Opinion Blog

Classroom Q&A

With Larry Ferlazzo

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to lferlazzo@epe.org. Read more from this blog.

English Learners Opinion

10 Strategies for Reaching English-Learners

By Larry Ferlazzo — July 28, 2022 5 min read
Supportive hand holds up a student who is reaching for a star
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

During the summer, I am sharing thematic posts bringing together responses on similar topics from the past 11 years. You can see all those collections from the first 10 years here.

Today’s theme is teaching English-Language Learners.

You can see the list following this excerpt from one of the posts:

teachersneedhaynes

1. Crystal Ball Predictions: What Will Education for ELL Students Look Like in 10 Years?

In the next decade, schools just might appreciate English-learners for whom they are and the language skills they possess. Read more.

2. 14 Strategies for Teaching Intermediate English-Language Learners

Using drama, sentence frames, and academic conversations are a few teacher-recommended instructional strategies for intermediate ELLs. Read more.

3. Four Educator-Recommended Approaches for Teaching English-Language Learners

Five educators recommend classroom strategies for teaching ELLs, including translanguaging & consistency. Read more.

4. The Six Most Effective Instructional Strategies for ELLs—According to Teachers

Teachers share their “go-to” strategies for teaching English-language learners, including sentence starters and Total Physical Response. Read more.

5. Assessment Strategies for English-Language Learners

Four educators share practical assessment strategies to support English-language learners. Read more.

6. Thirteen Instructional Strategies for Supporting ELL Newcomers

Five educators share effective instructional strategies to use with English-language-learner newcomers, including using images and games. Read more.

7. Author Interview: ‘Reading & Writing With English Learners’

Authors Valentina Gonzalez & Melinda Miller answer questions about their book Reading & Writing with English Learners: A Framework for K-5. Read more.

8. 12 Common Mistakes Made by Teachers of English-Language Learners

Don’t assume students who are paying attention understand what’s being taught and, especially for young children, support learning in their home language. Those are among the ideas six educators share for helping ELLs. Read more.

9. Don’t Make Assumptions About Your ELL Students

Seven educators offer their nominations for the most common mistakes made by teachers of ELLs, including making background-knowledge assumptions and not providing enough scaffolding. Read more.

10. Teachers Must Create Ways ELL ‘Students Can Show Us What They Know’

Four educators share common mistakes made by teachers of English-language learners, including not being creative in how ELLs can show us what they know and by translating “everything.” Read more.

More Q&A posts about teaching English-language learners:


Explore other thematic posts:

Related Tags:

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Promoting Integrity and AI Readiness in High Schools
Learn how to update school academic integrity guidelines and prepare students for the age of AI.
Content provided by Turnitin

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

English Learners Trump Has Made English the Official Language. What That Means for Schools
Experts spoke with Education Week about the potential challenges and opportunities an official U.S. language creates.
6 min read
An illustration of a speech bubble on a blue background. The American Flag takes up the entire inside of the speech bubble.
iStock/Getty
English Learners How Schools Can Expand Dual-Language Immersion Programs
Bipartisan state and local demand for dual-language immersion programs continues to grow.
4 min read
042523 Cardona Bilingual 3 EdDe BS
One of the last projects U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona oversaw was the publication of playbooks on how to establish and sustain dual-language immersion programs across the country.
Courtesy of U.S. Department of Education
English Learners Q&A How English-Learner Standards Can Help Teachers Help Students
Jenni Torres is the new executive director of WIDA, the organization that oversees English learner assessments in most states.
3 min read
Fifth graders work on their math problems in a bilingual classroom at Sandoval Elementary School in Chicago on Dec. 3, 2019.
Fifth graders work on their math problems in a bilingual classroom at Sandoval Elementary School in Chicago on Dec. 3, 2019. Jenni Torres, the new executive director of WIDA, hopes to expand upon professional development to support all teachers working with multilingual students.
Jose M. Osorio /Chicago Tribune via TNS
English Learners Q&A What’s Ahead for the 5.3 Million English Learners in Our Schools?
If English learners do well, the whole nation will, says the outgoing director of the federal office of English language acquisition.
6 min read
Photograph of a Hispanic elementary school girl writing at her desk in a classroom setting
E+