Teaching ELL StudentsSean Mikels

Facts about ELL Students

 

According to Goldenberg (2008) the population of ELL learners in the United States has grown from 2 million to 5 million since 1990.  80% of these learners are Spanish speaking.

ELLs are the fastest growing segment of the school-age population

Facts about ELL Students Continued…

When ELL learners use reading materials that have subject content familiar to them and their cultural experiences, they are better able to comprehend the reading text.

ELL students need MANY opportunities to practice their language skills  

Cultural Discontinuity Cultural discontinuity refers to a lack of

congruence of fit between home and school environments (Nieto, 2004).

This happens because these students come from small, rural communities and become overwhelmed by the stature and resources of American schools (Nieto, 2004)

Many things that American children take for granted (lockers, cafeterias, electronic pencil sharpeners, etc) are all new to the migrant student. 

An Ideal ELL Classroom looks like…

Word walls in English and in Spanish.

KWL Charts

Spanish/English Books and curriculum

Welcoming atmosphere

Successful Classroom Practices for ELL

Students Modeled Reading

Mini-lessons for explicit instruction

Vocabulary development is crucial for ELL learners and this should be done through explicit vocabulary instruction.

Also, that giving additional time for ELL learners to complete a task, even after school time, is important to improve learning. 

SIOP Model

Best Practices

Hands on classroom

More choices for students

Multiple styles of teaching

Having children take ownership of their own learning

Parent Involvement

Many times families are hesitant to become involved in their children’s schooling.

Often, parents are only called to the school for disciplinary reasons.

developing a trust between a teacher and a family

Knowing where your child is coming from can help you tailor their education

References Goldenberg, Claude (2008). Teaching English

Language Learners:  What Research Does and Does Not Say.  American Educator, Summer, 1-19.

Denise Cochran

 Bos, C.S. & Reyes, E.I., (1996) Conversations with a latina teacher about education for language-minority students.  The Elementary School Journal 96(3) pp.343-351

Kimberly Warren

Bruna, K.R., Ceballos, E.M., Chamberlin, E., & Lewis H., (2007). Teaching science to Students from Rural Mexico. The Science Teacher, 74 (8), 36-40.

Sean Mikels