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How to Use Photographs to Teach Writing with MLs

How to Use Photographs to Teach Writing with MLs

Using photographs to teach writing is a powerful ESL teaching strategy for Multilingual Learners. A single high-quality image can spark ideas and naturally build academic vocabulary. Photos also make differentiated instruction simple: every student writes about the same image, but you can adjust the amount of writing, the level of support, and the sentence complexity to meet each learner where they are. As a bonus, photo prompts are a simple way for ELD teachers to introduce content-based learning to students….

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Using Scavenger Hunts With MLs

Using Scavenger Hunts With MLs

Scavenger hunts are a fun way to teach vocabulary terms to MLs. They also get students up and moving and can give them some control over what terms they choose to find. Many are simple enough that students can complete them at home. If students work with a partner or in small groups, a scavenger hunt is a natural way for them to practice speaking skills as well. Students can discuss whether objects fit with the topic they are hunting…

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Sentence Starters and Frames for MLs

Sentence Starters and Frames for MLs

Using sentence starters and sentence frames is one strategy to support students in speaking, reading, and writing. A sentence starter is when you give students the beginning part of a sentence and they fill in the rest. A sentence frame is when there are blanks inside a sentence that students fill in. Here are some ways to use sentence stems and frames as a scaffold to support your multilingual learners (MLs). Sentence stems are helpful for getting students started with…

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5 Strategies for Teaching Sight Words to ELLs

5 Strategies for Teaching Sight Words to ELLs

Sight words are one tool for helping students learn how to be fluent readers. The challenge for English Language Learners (and all students) in learning these words is that the majority of sight words and other high-frequency words, do not have visuals that are easily associated with them. This can make it more challenging to give meaning to these words. Teaching sight words in the context of a phrase or sentence allow students to better remember them. Here are some…

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Improving the Speaking Skills of English Language Learners

Improving the Speaking Skills of English Language Learners

Speaking in a new language can be a frightening experience.  English Language Learners often feel embarrassed that they will make mistakes or are nervous about being misunderstood. This can result in newcomers going through a silent period (when they do not speak but are learning a large amount of language).  Even ELLs that have a higher language level can become intimidated during whole class discussions.  Brain science can help explain this response. The emotional system of our brain does not…

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