Challenges/Barriers

The adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) established rigorous standards for all students to master in order to promote college and career readiness. However, since the introduction of the CCSS and NGSS, rich dialogue remains regarding the extent to which the CCSS and NGSS will ensure that all students, especially English learners (ELs), are best supported in attempting to meet these demanding standards. A key support for ELs involves teachers’ implementation of Sheltered Instructional methods.

Coleman and Goldenberg suggest that sheltered instruction for ELs should focus on several specific areas: providing daily English language instruction, ensuring academic English is taught to ELs, allowing ample time for structured student talk, paying special attention to how EL students are grouped, and better promoting and encouraging verbal interaction between EL students and English speaking students.

 In 2012, the Council of Chief State School Officers developed a framework for ELP standards within the context of the CCSS and NGSS (see Council of Chief State School Officers, 2012) to provide both states and schools (K-12) with better tools to ensure EL success within the greater context of the CCSS and NGSS. Check out the framework here!

Resources

Coleman, R. & Goldenberg, C. (2012). The Common Core challenge for English Language Learners. Principal Leadership, 12(February), 46-51.

 Council of Chief State School Officers. (2012). Framework for English Language Proficiency Development Standards corresponding to the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards.Washington, DC: CCSSO.

A recent study from the Education Week Research Center suggests that only half of all teachers feel prepared to teach Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Even more concerning—less than 25% of teachers feel prepared to teach using the CCSS for English learners (ELs)!

In a similar study of educators in California, Gándara, Maxwell-Jolly and Driscoll (2005) found that some of the top struggles cited by teachers in working with ELs both at the primary and secondary levels were, communication (both with EL students and students’ families), insufficient time to teach everything, the difficulty with having a wide range of  academic levels in the classroom, and the lack of tools, resources and support available for teachers to use in the classroom to better support EL students.

The results of the Gándara, Maxwell-Jolly and Driscoll (2005) report suggest that teachers who work with ELs could be better supported by state, district and school-implemented programs which focus more directly on the development of resources for teachers (e.g. developing clearinghouses), reemphasizing the importance of professional development focused on working with ELs, as well as the further research investigating the needs of EL students.

Resources:

Education Week Research Center. (2014). From adoption to practice: Teacher perspectives on the Common Core. Bethesda, Maryland.

Gándara, P, Maxwell-Jolly, J, & Driscoll, A. (2005). Listening to teachers of English language learners: A survey of California teachers’ challenges, experiences, and professional development needs. Santa Cruz, CA: The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning.

Did you know that, for the first time, starting in the fall of 2017, the ACT will now offer testing accommodations for EL students?

With this move to ensure better access and a more equal testing opportunity, students will be able to apply through their high school counseling office to receive accommodations that include additional testing time (up to time-and-a-half), a word-to-word bilingual glossary, instructional material provided in a student’s native language (initially limited to a small number of languages), and testing in reduced distraction environments. While initially the testing company will not be able to provide material for all languages, the announcement earlier this week points to continued growth of testing resources for more languages.

Resource

For details of the new policy announcement, check out this article from Education Week. 

Preparing for and applying to college is often daunting for students and their families: from determining school choices to writing admissions essays, it is a challenging and stressful process. It can also be particularly taxing for EL students, many of whom find themselves without adequate access to resources that would help prepare them for applying to and attending college. It is therefore vitally important that teachers at any grade level actively promote college readiness among their students and their students’ families.

The American Institutes for Research conducted a study in 2010 on effective practices for encouraging college readiness among EL students, and contains numerous ideas for engaging students and their families in college preparation in and out of the classroom.

Colorín Colorado also has many useful tips for orienting EL students toward college, and ensuring they and their families have the resources they need to make informed decisions regarding such subjects as the application process, school choice, and financial aid.

Several studies of mainstream settings show that in many classrooms, EL students are often less likely to participate in, and respond to, in-class material than their fluent English-speaking peers. Additional research suggests that teachers may not provide ample time or appropriate instructional strategies to engage EL students with lower levels of English proficiency  in class discussion and response work, ultimately limiting opportunities for students to further develop and refine oral language skills.

However, Mohr and Mohr, compiled a helpful guide for how teachers might not only create opportunities for more inclusive classroom response activities, but also which offers specific examples for how to increase classroom talk with EL students.

