test beforehand so that they are better prepared. WIDA has some tips on how to prepare for the ACCESS assessment. Here are some additional ways to help student become familiar with the language and formatting…
TPT Cyber Monday Sale + Gift Card Giveaway Coming up on November 26th & 27th is a sitewide TPT sale. Save up to 25% off. I’ll have my store at 20%. Use the code CYBER18 for an additional 5%. Bundles are a great way to save BIG during the sale. Here are a few worth checking out in my store: Speak then Write Mega Bundle- These are sets of sequencing or life cycle picture cards and graphic organizers. First students can…
Teaching Phonics to ELLs Teaching phonics is an important aspect of a balanced literacy program for ELLs. Phonics is the relationship between sounds and the letter or letters used to write it. Phonics helps students learn the specific sounds in the English language. For newcomers that have a background in a language that does not use the Western alphabet, phonics is way to help them learn the letters and sounds of the alphabet. For older students it is important to…
Integrating the themes of gratitude and being thankful is a common practice around Thanksgiving. These themes are great to teach about throughout the year as well. Here are some ideas for teaching ELLs how to express that they are thankful, including a FREE writing activity. I am Thankful Writing Vocabulary This set comes with vocabulary words to help student tell what they are thankful for. This is a great opportunity to integrate basic vocabulary into a lesson for all…
Diverse Leveled Readers for ELLs Guided reading is an important component of a balanced literacy program. Some teachers are lucky to teach in a school with a well stocked book room. In other cases many of the books at the lower levels are not age appropriate for older ESOL students, and do not reflect the diversity of younger ELLs. Here are some suggestions of diverse leveled readers for ELLs and other students. Disclosure: This section contains Amazon affiliate links, which…
…Prefix and Suffix Task Cards for ELLs… Learning about prefix and suffixes can help increase a students vocabulary. When they learn about the meaning of common affixes the are able to greatly increase the number of words that they understand and can use. Reading vocabulary words in context helps to give them greater meaning than when they are in isolation. I created a set of prefix and suffix task cards to help my ELLs read affixes in the context of…
Professional Development for ESOL Teachers There are many reasons to look on your own for PD for ESOL teachers. It can be challenging to stay aware of current research on language acquisition. You might have limited opportunities to collaborate with other ESOL teachers can be. This is especially true if you are one of the only ESOL teachers at your school. Some districts offer great professional development around diversity, ELLs, and academic vocabulary. In other cases some of the PD…
Affordable Gifts to Give Students Students enjoy getting small gifts during the school year. You can give student gifts for their birthday, a holiday, or the end of the school year. They don’t have to be expensive. They also don’t need to be candy. Many of these gifts make fun classroom incentives as well. Target or the Dollar Store often have many of these items. If you prefer to shop online or want to buy in larger quantities Amazon has…
Creating Vocabulary Folders for ELLs Vocabulary folders are a convenient way to organize vocabulary pages. I used illustrated vocabulary sheets to help my ELLs speak and write about new vocabulary. They are also helpful for younger students with spelling. These folders are simple to set up. Vocabulary Folders Set Up All you need are: file folders with brads (or a 3 ring binder) sheet protectors Vocabulary sheets At the beginning of the year I set up 6 folders, which was…