Choice Lit Topic: English Language Learners
Whether you have one English language learner in your classroom, or hundreds in your school, there is little doubt meeting the needs of these students will be at the top of most schools' agendas for professional development for many years to come.
Results
Modeling Nonfiction Writing for English Language Learners: Part 3
Stella Villaba models nonfiction writing for her first- and second-grade English language learners, and in the process integrates vocabulary instruction into her lesson. This is the final video in a...
Modeling Nonfiction Writing for English Language Learners
Stella Villalba models nonfiction writing for her first- and second-grade English language learners, and in the process integrates vocabulary instruction into her lesson. This is the first video in a...
Learning Vocabulary in Context with English Language Learners
Student 1: I think Frog is really nice. Me: What makes you say that? Student 1: Because he helped Toad find the list. Student 2: Yeah . . . because...
Knowing Ami: Silent Communication with an English Language Learner
When Ami walked in the door, I wanted to know everything about her. Why did she always have a sparkle in her big brown eyes? Why did she carry her...
Modifications for English Language Learners
The teacher is reading aloud a new picture book to the class. Since the students haven’t heard the story before, everyone is listening very carefully. But as she comes to...
My Journey with Marcos: Autism and English Language Learners
Ms. Villalba: “So Marcos, I’m wondering why the boy decided to run away instead of staying to help. What are you thinking?” Marcos: “Mmm . . . Ms. Villalba, I’m...
Time for English Language Learners
I am conferring with Bryant, an English language learner, about his reading. “Bryant, how do you think your retelling went the first time you tried?" Bryant is silent. I know...
Words with Friends
Walking quietly among my preschoolers, I pause to listen to their words flowing around me. I hear children using words they have learned to negotiate play (“Tony, now it is...
Read Aloud: Vocabulary and Retelling Strategies
Stella Villalba scaffolds the language development of her first- and second-grade English language learners during read-aloud by highlighting vocabulary and providing a tool to assist with a partner retelling activity.
English Language Learners First-Grade Guided Group
Stella Villalba leads a guided reading group for first-grade English language learners, beginning by building vocabulary.
The Silent Period
He has been listening. He has been listening all day long, but he hasn’t said a word to me or to friends. It looks like he is imitating behaviors like...
A Classroom for Elementary English Language Learners
Stella Villalba gives a tour of the classroom library and publishing corner in her grades 1-5 classroom for English language learners.
Working with Emergent Bilingual Children (PODCAST)
In this podcast, Heather Rader chats with Ruth Shagoury about working with emergent bilingual chidren and their families. Ruth is the co-author (with Andie Cunningham) of Starting with Comprehension. She...
Phrasal Verbs and English Language Learners
Most of us don’t think about phrasal verbs all that often. Yet, to a student with limited English proficiency, phrasal verbs can be bewildering and can lead to misunderstanding when...
Nonfiction and English Language Learners
The Common Core is a part of our teaching lives now. The amount of nonfiction reading our English language learners will be doing nudges all of us to be not...
Creating Your Own Kindergarten Assessment
A dear friend’s kindergarten age son told me about his tearful bumpy bus ride to school. He confided, “I cry each day. The first day was okay, but I really...
Rehearsing Informational Writing: Conferring with Jocelyn
Stella Villalba confers with first grader Jocelyn about the information text she is writing about bunnies. Jocelyn is an English language learner, and this conference demonstrates the value of oral...
Do You Have Any Questions? Conferring with Families
“Do you have any questions?” I asked. “Yeah,” Logan's mom replied. “So, how is Logan doing?” What?! This is what I thought I had been explaining for the past 20...
Every Picture Tells a Story
My house is decorated with a hodgepodge of artifacts, memorabilia, and photos that transport friends and family to different times and places. Gazing at photos and reliving these experiences is...
Weaving Word Study into Writing Workshop in 5th Grade
As I think about building word study and starting to make the connections to the Common Core, I have purposefully decided to weave word study instruction throughout my reading and...
Integrating Vocabulary and Retelling Strategies into Read-Aloud
Stella Villalba scaffolds the language development of her first- and second-grade English language learners during read-aloud by highlighting vocabulary and providing a tool to assist with a partner retelling activity....
