Strategies for Improving Instruction for English Language Learners

Ways to Help ELL Students in the Classroom 

Helping ESL students build vocabulary and become accustomed to the U.S. education system can be a challenging task for teachers, but it is essential for the success and integration of these students in their new academic environment. English as a Second Language (ESL) students may have various difficulties, such as limited exposure to English, difficulties in understanding colloquial expressions and idioms, and difficulties in understanding academic language. Here are some strategies that teachers can use to support the vocabulary development and cultural adaptation of ESL students in the U.S. education system.

Use visual aids and realia: 

Visual aids, such as pictures, diagrams, and real objects, can be very helpful in supporting vocabulary development, especially for younger students or those with limited exposure to the language. By showing a picture of a new vocabulary word, for example, you can help the students make connections between the word and its meaning. Realia, or real objects, can also be used to introduce new vocabulary in a concrete and meaningful way. For example, if you teach the word "quilt," you can bring in a quilt for the students to see and touch. Posters using real images like these are better for ELL students because they depict objects in their true settings.

Use context clues:

 Context clues are hints in the text or the surroundings that help the reader or listener infer the meaning of a new word. For example, if a student comes across the word "flabbergasted" in a passage, the context clues "shocked" and "stunned" might help them understand the meaning of the word. Teachers can help ESL students develop their vocabulary by providing them with context clues and teaching them how to use them to infer the meaning of new words.

Teach word parts: 

Word parts, such as prefixes, suffixes, and roots, can be very helpful in helping students understand the meaning of new words. For example, by teaching the prefix "anti-" (meaning "against"), a student might be able to guess the meaning of the word "antipathy" (a feeling of strong dislike). Teaching word parts can also help students understand the relationships between words and build their vocabulary more effectively.

A good place to start in upper elementary is with Greek and Latin roots. Building in daily lessons and displaying print-rich resources around the room will give your students constant exposure to words. Currently, I have these posters in my classroom and my students are CONSTANTLY referencing them.

Get your posters from Teach Starter

Use graphic organizers: 

Graphic organizers are visual tools that help students organize and understand new information. They can be particularly helpful for ESL students because they visually represent the relationship between words and concepts. Some examples of graphic organizers that can be used to support vocabulary development include concept maps, Venn diagrams, and mind maps.

Provide opportunities for oral and written practice: 

Providing opportunities for oral and written practice is essential for vocabulary development. Oral practice can be in class discussions, debates, presentations, and other activities requiring students to speak and listen to English. Written practice can be in the form of writing assignments, such as paragraphs, essays, or reports. Both oral and written practice can help students become more comfortable with using new vocabulary in different contexts and improve their overall language skills.

For more ideas, check out Teach Starter's blog, 13 Speaking and Listening Activities to Boost Your Students' Skills

Encourage the use of English outside of the classroom: 

Encouraging the use of English outside of the classroom is an important way to support the language development of ESL students. This can be as simple as encouraging students to speak English with their classmates during lunch or recess or encouraging them to watch English-language movies or TV shows. The more opportunities students have to use English in a natural and authentic setting, the more comfortable they will become with the language.

Provide cultural support: 

Adjusting to a new education system can be challenging for any student, but it can be particularly difficult for ESL students who may also be adjusting to a new culture. Teachers can help these students by providing cultural support and education. This can include teaching students about the customs and traditions of the U.S., as well as including activities highlighting students' own cultures and traditions.

Veterans Day in the Classroom

Every year, I spend a little time celebrating Veterans Day in my classroom to showcase veterans' sacrifices for our country. I want our children to truly understand what that means and how much it impacts their everyday lives. If you're looking to do something similar in your classroom, here are a few ways to celebrate Veterans Day.

With limited time to create, I've come across a literal gold mine regarding classroom resources. Teach Starter...just. go. check. it. out!

1. Invite veterans to speak to your students. If possible, invite the veterans in your students' lives to come to school on Veterans Day itself. It's always fun to put up a Veterans Day bulletin board to show them how much they mean. 

2. Have your students write letters to veterans thanking them for their service. Teachers can make copies of letters that have been written by students in the past or create new ones based on what they know about the veteran they are writing to. We used this card template two years in a row to send letters to the Wounded Warrior Project.

3. Have your class read books about veterans or people who served in the military so that they understand what it means to serve our country and how much it means to those who do so!

The Funniest Gift Exchange Ever!

Hello Friends! Just dropping in on a quiet evening before Christmas to share a fun little activity that I did with my class this past week. Feel trree to pin any images and save this idea for next year. It is definitely one that I will do again!

For a little background, I work in a Title I School in a very low income area. My students struggle to have the necessities, and it is even harder this time of year for them to come up with anything extra. On my teacher budget, I didn't have much extra to get them myself!

I always love doing a gift exchange. However, this year it wasn't in the cards for my sweet kids, and I still wanted them to have some fun before our party. So instead of doing a traditional gift exchange, we decided to have the "Worst Christmas Gift Ever! Exchange. Students had a few rules to follow in order to participate.

1. Nothing stinky. If it smells, it goes in the trash.
2. Nothing that could spread disease. (We had a big discussion on this!)
3. Nothing wet or sticky.
4. No bodily fluids. (including spit, poop, earwax, boogers, etc) Fun discussion.
5. It has to be a terrible gift to receive, and its wrapping must be bad as well.

To tie this into the curriculum, students were notified that they would be writing an opinion paper discussing the worst gift, and the characteristics that qualified it as the worst gift ever. And I have to tell you.... some of them were horrid! And the kids absolutely loved it! It was hilarious, all in good fun, and a creative way to tie in a piece of boring writing that last week before Christmas break. I will be sharing links to some resources below that you can use, as well as a few photographs of our horrendous Christmas gifts! Enjoy!

 Priceless.... A lovely potato makes a terrible Christmas gift... It was wrapped in wrapping that looked to have been shredded by a small animal. This one got a few laughs from the kids.









Pretty gross one here... A bag of old candy wrappers, enveloped in cat hair trimmings. It was pretty gross, when you got up close. Twas also wrapped in a lovely sheathing of old aluminum foil.

Lovely mustachioed Barbie doll... at one point she was decapitated and her head was being passed around. She wasn't wrapped at all!

 This one was pretty creepy. The hairy blob you see was once a Barbie Head. She was given a haircut, covered in glue, and dipped in her own hair clippings and paint. She was also given a pencil neck, a bed of broken bracelets, and a lovely wrapping of brown paper bag. The gift that keeps on giving.... you the creeps....

 Sad...Sad...Sad.... iPad Mini box. The kid who got this one was really excited... and then opened it to find a measly little bookmark. I think this one got the biggest round of giggles.

And a final entry into the foray of horrible gifts.... Here we have a teddy bear made from toilet paper and tape, then covered in dryer lint. It smelled of hairspray, so I'm guessing that was the adhesive for the lint. Honestly, it was a little creepy looking. And it was wrapped in a Doc McStuffins Pull-Up.... Definitely a terrible thing to wrap a gift in.

All in all, the activity was a big hit with my kiddoes. They went straight to their desks after the present passing, and started jotting down characteristics and ideas for the gift that they felt was the worst. Once their ideas were in place, they were able to jump online and start a rough draft essay using the document linked below. Feel free to click the link and make yourself a copy. If you use Google Classroom, and Google Slides, you will find that it may be useful for your students.

Google Slides Essay Template

Another fun activity we did this week was the Funky Reindeer craft that I found over on Teach Starter. They turned out beautifully! Head over to check them out!