Poetry is a genre of reading that opens many doors for students. The text often flows like a song. It can be short but still hold complex meaning. Poetry lends itself well to repeated reading and fluency practice. It is a wonderful way for ELLs to practice oral language skills. When you are selecting poems to read with students make sure to include diverse poems that highlight a range of cultures and topics. Here are some tips for using poetry…
Students that have background knowledge about a topic are typically able to read more complex texts, participate in classroom discussions, and retain new information faster than students that are learning about an entirely new topic. Building student knowledge is an important aspect of helping stuents comprehend what they are reading. Use Text Sets Group materials together by topic. This can be as simple as showing a video clip about the moon or reading a picture book before giving students an…
Virtual learning is both highly engaging (think TV shows) and highly unengaging (staring at a screen for hours on end). Here are some tips for engaging your students during distance learning. Build Relationships Building relationships with students is important any year. If you are teaching virtually it is even more important…and for many students much more challenging. Share your own interests. If you are teaching from your house show students your pet, a favorite mug, or other anything that is…
I have been relying on ordering books online much more during the past few months (Boy do I miss going to my public library and thrift stores!) Amazon is probably one of the best-known sites for books. There are many others, including sites that offer used or overstock books at a low cost. Here is a list where you can buy used books online or get them for free. Online Used Book Stores Thrift Books– This site has a large…
Worksheets are one way to give students practice with a specific skill. One way to take a traditional worksheet and make it more interactive is to cut apart the worksheet. You can then use the cut up questions in a number of ways. This can help keep some students more engaged then completing worksheets in the traditional way. Interactive Notebook After completing a worksheet how often do students look back at them? If the answer is never, consider setting up…
A brain break allows students to take a short break from learning and refocus their attention. This can be particularly important to ELLs as they are not only absorbing new content but are processing a new language as well. Movement Especially for younger children incorporating movement into a brain break will help to keep their attention for further learning. Act like an animal- Name an animal and have students move like that animal. Stretching- One person can be the leader…
A student’s level of phonemic awareness when they enter kindergarten is a strong predictor of how easy it will be for them to learn how to read. All students in preschool and many in the primary grades are learning phonemic awareness skills. Teaching phonemic awareness skills to young ELLs is similar to their native English peers. Older ELLs may also benefit from short and targeted instruction and practice with the sounds of English. What is Phonemic Awareness? Phonemic awareness refers…
Here is a collection of digital learning tips and resources to use with ELLs. Teaching Online If your school is moving towards digital learning and you will be teaching online due to the Corona Virus, here are some things to keep in mind. Make plans for students that do not have access to technology. One alternative is to provide packets of work. Start with using digital tools that students are familiar with and then slowly introduce new platforms as you…
Students at the beginning stages of writing need support with vocabulary development. One way to give this is to have students label pictures. This supports English Language Learners and beginning writers in learning new vocabulary and using beginning sounds. Here are some benefits of having students label pictures before they begin writing. Vocabulary Support As students label a picture they are getting practice writing the vocabulary word. For ELLs, they might not know what all of the objects and actions…
Creating a mini book is a simple way to quickly make a large number of books for reading and writing. You can teach students how to fold a mini book with simple to follow directions. Students can then use blank mini books for drawing and writing. Mini books are also a simple way to add to the number of simple to read books that students have access to. Learn how to fold a mini book with these step by step…