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How to use photographs to teach writing
How to Use Photographs to Teach Writing with MLs

How to Use Photographs to Teach Writing with MLs

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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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speaking and writing with ELLs
Integrating Speaking and Writing for ELLs

Integrating Speaking and Writing for ELLs

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Speaking and writing are two components of language development. With elementary-aged students, the typical progression is that students progress more quickly in speaking than in writing.  This is most likely due to the fact that all students at that age are learning writing, while speaking is a natural way that children socialize. For older students, some may be more comfortable writing down ideas before speaking. Integrating speaking and writing provides Multilingual Learners (MLs) with additional opportunities for vocabulary development. Here…

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Using would you rather questions with MLs
Using Would You Rather Questions with MLs

Using Would You Rather Questions with MLs

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Do you need a fun way to introduce speaking or writing about your opinion? Do your students need to practice developing critical thinking skills? Would you rather questions are fun ways for students to practice speaking and writing. Here are some ideas for using them with your Multilingual Learners (MLs). Speaking Warm-Up When meeting with a small group of students, use would you rather questions as a way to get students talking in a structured way. Choose a question, and…

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Labeling Pictures
Labeling Pictures to Support ELLs

Labeling Pictures to Support ELLs

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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 start writing. Vocabulary Support As students label a picture, they are getting practice writing the vocabulary word. ELLs might not know all of the objects and actions in a picture….

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Valentine's day activities
Valentine’s Day Activities for MLs

Valentine’s Day Activities for MLs

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Are you looking for some fun Valentine’s Day Activities to use with your students? This holiday is a fun way to teach about kindness and taking care of others. You can also teach language activities with a Valentine’s Day theme. Here are some ideas for integrating Valentine’s Day themes into lessons for English Language Learners. Valentine’s Day Around the World & History Learn interesting facts about the history of Valentin’s Day, including the origins of many of today’s traditions, from…

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comparing contrasting
Comparing and Contrasting with MLs

Comparing and Contrasting with MLs

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Learning how to compare and contrast are higher-order thinking skills and an important component of reading comprehension. They are also a great way for students to practice language skills and build academic language. When students compare they look for things that are the same. When they contrast they look for items that are different. Here are some activities to introduce comparing and contrasting to students. Comparing and Contrasting with Pictures Show students two sets of pictures. Have them compare and…

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earth day ells
Ideas for Celebrating Earth Day with ELLs

Ideas for Celebrating Earth Day with ELLs

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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…

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5 ways to use task cards with ELLs
5 Ways to Use Task Cards that will Keep Your ELLs Engaged

5 Ways to Use Task Cards that will Keep Your ELLs Engaged

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Task cards are a great tool to support English Language Learners. There are many leveled sets available, making it easy to differentiate. There are cards with short reading passages, grammar practice, writing prompts, speaking questions, and more. Take a look at these five ideas for using task cards with your ELLs that will keep them engaged throughout the lesson. 1. Play a Game Kids love playing games. You can keep the game simple and print out a basic game board….

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How to Prepare for Language Testing
How to Prepare ELLs for Language Testing

How to Prepare ELLs for Language Testing

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How to Prepare ELLs for Language Testing Each year ELLs take an annual language assessment. In many states, this is WIDA ACCESS. I am not an advocate of extensive test preparation, but I think that students should be exposed to the language of a test beforehand to be better prepared. WIDA has some tips on how to prepare for the ACCESS assessment. Here are some additional ways to help students become familiar with the language and formatting of language testing…

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Language Learning Strategies for Teaching ELLs

Language Learning Strategies for Teaching ELLs

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Language Learning Strategies for English Language Learners English is a difficult language for native speakers to learn. I am amazed watching my toddler learn English as her first language. She picks up new vocabulary rapidity and experiments with language. She makes grammatical mistakes when she overgeneralizes grammar “ruler” that she has naturally picked up through listening to others speak and read English. For English Language Learners they go through a similar  process but have to navigate through additional challenges. As…

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