A World of Language Learners - Teaching ideas for those teaching English Language Learners

Teaching about being thankful with ells: Books and writing

I am Thankful Writing and Books

November 11, 2018 aworldoflanguagelearners Comments 0 Comment

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…

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Diverse Leveled Readers

November 3, 2018 aworldoflanguagelearners Comments 0 Comment

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…

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Prefix and Suffix Task Cards

October 28, 2018 aworldoflanguagelearners Comments 2 comments

…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…

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PD for ESOL Teachers

October 20, 2018 aworldoflanguagelearners Comments 1 comment

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…

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Gift Guide for Students

October 13, 2018 aworldoflanguagelearners Comments 2 comments

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…

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Creating Vocabulary Folders for ELLs

October 6, 2018 aworldoflanguagelearners Comments 0 Comment

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…

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Retelling with ELLs

September 27, 2018 aworldoflanguagelearners Comments 0 Comment

Retelling is an important literacy skill. For English Language Learners retelling a story gives them the opportunity to practice their oral language skills. Here are some ideas for incorporating retelling into your classroom. Retelling Center Create a retelling drama center. This works especially well for younger students. It can be as simple as printing out character pictures and gluing them onto popsicle sticks or a full blown play center with props. Have one book that you have recently read or create…

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Fall Books for ELLs

September 18, 2018 aworldoflanguagelearners Comments 1 comment

6 Fall Books for English Language Learners Here is a collection of books to use as read alouds or add to a classroom library during the fall season. These books feature diverse characters, have vivid illustrations, and many make great mentor texts when teaching ELLs. Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on an Amazon link and make a purchase. This does not cost you any extra money. Fall Books…

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Oral Language Task Cards for ELLs

September 11, 2018 aworldoflanguagelearners Comments 0 Comment

What is Oral Language? Oral Language skills are an important component of language development. It is made up of at least five key components (Moats 2010) including phonological skills, pragmatics, syntax, morphological skills, and vocabulary. Students need opportunities throughout the day to practice their speaking and listening skills. For English Language Learners this is particularly important so that students gain proficiency in speaking and listening in English. Research shows that ELLs need a low-anxiety environment, repeated practice, comprehensible input, and drama…

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Sorting with ELLs

September 3, 2018 aworldoflanguagelearners Comments 0 Comment

Sorting with English Language Learners A hands on way to help ELLs learn new vocabulary is through sorts. This allows ELLs to show their knowledge even if they are not yet able to produce the vocabulary on their own. It is relatively simple to scaffold for students at different language proficiency levels. Students can sort pictures, words, phrases, or sentences. Here are some different ways to use sorting with ELLs. Open Sort Students are given words in an open sort…

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