Scaffolding for ELLS

by The Northern ESL PLC

New ELL-What Do I Do First?• Provide a welcoming, safe environment.• Assign a willing buddy and give a school tour.• Check textbook kits; many publishers have resources designed so

that ELLs may participate in lessons even if they have limited English.

• ELLs may not speak for weeks. This “silent phase” is normal. Be patient and don’t force him/her to talk.• Learn ELL’s language level; check with your ESL teacher.• Learn about the student’s language and culture; introduce ELL’s

home country to the class.• GRADES: Modify content, assignments, and assessments to allow

ELLs to succeed.

Ideas for English: Reading & Writing

• Reading material should be at student’s instructional level or scaffold it for comprehension.

• Tape record information for ELL & let him/her listen to it• Teach reading strategies that enable ELLs to predict,

question & visualize the story• Print. ELL may not know cursive; it needs to be taught• Provide list of basic sentence or words (with pictures) most

frequently used in their classrooms• Allow ELLs to write about topics in which they have

background knowledge• Allow ELLs to work together when possible during the

writing process• Pre-teach academic vocabulary

Ideas for Social Studies & Science

• Allow beginner to use drawings, graphs, charts, and journals to show knowledge of concepts

• Should work in groups whenever possible to solve & do experiments

• Show sample or models of completed project.• Use hands-on activities• Use many visual aids: puzzles, computer, maps, graphic

organizers• Teach key concepts and Academic Vocabulary• Tape record test or give orally• Prepare large charts that summarize the steps involved in

experiments

Ideas for Math• Show completed assignments and projects

• Print assignments & directions on the board.

• Provide manipulatives: counters, # lines, etc.

• Rewrite story problems in simpler English.

• Use many visual aids: pictures, illustrations

• Show ELLs how to prepare a card file of number words

Many Samples Of Lessons• University of Nebraska-The lessons below were prepared by

the sixteen teachers who served as co-facilitators. They are divided according to content area. There are also two presentations related to strategy use.

http://www.unk.edu/coe.aspx?id=20154#twoplans

• Common Core Aligned Tasks, NYC educators & national experts

http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/CommonCoreLibrary/TasksUnitsStudentWork/default.htm

Beginner (Entering) Learning Styles

• Most new ELL students learn best visually and kinesthetically. • Don’t expect them to sit and listen to lectures. (auditory learning)

This is very difficult for ELLs.

• Use lots of gestures, drawings, or other visual aids.

• Give students hands-on activities to complete.

• http://busyteacher.org/14192-how-to-teach-visual-learners-9-ways-esl-learning.html Visual Learning Strategies

• http://www.education.com/magazine/article/kinesthetic_learner/ Kinesthetic Learning Strategies

Scaffolding Tips• Reduce # of objectives & key concepts. Focus on 2 to 3 key

ideas.• Provide visuals such as graphic organizers: diagrams,

timelines, story maps, etc.• Provide hands-on exercises, demonstrations, and activities.• Reduce amount of required reading and writing according to

ELL’s needs. Provide close reading strategies.• Provide a study guide or notes before beginning the unit or

chapter. Hold the ELL accountable for the reduced # of objectives.

• Have non- or very limited-English ELLs compile a picture dictionary of content and high frequency words from the unit. This can later be used for assessment.

• Make connections to students’ background.

Meeting Students’ Needs Through Scaffolding

• http://engageny.org/sites/default/files/resource/attachments/scaffolding_student_needs.pdf Meeting Student Needs Through Scaffolding

• Front-end scaffolding is defined as the actions teachers take to prepare students to better understand how to access complex text before they read it.

• Back-end scaffolding, on the other hand, is defined as what teachers plan to do after students read complex text to help deepen understanding of the text.

• Scaffolding Designed for ELLs:• https://www.engageny.org/resource/scaffolding-instru

ction-english-language-learners-resource-guides-english-language-arts-and

Close Reading of Text• http://www.shanahanonliteracy.com/2012/07/planning-for-close-reading.html Planning

for Close Reading

• http://www.aspeninstitute.org/sites/default/files/content/docs/pubs/CR.Primer.print_.pdf A Primer of Close Reading

• http://media.all4ed.org/webinar-dec-19-2012 Webinar on Close Reading of Text

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZIQcwbHRKY Close Reading, Grade 4

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFRClI2q18Y Grade 11

• http://blog.colorincolorado.org/ Background Knowledge and Teaching Informational Text

• https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnx0c2NvbW1vbmNvcmV8Z3g6NDRhMjI4Y2VhMzEwOTE5Nw The Instructional Shifts of the Common Core

EngageNY Seminar, Day 1

• http://www.engageny.org/resource/network-team-institute-materials-may-13-16-2013-ela-3-8-professional-development-day-one

• Day 1, Scaffolding Texts and Tasks for English Language Learners

• Module Samples• Session 1: Introduction: This folder contains the turnkey

materials for the introduction to the modules session for both new and returning NTI participants

• Session 2: Celebrating Learners' Strengths• Session 3: Best Practices in the Modules• Session 4 – Grades 3-5• Session 4 – Grades 6-8

EngageNY Seminar, Day 2 • http://www.engageny.org/resource/network-team-institute-

materials-may-13-16-2013-ela-3-8-professional-development-day-two

• Day 2, Scaffolding Texts and Tasks for English Language Learners, May 13-16, 2013

