Instructional Strategies for ELL Classrooms Running head: INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR ELL CLASROOMS

Instructional Strategies for ELL Classrooms Jean Kelly Grand Canyon University: ESL 223 October 9, 2011

Instructional Strategies for ELL Classrooms Instructional Strategies for ELL Classrooms Students in every classroom require instructional strategies that are understandable and

effective teaching tools to help them attain successful learning. ELL students require effective and understandable instructional strategies to attain academic success while utilizing tools that also work with their individual level of English language proficiency within the learning structure of the lessons. Comprehensible Input To learn one must be able to first understand what is being taught. The first step in planning instructional strategies that will be effective for the English language learner is to identify what the student is able to understand. Aligning their sentence and vocabulary structure with their students level of proficiency allows an educator to communicate more effectively with the English language learner (Krashen 1981). The beginning ELL may be unfamiliar with English and its academic usage in the classroom and will benefit from an educator who speaks more slowly and is careful to enunciate each word while using visual cues or contextual support to help impart meaning to the spoken words. As the proficiency levels increase the educator can adjust their speed and enunciation to a normal classroom level (Echevarria et al. 2008). English language learners in the beginning stages of acquisition also benefit from keeping language relevant to the immediate environment. This gives the ELL literal context that is concrete and easier to associate with appropriate words and their usage (Krashen 1981). The important part of comprehensible input is that what the student is able to understand is what they are able to take in and learn from. Word drills and lists are meaningless to someone with no understanding of the meaning of each word (Krashen 1981).

Feedback

Instructional Strategies for ELL Classrooms An essential component of effective instructional strategies in the classroom is the ability

to determine what the students understand in regard to what they are experiencing or hearing. Use of assessment techniques to gain feedback from the students level of understanding allows the educator to monitor the progress of the student and adjust techniques if necessary (Hickman et al 2004). Using reading aloud as an instructional strategy to introduce new words and ideas to students an educator is able to use interactive discussions and questioning to assess how much of the content and wording the students understood (Hickman et al. 2004). In this instance the instructor is able to specifically pinpoint the new words that will be introduced and ask the students if they are familiar with the words. After the reading the instructor engages the students by asking questions about the reading encouraging the students to utilize the specific words in the context of the reading subject (Hickman et al. 2004). Using interactive techniques that encourage students to participate in classroom learning instead of simply imparting information allows the educator to evaluate and assist the students in their understanding during instructional periods while obtaining feedback on the effectiveness of the teaching strategy (Echevarria et al. 2008). Grouping Structures and Techniques Grouping strategies enable students to benefit from seeing a correlation between concepts, ideas and words. Breaking down groups of words into content areas based on what they refer to allows the ELL to make the connection between specific words and specific word structures ( Echevarria et al. 2008). Using charts or graphs to designate which words are people, things or actions gives the students a reference to use in understanding the meaning behind the word (Echevarria et al 2008). Grouping together content area with language development allows the ELL to simultaneously acquire skills, concepts and vocabulary (Huerta, Jackson. 2010). When used in combination with meaningful activities the acquisition of language and literacy skills are more successful (Huerta, Jackson. 2010).

Instructional Strategies for ELL Classrooms Building Background and Vocabulary development Students developing vocabulary skills benefit from the instructional strategy of linking prior knowledge to the newly introduced words (Echevarria et al 2008). The ELL may not be familiar with the English word for an object or idea but most likely has seen or heard of a related word or idea in their own culture ( Echevarria et al 2008). When an ELL student is able to

connect new information to something that they are familiar with in their own cultural background they are able to make more of a meaningful connection between their knowledge and the content area ( Echevarria et al 2008). Teaching new concepts at the core is about building information from the basic elements to complex thoughts and ideas. Combining comprehension with vocabulary exposure by activating a students background knowledge in story content supports language acquisition and literacy skills (Hickman et al. 2004). Proficient readers draw on background experiences and cues to derive meaning from text, ELL students can benefit from working with an educator to preview reading materials finding the commonalities between the text and their cultural experiences (Bowman-Perrott et al. 2010). Kindergarten students participating in a science experiment collected rocks labeling them with both their native language and English starting a word wall to connect the two languages and provide aide in the classroom (Huerta, Jackson. 2010). These students were then able to build on this base expanding into plants and weather conditions transitioning into English reading and writing in their excitement to record their new experiments (Heurta, Jackson. 2010).

Student Engagement Statistically ELL students have a disproportional rate of dropping out of school as compared to other students ( Bowman-Perrott et al. 2010). Engaging the interest of the ELL

Instructional Strategies for ELL Classrooms student goes beyond lecturing and presenting information (Huerta, Jackson. 2010). The ELL student, like every student, needs to be challenged to maintain their interest. Worksheets or coloring activities for older ELL students leave them feeling discouraged and disinterested

(Bowman-Perrott et al. 2010). Adapting lessons to support learning and development for the ELL without diluting the key concepts and utilizing alternative methods to allow them to demonstrate their learning engages and challenges the ELL student to achieve (Garcia, Tyler. 2010). Classroom opportunities for interactions geared towards oral language development for the ELL student supports language and literacy development (Garcia, Tyler. 2010). Students that are interested and included in the lesson presented will be more likely to engage and interact in the classroom setting ( Echevarria et al 2010). ELL students present an opportunity and a challenge to the educator willing to motivate them to academic and social English proficiency. Utilizing instructional strategies to keep the ELL interested and included benefits everyone involved in the learning process.

Instructional Strategies for ELL Classrooms References Bowman-Perrott, L., Herrara, S., Murry, K., (2010). Reading difficulties and grade retention: whats the connection for English language learners?[Electronic version]. Reading and Writing Quarterly 26, 91-107. Echevarria, J., Vogt, M., Short, D., (2008). Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners. The SIOP Model.3rd Edition. Allyn & Bacon. New York, Boston. Garcia, S., Tyler, B., (2010). Meeting the needs of English language learners with learning disabilities in the general curriculum. [Electronic version]. Theory into Practice, 49, 113120.

Hickman, P., Pollard-Durodola, S., Vaughn, S.(2004). Storybook reading: improving vocabulary and comprehension for English-language learners [Electronic version]. Reading Teacher 57(8), 720-729 Huerta, M., Jackson, J. (2010). Connecting literacy and science to increase achievement for English language learners [Electronic version]. Early Childhood Education, 38, 205-211 Krashen, S. (1981). Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning. [Electronic version]