Reflect: YES! ELLs are continuously doing at least double the work of everyone else in the room but it might only look like half as much. We simply cannot expect ELLs to produce the same level of work as a native speaker that has been in the country/US schools for their entire life. Modification and differentiation is essential to an ELLs education, especially those that have recently arrived in the U.S. or are at the entering/emerging proficiency level.
Now What: Make it visual is a strategy that I use consistently. The amount of times I am looking up photos or just providing graphic organizers to modify for my kids has been unlimited. However, this makes a huge difference in the educational success of our ELLs. Also, these modifications are good for all students in the classroom and ensure that everyone has equal access to the curriculum. Also as an ENL teacher, I truly appreciate #3 - Communicate with the ESL teacher. We are a wealth of knowledge, and if we don't know how to help, we probably know a resource or can refer you to help! I also believe Sentence Frames are such a huge support for our kids. It gives the the necessary push to get to producing their own language and structure. If we are successful in using these strategies we will see an increase in ELL engagement, production of work, and overall confidence in the classroom!
Now What: Make it visual is a strategy that I use consistently. The amount of times I am looking up photos or just providing graphic organizers to modify for my kids has been unlimited. However, this makes a huge difference in the educational success of our ELLs. Also, these modifications are good for all students in the classroom and ensure that everyone has equal access to the curriculum. Also as an ENL teacher, I truly appreciate #3 - Communicate with the ESL teacher. We are a wealth of knowledge, and if we don't know how to help, we probably know a resource or can refer you to help! I also believe Sentence Frames are such a huge support for our kids. It gives the the necessary push to get to producing their own language and structure. If we are successful in using these strategies we will see an increase in ELL engagement, production of work, and overall confidence in the classroom!