Make It and Take ItUseful Tools for Teachers
Angel MillsESL Lead Teacher/Program Specialist
Lee County SchoolsELL Symposium
July 23, 2014
During this session we will…
• Talk about great stuff to use in the classroom with ELLs
• Talk about the usefulness of word banks for learning and instruction
• Make a sample of a foldable with many uses• Brainstorm ways to maximize use of our
created materials• Have fun!
The Power of Word Banks
• Word Banks—lists of words related to a topic of study• Brainstorming the words for the bank allows all students to
have the opportunity to speak, listen, read and write• As a reference, a word banks encourage students to review past
knowledge and use the words to integrate content in their writing
• Contextualized repetition helps students use and retain content-area vocabulary
• Easily accessible word banks assist students who need more individualized instruction
• Can be a good resource to promote buddy work: student review the word bank with one another
Easy Ways to Reach & Teach English Language Learners © SchifferDanoff, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Types of Word Banks
• Student generated• Teacher generated• Thematic• Topic• Skill
Ways to Display a Word Bank
• File Folder• Word Wall• Personal List• Chart Paper• Foldables
Sample Word Bank By Theme and Grade Level: Elementary School
Vivian Levarek, ESL Teacher, Tramway Elementary School
Sample Word Bank By Skill: Elementary School
Vivian Levarek, ESL Teacher, Tramway Elementary School
Sample Word Wall By Theme: Middle School
Mark Hildreth, Sheltered Language Arts Teacher, San Lee Middle School
“Unlocking Transitions” Word Bank Foldable
How the “Unlocking Transitions” Word Bank Foldable Supports Learning for ELLs
Writing• Organization• Flow• Clarity• Purpose • Transition from casual to
language to using academic language in writing
Reading• “Reading to Learn” • Helps students monitor
their understanding, • Helps students learn the
specific content presented• Explicitly taught….reading
strategy
What else can you do with this word bank foldable?
What other types of word banks can you create using this foldable format?
Word Bank Topic/Theme Purpose
Other Tools for Teachers of ELLs
• Pinterest!•
20+ Ways to Get English Language Learners Meaningfully Involved In Your Class– Tiny URL: http://tinyurl.com/nncwgr5
