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