What advice do you have for teaching EL students in 3rd grade in a gen ed setting?
In the school that I was at, there were many languages from Farsi to Spanish. I have to say that I have used Google Translate, drew pictures or used picture cards to communicate. I have even used sign language. I have researched noted people from their culture to find a connection. I have used body language, gestures and facial expressions to communicate. As teachers we do whatever we can to connect with students even when we don’t share the same language. Once they have a small vocabulary and can communicate in English or a combination of languages between the two of us, I try to target reading skills beginning with consonants and words that have that initial sound. It is a slow road but I believe it takes 5-7 years for proficiency in at least verbal language.
A great tip for teaching English Language Learners is to **maintain high expectations by not simplifying grade-level content**. Instead of simplifying the material, provide the necessary supports, like scaffolding, sentence frames, and visual aids, to help ELL students access and understand the content. This approach ensures they are challenged and able to engage with the same rigorous curriculum as their peers, promoting both language development and academic growth.
With my English language learners, I often ask them to tell me what they are not understanding so that I can make modifications for them. I also do a lot of modeling because they need a lot of visuals to help them to understand. Sometimes it also takes a lot of repletion and practice to ensure that they are learning and it helps to build their confidence.
One very big thing I changed in my classroom a couple of years ago was to label things not just with English words, but also pictures! This has really helped bring some confidence to my MLL students because they know what they are looking for! I have also done some of the aforementioned things. I would say that just finding out what they need from you is a great place to start and if you have an MLL teacher, work with them as well to ensure students get what they need most!