Check out the article for the full discussion and ideas that you can start using right away! 

 Resources

Mohr, K.J., & Mohr, E.S. (2007, February). Extending English-Language Learners' Classroom Interactions Using the Response Protocol. The Reading Teacher, 60(5), 440-450.

Penfield, J. (1987). ESL: The regular classroom teachers' perspective. TESOL Quarterly, 21, 21-39.

Schinke-Llano, L. (1983). Foreigner talk in content classrooms. In H.W. Seliger & M.H. Long (Eds.), Classroom oriented research in second language acquisition (pp. 146-164). Rowley, MA: Newbury House.

 Wilhelm, R.W., Contreras, G., & Mohr, K.A.J. (2004, April). Barriers or frontiers: A bi-national investigation of Spanish-speaking immigrant students' school experiences. Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA.

How do you choose books to integrate into your instruction?

What sorts of reading and instructional materials do you make available for your students?

Research has shown that students’ development of knowledge and perceptions of both themselves and others is significantly affected by the classroom instructional materials they encounter (Hirschfelder, 1982); this is especially true for EL students and others who might also be navigating the acculturation process at the same time (Ndura, 2004).  An important first step in designing an inclusive classroom is to critically analyze students’ access to instructional materials; this includes asking who is being represented, how they are being represented, and whether materials are representative of diverse cultures and the lived experiences of students in your classroom. Another key issue for English learners involves whether texts in students’ native languages are available.

Also, this article discusses the limited extent to which diversity is represented in publishing.

For identifying diverse books that might make beneficial additions to your school or classroom library, take a look at this starter list from NPR.

Resources 

Hirschfelder, A. (1982) American Indian stereotypes in the World of Children: A Reader and Bibliography. Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press. 

Ndura, E. (2004). ESL and Cultural Bias: An Analysis of Elementary Through High School Textbooks in the Western United States of America. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 17, 143-153. 

As students return to the classroom for the 2017-2018 academic year, it is essential that teachers, schools, and districts have lessons and resources that promote and ensure a nurturing learning space for all students. In the aftermath of recent events in Charlottesville and across the nation, schools and classrooms should be prepared to help students understand and process these events. While addressing issues like ensuring diversity, promoting tolerance, and denouncing hate and bigotry can be challenging, there are many sources for help.

For resources to help administrators, instructors, and counselors promote tolerance and respond to hate and bias, check out the Teaching Tolerance program and other resources from the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The American Federation of Teachers has also assembled an excellent list of resources, tools, and lessons addressing topics of social justice to support teachers in discussing racism and stereotyping and helping students cope with traumatic events.

Additionally, Colorín Colorado provides several resources and tips for helping to protect EL students from bullying at school. 

Lastly, in the wake of the events in Charlottesville, educational lessons, tools, and resources are being collected and shared on Twitter under the hashtag #CharlottesvilleCurriculum. Check out the hashtag and other social media for further discussion and resources. 

One of the unique challenges many teachers face in cultivating academic English is aiming beyond lessons that simply target key vocabulary (Regalla, 2012). While it is certainly true that vocabulary is a key piece of developing academic English for content learning, there are many other aspects of teaching and learning related to language that are equally important. These include, for example: addressing grammar, demonstrating levels of reading comprehension, explicitly teaching writing conventions, highlighting word-based patterns, and targeting the role of functional language in the content areas.

 A useful tool, developed by Lindahl and Watkins (2014) is the Language Objectives Menu. It helps teachers develop a better understanding of the implicit language demands embedded in content area lessons. From there, teachers will be better equipped to implement strategies that support students’ acquisition of both content area knowledge, as well as academic language. The Language Objectives Menu looks at a variety of key areas of academic English learning (i.e. grammar, reading comprehension, functional language, word study, vocabulary, and writing conventions) and for each of these, lists common needs that EL students might have, as well as strategies for addressing them.

Lindahl and Watkins (2014) also give great suggestions on how to develop and implement language objectives within the context of content objectives and content area lessons, while also stressing that the many and complex areas of language cannot be addressed simultaneously.

Check out the article! It can be a great starting point for using language objectives in your classroom!  

Resources

Lindahl, K., & Watkins, N. M. (2014, July). What’s on the “LO” Menu? Supporting academic language objective development. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 87(5) 197-203.