• Session 1: Tiering the Tasks, not the Text

• Session 2: Roundtables

• Session 3: Increasing a Volume Reading

• Session 4: Increasing a Volume Reading (field session)

Scaffolding Guides

• https://www.engageny.org/resource/scaffolding-instruction-english-language-learners-resource-guides-english-language-arts-and ELL Scaffolding Guides

• http://elschools.org/sites/default/files/Final%20ELL%20Guide.pdf A Guide to Support ELLs by Expeditionary Learning

Classroom Instruction That Works for English Language Learners

• Jane Hill and Kathleen Flynn have examined decades of research, interviewed mainstream teachers with ELLs in their classrooms, and reviewed the classroom recommendations from Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock’s seminal Classroom Instruction That Works (2001) through an ELL lens:

Making Content Comprehensible for ELLs: The SIOP Model

• From its opening overview of the issues related to educating English learners to its new Chapter 12 that presents frequently asked questions with answers from the authors to help teachers get started implementing SIOP(R), the book provides school administrators, teachers, coaches, teacher candidates, university faculty, and field experience supervisors with a superior tool for improving the education of English learners and promoting their academic gains.

Teaching English Language Learners: Across the Content Areas

• Real-life examples of lessons from elementary, middle, and high school that have been modified for ELLs in language arts, math, science, and social studies classes show how to effectively put the authors' recommendations into practice. A glossary of important ELL and ESL terms is included as well, for those who are new to teaching ELLs. Whether novice or veteran, all teachers of ELLs will benefit from this wonderfully practical guide to ensuring that ELLs learn English by learning content and learn content while learning English. By Judie Haynes and Debbie Zacharian

Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners by Paula Rutherford

• This book is designed to help teachers build skillfulness in recognizing, respecting, and responding to the needs of the wide range of diverse students in today's classrooms.

• It provides an array of strategies to scaffold and extend learning of gifted students, English language learners, and students with special needs.

• These strategies and skills assist teachers in the design of units and lessons aligned with the Common Core State Standards and/or state and district standards so that all learners are appropriately supported and challenged.

Differentiating Instruction and Assessment for English Language Learners: A Guide for K - 12

Teachers • The book is aligned with national and state English language proficiency

standards and assessments, and it gives teachers tools to ensure that every ELL develops the oral and written academic language they need to

reach high content-area standards and succeed at school.

Included with the book is a quick-reference poster that organizes student descriptors, appropriate assessments, and instructional strategies

according to five levels of ELD.

Every Teacher’s Toolkitby Karen Kawaguchi

• This is a great book for teachers who have little or no experience with ELLs.

• It includes lots of basics like a description of ELL language proficiency levels, a glossary of commonly used terms in English language teaching, and tips on teaching academic vocabulary.

• Each unit includes mini-lessons, useful graphic organizers and insights on ESL methodology.

Scaffolding for ELLs

A consistent mix of mini lessons and strategies support every Toolkit lesson:

• Preview the Toolkit Lesson builds background knowledge and introduces concepts, vocabulary, and language structures used in the Toolkit lesson.• Teach the Toolkit Lesson integrates the preview activities into the Toolkit lessons and help you optimize Toolkit practices to support ELLs.• Extend the Toolkit Lesson includes explicit practice with grammar, syntax and oracy, as well as content and comprehension extensions.

Learn more about the Comprehension Toolkit series at ComprehensionToolkit.com

Great Scaffolding Links• http://home.comcast.net/~

mariluwho/Handouts05/Visual_Scaffolding_to_Support_ELL_Reading.pdf Visual Scaffolding to Support ELL Reading• http://www.pgcps.org/~rosa/esoln/scaffoldingfeb09.pdf Scaffolding ELLs• http://www.mlmcc.com/docs/2010-03-TESOL-Scaffolding-HO.pdf Scaffolding Academic Language for ELLs• http://

www.pps.k12.pa.us/143110127102951470/lib/143110127102951470/content_area_texts.pdf

Helping ELLs Understand Content Texts• http://

www.edutopia.org/blog/scaffolding-lessons-six-strategies-rebecca-alber Six Scaffolding Tips to Use With ELLs

• http://blog.colorincolorado.org/ Teaching Informational Text to ELLs• http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/academics.cfm?subpage=930 Reading

Scaffolding Strategies• http://

faculty.scf.edu/sharric/softchalk/Lesson12b/EPIModule12/EPIModule1210.html Scaffolding for Elementary Reading

Great Resources• “Quick Reference Guide for Classroom Teachers of English

Language Learners” http://www.scsk12.org/SCS/subject-areas/ESL/PDFs/3-5_QRG_Jun_2009.pdf

• http://www.scsk12.org/SCS/subject-areas/ESL/PDFs/ELLS-Mod-Exam.pdf

• Best Practices for Classroom Teachers www.ovec.org/esl.htm

• http://bcsd.k12.ny.us/academics/ESL/esl_modifications.html

• http://www2.houstonisd.org/Multilingual/Home/Bilingual%20&%20ESL%20Programs/Teacher%20Resources/Best%20Practices/Bilingual-ESL_Best_Practices_Elementary2010.pdf