Strategies to Improve English Language Learner ELL Engagement

Strategies to Improve English Language Learner (ELL) Engagement

Who are the ELLs? • Students whose primary/native language is one other than English • They can be born in the U. S. or another country. • Membership is expected temporary.

Have you seen these acronyms? • • ESL – English as a Second Language ELL – English Language Learners LEP – Limited English Proficient ELDA – English Language Development Assessment • NES – Non English Speaker

What Is the Number? LA 2010 LEP Population: 13, 093 Top languages in the state: • Spanish – 69% • Vietnamese – 12% LEPs in EBR are approx. 3% of the • Arabic – 6% total district • Chinese – 3% population. • French – 2% That’s approx. 11% of • Other – 8% the state total of LEPs.

Fastest Growing ELL Populations • U. S. -born children of immigrant (native-born) • 76% of ELLs in grade K-8 • 56% of ELLs in grade 9 -12 (Batalova, Fix, and Murray, 2007) • ELLs comprise one of the fastest-growing groups among the school-aged population.

Factors- Differences among ELLs • • Native language(s) Level of native language/literacy skills Level of English language/literacy skills Length of time family has lived in US Previous schooling experience Familiarity with school routines Content-area knowledge Parental education

How do I speak to the ELLs? • Use clear, normal speech. • You may have to slow down, repeat yourself, or rephrase what you said. • NEVER use baby talk, shout, or talk excessively slow with ELLs. • Try not to use a lot of idioms or slang. • Smile!!

How do I teach ELLs? • • Use of visuals and realia Gestures (body language) Build on prior knowledge. Peer assistance Graphic organizers Model everything. Put it in writing. Keep it simple.

Planning Classroom Instruction • Simply change some of the ways that instruction is presented, not a new lesson. • Examples: teach to varied learning styles, high expectations, more wait time, repeat/rephrase. • Explicit vocabulary instruction—focusing on a few key words; utilize word walls.

What are accommodations and why do we need them? • The content of the standard remains the same, but how a student accesses information and demonstrates mastery of that content may be adjusted. • Made in order to provide a student with equal access to learning and equal opportunity to show what he or she knows and can do.

The Assignments are in: Now what? • Grading should be a fair assessment of what the student has completed. • Should focus on the process and the end product. • Use of alternative assessments • Recognize effort and improvement • Like assignments, assessments can be differentiated, too.

Things to remember… • Treat ELLs like the rest of your students. • Get to know your students. • Use the different cultures to educate yourself and the other students. • Don’t hesitate to ask the ESL Instructional Specialists for help. We are always available!

D for Devastation I still recall the excitement I felt as a child when the teacher handed out report cards each quarter. I felt a sense of satisfaction that my hard work had paid off. It took only one report card to forever change my perspective. I remember vividly the moment I saw my grade in math—a D. I had never received any grade lower than a C. I was devastated. My homework and assignments had indicated I was doing OK. The next day, I asked my teacher to double-check because I was sure he had made a mistake. He responded, “No, it is correct—you bombed the last test. ” That event shaped my assessment practices as a teacher. Throughout my 18 years in the classroom, I always ensured accurate assessment of student learning based on multiple measures, not a single test. --Lori Mora, assistant principal Dear Valley Middle, Arizona