Supporting English Language Learners

“For language minority students, the teacher must teach the subject matter in a context that the student can relate to and that is accessible to the student….Now the focus is the interrelationship of science and literacy in English. In the classroom you would see much more writing about science, students engaged in discourse about what they are learning, sharing different cultural experiences, and reading as a means to not only gather data, but to also sharpen comprehension skills”.
Johnson. November, 2005. “Making Instruction Relevant to Language Minority Students at the Middle Level.” Middle School Journal.

“Visuals are especially successful in supporting English-language development because they are an excellent way to help students visualize the abstractions of language”.
Gersten and Baker. May, 2001.  “Practices for English-Language Learners,” National Institute for Urban School Improvement.

“Effective teachers consistently use a variety of techniques to give students access to content knowledge. Students can provide scaffolds for one another and thus mediate instruction when teachers plan collaboration among students.”
Freeman and Freeman. 2002. Closing the Achievement Gap: How to Reach Limited-Formal-Schooling and Long-Term English Learners. NH: Heinemann.

Additional Resources for Supporting English Language Learners

Gibbons. 2002. Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning. NH: Heinemann.

Valdez Pierce. 2003. Assessing English Language Learners. Washington, DC: NEA.

Vocke. 2007. Where Do I Go From Here? Meeting the Unique Educational Needs of Migrant Students. NH: Heinemann.