English language learners (ELLs) often face unique struggles to reach academic success and literacy development. To ensure their success, teachers must craft creative strategies that support ELLs in the classroom without drawing attention to different levels of text. The following are some tips for supporting ELLs with literacy development while keeping them at the same level as their English-speaking peers:
How can you support English language learners (ELL) in your content area with literacy development without drawing attention to different levels of text in the classroom?
1. Incorporate visual supports into lessons: Visual aids such as diagrams, illustrations, or charts can be incredibly helpful when teaching a lesson. This is especially true for ELLs who may not yet understand complex textual material. For example, if introducing a new reading comprehension strategy, create a graphic organizer that students can fill out together rather than relying solely on text-based explanations.
2. Use storytelling and drama activities: Storytelling and drama activities can help engage students in a way that traditional educational materials cannot match. These activities provide an opportunity for students to interact with each other using language they understand and feel comfortable speaking, which will help boost their confidence in the classroom setting and give them practice understanding complex concepts through narrative structures that are more accessible than pages of dense text would be on their own.
3. Utilize bilingual or dual language resources: Bilingual or dual language resources are incredibly beneficial for supporting English Language Learners’ literacy development because they allow students to access content information and vocabulary words in both languages simultaneously while practicing correct pronunciation of words and gaining cultural knowledge from the native language source material. Take advantage of these materials whenever possible during instruction time!
4 Introduce age-appropriate technology tools: Technology is becoming increasingly important within education today; many schools have started implementing digital platforms such as Google Classroom or Edmodo where teachers can provide assignments, track student progress, etc., so take advantage of this resource by introducing it into your classroom! Digital applications like Duolingo also offer opportunities for students to learn basic grammar skills in multiple languages – perfect for encouraging English Language Learners’ literacy growth without making them feel overwhelmed due to different levels among texts assigned/read/discussed throughout class periods..