User:Sherrie.Lewis

Foundational Skills for Elementary El Students •	~Foundational Skills. Many of the new ELA standards identify a set of skills students must master before they can become fluent readers. These skills include the alphabet, the concept of print, phonological awareness, phonics, high-frequency words, and fluency.

Instructional Strategies for Reading •	~Introduce new vocabulary as needed for the lesson, no more than 6 words at a time •	~Word Wall •	~Pictures/ Symbols •	~Color Code words to aid comprehension •	~Keep important words on an easily accessible chart for students

Instructional Strategies for Writing- Writing can be a difficult skill for EL students to master. •	~Encourage students to develop their ideas in their Native Language, then translate them into English •	~Free writing in a Journal •	~Graphic Organizers •	~Draw Pictures •	~Use a Word Bank •	~Sentence Frames

Technology Tools for Stages 1& 2 http://www.learningchocolate.com/ https://www.spellingcity.com/ http://esl-kids.com/ http://vocabahead.com/Default.aspx

Technology Tools for Stages 3&4 https://www.texthelp.com/en-us/products/read-write/ https://www.imaginelearning.com/programs/language-and-literacy https://ell.brainpop.com/

Technology Tools for Stages 4&5 https://www.wyzant.com/resources/lessons/english/esl [Application] GrammarUp Podcasts

Cooperate Learning Strategies •	Jigsaw •	Partner Work •	One Minute Papers •	Debates •	Cooperative Graffiti

Listening and speaking skills for elementary level EL students •	http://www.colorincolorado.org/speaking-listening-skills-ells •	https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator-english/esl-listening-activities-intermediate/ •	https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/blog-posts/amanda-nehring/2017/Games-Help-ELLStudents-Meet-Speaking-and-Listening-Standards/

Grammar and vocabulary development strategies for elementary-level EL students Pre-teach vocabulary

Before doing an activity, teaching content, or reading a story in class, pre-teaching vocabulary is always helpful, especially for ELLs. This will give them the chance to identify words and then be able to place them in context and remember them. You can pre-teach vocabulary by using English as a second language (ESL) methods such as:

Role playing or pantomiming Using gestures Showing real objects Pointing to pictures Doing quick drawings on the board Using the Spanish equivalent and then asking students to say the word in English

To ensure mastery of more complex words and concepts, you might want to follow these six ESL steps:

Pre-select a word from an upcoming text or conversation. Explain the meaning with student-friendly definitions. Provide examples of how it is used. Ask students to repeat the word three times. Engage students in activities to develop mastery. Ask students to say the word again.

Focus on cognates

Cognates are words in different languages that are derived from the same original word or root. Note that about 40% of all English words have similar cognates in Spanish! This is an obvious bridge to the English language  if the student is made aware of how to use this resource.

Cognates are related words like family and familia, director and director, and conversation and conversación. False cognates do exist (mano in Spanish means hand, not man), but they are the exception to the rule. Encourage ELLs to guess at words and try to decipher text based on this existing knowledge. The more familiarity a teacher has with Spanish, the easier it is to point out these connections. Scaffold

Scaffolding is providing a support for students as they learn new skills or information. For scaffolding vocabulary, you can:

Use a graphic organizer to explain concepts and related words. [Example coming soon] Use the six ESL steps above to help students understand and use the word immediately. Post new vocabulary on a word wall, and review the words daily. Swap out old words as necessary. Label drawings and pictures to help students make the connection between oral and written English. Point to these visuals to clarify meaning when using these words.

Use computers and television

When geared to ELLs, computer programs and television programs are proven supplements to helping ELLs build language and reading skills. Computers are a non-threatening way to help children work on their own or with a buddy to learn vocabulary, sounds of English, syntax, reading, and writing. Educational children's television can also be a wonderful way to increase many reading skills, including vocabulary and comprehension. Use audio books

Help ELLs build vocabulary by providing books with tapes in a listening center on one side of the classroom. By hearing and seeing the word in context at the same time, ELLs pick up its meaning and also gain prosody, and oral fluency. Use a word wizard box

Ask students to bring new words into the classroom that they hear at home, on TV, or anywhere else and drop these words into a word wizard box. At the end of class, pull out a word and ask who wrote it. Have students tell you where they heard the words and how they were used. Ask students to use these new words in their discussions and writing. Encourage oral language use

ELLs are not going to learn academic English from their parents nor their peers. They are going to learn it from you. Begin by making sure that they know instructional words that you use every day, such as "follow directions", "describe", "start at the top of the page", "read to the bottom of page 4", "highlight the verbs only", and "use the steps in your guide."

Encourage ELLs to speak in class as much as possible. Structure conversations around books and subjects that build vocabulary. Instead of simple "yes or no" questions, ask questions that are interactive and meaningful. For example, "What do you think? What should we change?" In these ways, ELLs will learn the academic English they will need to succeed in future schooling. Remember to be sensitive to ELLs who may be afraid to make mistakes. Here are some ideas for helping ELLs feel comfortable in the classroom. Model correct usage

Instead of frequently correcting pronunciation or grammar, reaffirm the student's idea and then say the word correctly and in context.

Strategies for comprehensible input, feedback, building background, and student engagement •	Activate Student Background Knowledge to Provide Comprehensible Input English Language Learners require "comprehensible input" for learning to take place. The term "comprehensible input" as used in language acquisition research describes the ideal or optimal input for learning to take place. The concept is commonly denoted by the simple formula (i + 1 ), where "i" represents the student's current level of knowledge/understanding, and "+ 1" indicates language or information just slightly beyond the current level of understanding. For learning to take place, input must include sufficient amounts of both language/information at the student's current level of understanding and new language/information just slightly above that. If the input provided lacks one of these elements, then learning does not occur. Insufficient grounding in what students currently know/understand gives them no foundation on which to build new understanding. And input containing too much material beyond that level (for example, i + 2, i + 6, i + 10) simply goes over their heads and will not be understood (Krashen, 1982). •	Link new concepts with previously learned material and provide effective scaffolding. The process of activating students' background knowledge follows a cyclical path rather than a linear progression. It requires repeated efforts, throughout the lesson, to make explicit the connections between what the student already knows and the new content material. To build connections between background knowledge and new material, establish three types of connections: (1) from the text (whether spoken or written ) to other texts, relating new information to previously learned material, (2) from the text to the self, relating the new information to students' personal experiences, and (3) from the text to the world, relating new information to its real world application(s). Do this while providing the visual and memory supports that will help students comprehend and remember what they are learning. Effective scaffolding helps ELL students to overcome language gaps and enhances retention of the new information (Zwiers, 2008).