 Regalla, M. (2012). Language objectives: More than just vocabulary. TESOL Journal, 3(2), 210-30.

Have you ever noticed reoccurring issues with English syntax in your students’ written work?

English syntax can be especially difficult for EL students because the word order or inter-word relationships within sentences or paragraphs can differ greatly from students’ home languages. A useful interactive activity to introduce in your classroom for helping students continue to work on refining their understanding of English syntax is the Syntax Surgery strategy (Herrell & Jordan, 2012).  

This activity involves taking examples of syntax errors students produce in their written work, writing those examples out on a strip of paper, and then cutting the piece of paper apart by words (or fragments) to allow students the opportunity to physically manipulate the word order/structure to correct the sentence. Having the ability to actually see and manipulate sentences allows students the opportunity to see how good readers and writers interact with the text to both manipulate meaning, and make necessary corrections (Beers, 2003). The interactive nature of this activity increases the likelihood of students being able to recall syntax rules and apply them in future writing (Herrell & Jordan, 2012).

For the key components of a syntax surgery lesson, check out this link.

Syntax surgery can also be a valuable tool in general, when exploring more complex linguistic structures. How can you use the syntax surgery strategy to take a closer look at complex sentence structures and parts of speech? Share in the comments!

Often one of the toughest challenges in implementing RTI is early identification of first, the students who may be struggling, and second, the specific skills they find challenging. This scenario can be even further complicated in secondary settings, where students have multiple teachers and subjects each day.

In a recent program developed by the Maine West High School in Des Plaines, Illinois, a team of EL department members created an RTI framework that they called the ELL System of Support (SOS) in an attempt to better serve their EL students and address each student’s specific needs.  This involved a critical understanding of the multi-tiered systems of support and a clearly outlined guide for action for the students.

As a result of the implementation of their new ELL SOS program, the high school was able to reduce the number of referrals of EL students to Special Education programs and the high school has been better able to ensure all students’ needs are met early, and with the proper instructional services.

 To take a look at this article for more information about the program developed at Maine West High School.

Did you know that research suggests that EL students face very different learning challenges depending on their grade level upon entry into school ? Similarly, recent research has found that the challenges teachers face in EL instruction are often quite distinct from one another, depending on the various grade levels of instruction, K-8 level or the 9-12 level.

Resources:

Baker, S., Lesaux, N., Jayanthi, M., Dimino, J., Proctor, C. P., Morris, J., Gersten, R., Haymond, K., Kieffer, M. J., Linan-Thompson, S., & Newman-Gonchar, R. (2014). Teaching academic content and literacy to English learners in elementary and middle school(NCEE 2014-4012). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE), Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. 

Diamond, K. E., Justice, L. M., Siegler, R. S., & Snyder, P. A. (2013). Synthesis of IES research on early intervention and early childhood education (NCSER 2013-3001). Washington, DC: National Center for Special Education Research, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncser/pubs/20133001/pdf/20133001.pdf

Diamond, K. E., Justice, L. M., Siegler, R. S., & Snyder, P. A. (2013). Synthesis of IES research on early intervention and early childhood education (NCSER 2013-3001). Washington, DC: National Center for Special Education Research, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncser/pubs/20133001/pdf/20133001.pdf

For new and returning EL students alike, entering a school environment can be like walking into another world filled with new people, a different culture, and a new set of rules and expectations. This can be incredibly intimidating when students are simultaneously working on developing their English language skills.  Some research has highlighted the fact that EL students, upon entering the school environment and culture, often feel as if they are “caught between two worlds,” (Igoa, 1995, p. 85) and frequently report feeling mentally and emotionally exhausted (Watts-Taffe & Truscott, 2000). Working to provide a classroom and school environment where students feel supported socially and emotionally is essential for helping students continue their academic growth.

For a look at recent research addressing the social and emotional challenges faced by young Latino students, check out the studies from the Pew Research Center.

For an examination of the social and emotional needs of students with detained or deported parents, try this article.

Or, finally, for some great resources (including anti-bullying tips) and further discussion about how to make your classroom and school a safe space—one where your EL students feel supported and welcomed—explore this resource page from Colorín Colorado. 

