One of the best ways to improve reading comprehension and vocabulary development is to READ. The summer is the perfect time for students to read for pleasure. The challenge is convincing reluctant readers to pick up a book when they are not in school. Encourage Reading in their Native Language If your ELLs are literate in another language then the summer is a great time for them to practice reading in that language. If parents are literate encourage them to…
Help students learn to appreciate the environment around them and learn new vocabulary. You can also use some of these resources to create text sets for students. Using multiple texts will help to build students’ background knowledge and increase their vocabulary as they read or listen to new texts. Here are some ideas for celebrating Earth Day with ELLs. These are also great activities to get students outdoors and/or learning about the world around them. Learn About Climate Change Earth…
Getting to Know Your English Language Learners Building a positive relationship is important for all students. For ELLs it can also have the added benefit of lowering their affective filter, making it easier for them to learn English. Learn about your students and then incorporate this information into lessons throughout the year. Learn About Your Student Interests Students love sharing about topics of interest. One way I liked to do this was to have students fill out a graphic organizer…
Games are a great way to help students practice vocabulary. For newcomers that are just learning English, they are a fun way to practice basic Tier 1 terms. For students at higher language levels and native speakers, they are great ways to practice content-specific vocabulary. It is important to review vocabulary words with ELLs before they begin playing. This is particularly important for students with lower language levels and those that are not yet able to read. Games are a…
Benefits of Graphic Novels Graphic novels are a category a books that can be highly engaging for students. This is particularly true for English Language Learners and struggling readers. Graphic novels have a large amount of picture support. This helps create context and gives meaning to unfamiliar vocabulary words. Older students are drawn to graphic novels since even students reading below grade level can enjoy these books. Importance of Diverse Graphic Novels Having a diverse set of books available is…
STEM with ELLs STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) activities are highly engaging for students. This is particularly true for English Language Learners. A key component is that the disciplines are integrated. Students typically have a real world problem to solve or project to create. Here are some overviews of using STEM in the elementary classroom: what-is-stem the-benefits-of-stem-activities STEM Overview from WIDA Reasons to use STEM with ELLs Builds Background Knowledge- Having students take part in or observe an experiment, engineering…