Reading fluency is one of the 5 components that are necessary when a child is learning how to read. Fluency is the ability to read words accurately, with appropriate speed, and with expression. This is not alway possible. For English Language Learners (ELLs) there can be the added challenge that they may not immediately know what a text should sound like in English to compare their own reading to. Do not confuse reading fluency with a students accent. “Students can…
April is National Poetry Month, which makes it a great time for writing poetry. Any point in the year is also a great time to have students write poems. For English Language Learners, writing poetry can be a welcome change from other forms of writing. Many of the traditional writing conventions are not as strictly enforced in poems. Students can use fewer words to convey powerful messages. Poems are a fun way to play around with language. Here are some…
Poetry is a wonderful genre to share with students. For ELLs, it is a great way to expose them to rhyming words and other ways to play with words. Poems are typically short and lend themselves well to being read out loud. This helps build students reading fluency and oral language skills. Poetry is also a way for ELLs to analyze more complex text, even if they are reading below grade level. Poetry is a great opportunity to share books…
Mood and tone are closely connected concepts. Tone is the author’s attitude towards the topic. Mood is the overall feeling the reader gets when they are reading the text. Mood is particularly subjective. The important part is that students are able to defend their reasoning with evidence. Here are some ideas for teaching these topics to your ELLs. Review Feelings A quick review of feelings is a great way to begin a unit on mood or tone. This can help…
Students are more easily able to retain information when they are engaged and having fun. Games are a fun way to do both. Here are some great games to help your ELLs practice vocabulary and other language skills. Check out a few games for ELLs to add to your collection. Disclosure: This post contains 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…
Word sorts are one way to help students learn spelling patterns. Students are able to focus on two or three patterns instead of trying to memorize a list of words. They are then better able to apply those spelling patterns to new words that follow a similar pattern. Here are some ways to set up word sorts with ELLs. Small Group The small group might be a word study group, where all of the students are at the same developmental…
Finding the main idea and supporting details is a reading comprehension skill that students are expected to understand starting in kindergarten. By third grade, students are expected to do this with more complex texts independently. This can be a challenging skill for all students. For some ELLs, they have the added challenge of not yet reading grade level texts independently. Here are 5 ideas to support students learning about main idea and supporting details. Sorting One simple way to introduce…
Learning basic vocabulary will help newcomer students improve in all areas of English development. For the majority of the day, many newcomers will be in class with English speaking peers. They will learn a large amount of vocabulary when their teacher uses visuals and by listening to what is happening in the classroom. One simple way to support ELLs with basic vocabulary is to give them a newcomer vocabulary book and then teach them to use it independently. I have created…
How to teach vocabulary to ELLs can be one of the biggest concerns for teachers that are new to working with English Language Learners. How do you teach a lesson when some of your students are unfamiliar with the words that you are using. Which words are the most important one in a story? Which words are worth the time it will take to find visuals or preteach them? Here are some strategies to help you support your ELL’s vocabulary…
Children learn about the world around them through play. They also gain important early literacy and math skills. When children are playing, they are less on guard about if what they are doing is correct or not. The ELLs affective filter is lowered. This results in them being more easily able to retain language. Through observing my own children and joining into their play, I am witnessing how much language, pre literacy skills, and creative thinking they are gaining. Having…