Resources

Igoa, C. (1995). The inner world of the immigrant child. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Watts-Taffe, S., & Truscott, D.M. (2000). Focus on Research: Using what we know about language and literacy development for ESL students in the mainstream classroom. Language Arts, 77(3), 258-265. 

The school bags are packed, the bookcases and desks have been dusted, but before the school buses arrive with eager and excited students, take a moment to look closely at your classroom environment. Is it organized, clean and designed with your students’ needs in mind?

 Classroom design can be an especially important aspect of supporting both language and content learning for EL students (Freeman & Freeman, 2007; Gibbons, 2002). Designing a classroom environment in which students have access to visual resources, physical learning spaces (i.e. learning centers, classroom libraries), and activities that support both language and content learning, can help EL students, to not only feel welcome, but can also encourage and promote general growth and development.

 For a great resource with many suggestions on how to make your classroom more EL friendly, take a look at this excerpt from English Language Learners: Day by Day, by Christine Celic.

 Are you looking for a few changes to shake up your classroom environment? One of the easiest ways to change the look and feel of your classroom is to through how the desks are arranged. Why not try a new classroom layout, which offers students both the opportunity to work and learn from each other, as well as gives you, the instructor, ample access to check in with students one-on-one or in small groups. Check out this website, which invites you to pick out how many students are in your class and then gives suggestions for how you might layout your desks!

Still looking for ways to kick-start the New Year and set new goals for your EL students? Consider developing lessons and classroom activities that encourage students to increase language production by providing varied opportunities for peer-to-peer interaction.

Research suggests that interactive classrooms, in which there is a balance between both teacher and student talk, are particularly effective in promoting language development, especially for EL students. Creating meaningful opportunities for students to use and develop oral language skills is a critical part of students’ advancing both academic and conversational language.

Oral language exchanges and group work also allow for informal assessment of student comprehension and learning. Teachers can use peer-to-peer work not only to check if students are understanding content area information, but also to see how they are using language, especially in terms of the challenges they may face in some areas such as vocabulary or form.

For a look at some practical exercises you can incorporate into your classroom lessons, check out this article.

Or, for a sample lesson idea that involves literacy, as well as oracy, check out this helpful description of Reader’s Theater, complete with a sample lesson video!

In a recent  study, a school district in Wisconsin adopted a fully collaborative co-teaching model for the instruction of English learners that resulted in increases in English proficiency levels of 28 percent in just 3 years (Honigsfeld & Dove, 2012).

Co-teaching has been described as a collaborative partnership between general-content teachers and specialist teachers (e.g. special education teachers, ESL specialists, or others) in which they share the teaching responsibilities for all of the students in a classroom (Gately & Gately, in Honigsfeld & Dove, 2001). While the instructional model of co-teaching has been around for a number of years, more recently, the use of co-teaching has grown to include classrooms of general education teachers and teachers of ELs.

The goal of co-teaching between general education and EL teachers is to not only provide support to ELs in meeting academic standards, but also promote collaboration and shared learning between the general education and EL specialist (Honigsfeld & Dove, 2008). While the academic and social benefits of co-teaching for students are important because they remain in the classroom, are exposed to mainstream content, and also have the support of an additional  second teacher (Haynes, 2007), the benefits for teachers can be equally valuable. Some studies have shown that teachers who have participated in co-teaching are more willing to try new and creative ideas in the classroom (Basso & McCoy, 2007; Friend & Cook, in Gately & Gately, 2001; Santamaria & Thousand, 2004; Villa, et. al., 2004), and have expressed a feeling of empowerment as a result of collaborative decision-making in the co-teaching method (Duke, Showers & Imber, cited in Santamaria & Thousand, 2004).

 Resources:

Basso, D. & McCoy, N. (2007). The co-teaching manual: How general education and special education teachers work together to educate students in an inclusive classroom. Columbia, S.C: Twin Publications.

Haynes, J. (2007). Collaborative teaching: Are two teachers better than one? Reprinted from Essential Teacher, Volume 4, Issue 3,September 2007, Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

Honigsfeld, A. & Dove, M. (2008). Co-teaching in the ESL classroom. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin. 74(2), 8-14.

Santamaria, L. & Thousand J. (2004). Collaboration, co-teaching, and differentiated instruction: A process-oriented approach to whole schooling. International Journal of Whole Schooling. 1(1), 13-27.

