Teaching English Language Learners Across the Content Areas, Feb/2010

Taking off from the ideas in our best-selling book Getting Started with English Language Learners, here’s a book that helps teachers in every subject area become expert teachers of English language learners (ELL). Using classroom scenarios that depict common challenges in elementary, middle, and high school content area classes, the authors describe the basics that every teacher needs to begin teaching both content and the English language, including

1. Learning environments that provide ELLs with multiple opportunities to practice activities and connect learning to personal and cultural experiences.
2. Lesson plans that identify core ideas, tap students’ background knowledge, and use visuals, think-alouds and other ways to engage ELLs.
3. Small‑group configurations that include ELLs in mainstream instruction by involving them in activities with their fellow students.

Discover how mainstream, subject area teachers can modify instruction to involve ELL students—while still engaging the whole class—by implementing proven classroom strategies, including

1. Visual and tactile activities that provide ELLs with adequate repetition and practice of new vocabulary words and concepts.
2. Six essential reading comprehension strategies that should be taught to ELLs in all grade levels.
3. Five do’s and don’ts for teaching writing to ELLs.
4. Techniques for assigning homework and creating assessments that are appropriate for the stages of English language acquisition.