Villa, R.A., Thousand, J.S., & Nevin, A.I. (2004). A guide to co-teaching: Practical tips for facilitating student learning. Thousand Oaks,

Field trips, both large and small, can be a great way to diversify instruction and interrupt the routine of classroom learning. They can be even more beneficial for ELs in that they represent opportunities to learn about aspects of society which might not be familiar. When planning field trips, it is important to be mindful of students’ circumstances to ensure that they all have the opportunity to participate and learn.

There are numerous steps teachers can take to ensure field trips provide meaningful academic experiences for all students. For example, consider emphasizing key vocabulary related to the destination, and outlining the goals of the trip. You can also ensure ELs understand the expected behavior by asking questions like “What does ‘hands to yourself’ look like?” or “What do you do when I say, ‘buddy up?’” Asking students to demonstrate behavioral standards rather than speak them alleviates linguistic pressures that ELs might be experiencing.

Finally, when at all possible before an excursion, send students home with field trip materials in their home languages, including information and permission slips.

For more guidance on planning successful, meaningful field trips with ELs, visit Colorín Colorado’s excellent article on the subject.

By integrating culturally affirmative lessons and learning opportunities, you can help students (especially ELs) feel comfortable and accepted in your classroom. It is particularly important to highlight the home language and other skills that culturally and linguistically diverse learners bring to the classroom; moreover, schools and classrooms must recognize that learners will engage academically to the extent that instruction and school practices affirm their identities and support the inclusion of these identities in students’ investment of learning (Cummins et al., 2005).

Projects such as culture or family studies can provide a great opportunity for students to not only learn a bit more about their own culture, language, or history, but also showcase and start discussions around the topics and subjects that are most important to them. To develop a learning atmosphere that supports all students, it is critical to create daily opportunities for every student to feel validated and accepted, both linguistically and culturally.

Resources

Cummins, J., Bismilla, V.,  Chow, P., Cohen, S., Giampapa, F., Leoni, L., Sandhu, P., & Sastri, P. (2005). Affirming Identity in Multilingual Classrooms. Educational Leadership, 63(1), 38-43. 

So, it’s a new year, and you’ve already looked ahead at what is left to do for the coming months. Over winter break, you even managed to reflect on the academic year and set a few classroom goals. How do those goals ensure all students are making progress in their learning? Do they incorporate structures and learning strategies for students from diverse language backgrounds, including those who are still developing skills in academic and conversational English?

In a recent article with Colorín Colorado, Kristina Roberts examines five easy ways to include EL students, EL learning strategies, and EL support structures into your classroom goals and lessons in the new year. The article gives ideas about making your goals specific and measurable, while also providing insight on engaging students through all aspects of the learning process—from home to classroom.  

Resource

To find out more, take a look at the Colorín Colorado article and start setting your New Year’s goals today! 

How do you introduce and teach English grammar in your classroom? How do you ensure that the needs and ability levels of all students are being met during grammar lessons?

Teaching grammar can be a fundamental piece of developing proficient academic English. However, teaching simple grammar rules can often become a daunting task, especially when EL students’ home languages may not share much in common with English vocabulary, syntax, or grammar. When designing and developing grammar lessons, it is therefore essential to make sure to know your students’ levels, allow for lesson adaptations, and scaffold your lessons with explicit grammar examples and clear goals.

Understanding how EL students may process grammar differently than native English speaking students can also be a very important first step in developing effective grammar lessons. Determining the grammatical demands and expectations of the lesson can better help you prepare for questions that may arise during lesson delivery. For a valuable article that discusses how grammar instruction for ELs is different and why it is important to know about, check out this great resource!

Another challenging aspect of grammar is that, while it is often thought of as a series of rules that guides written production, understanding, and employing grammar structures is an essential component of both reading comprehension and oral production. Using lessons that draw upon all four language domains (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) can provide students with additional context to understand proper usage of grammatical structures and rules. For a look at how grammar and writing activities can be used together, check out this article, complete with a few sample lesson ideas!  Or, for a look at the relationship between reading and grammar, check out this link!

How do you incorporate grammar instruction into your lessons? What changes or modifications could you make to improve accessibility for all learners?