Multilingual Learners & English Language Learners
During remote and blended learning ELL students need extra support to stay on track and not lose confidence in their skills, or lose momentum in everything they have learned and gained prior to 2020's Coronavirus pandemic. Below are some more strategies that allow for a solid foundational support system for Multilingual and English Language Learners. Check out my other blog posts for more helpful tips!
Strategy 1
Teachers should be front loading vocabulary prior to the lesson with all students, but especially for English Language Learners. Having students study the vocabulary prior to the lesson sets the student up for success and gives them confidence to continue to build on words, while making connections for how to use the vocabulary throughout the day. Front-loading is pre-teaching parts of the lesson before delving into it fully.
Strategy 2
ELL teachers should be collaborating with the classroom teacher to find out what the lessons are for the next day in all of the subjects so they can begin to build activities for ELL students to use during their one on one sessions with ELL students. In these one on one sessions ELL teachers should use this opportunity to build context knowledge around the words, using the words in sentences, as well as using the words across curriculum. Homework could then be for the student to make flash cards with that vocabulary they have learned for the next day’s lessons. No more than 5 words should be given. Making flash cards at home is a wonderful way to show parents what they’ve learned and can also be a terrific family activity that builds capacity in the English Language for the whole family. When I was growing up my dad could not speak English and my mom could, however, she wasn’t very literate. Creating flash cards together brings parents into the fold and includes them in their child’s learning while being a great family activity. We all know kids need a little more to do these days while being at home! So dive in into this super fun task. Get creative with the flash cards, buy glitter and stickers and all the bells and whistles, make those flashcards flashy! After all they are for your child to be used at home. The best part is that shy students who were once embarrassed to show their supports in the classroom, now have the privacy of their own home to use and display their tools in their own home learning environment. However, ELL students should be proud of their supports, because they are being proactive in setting themselves up for success. If your child is a blended learner - going to school a few times a week - I wouldn't be surprised if all their friends want to make flashy flashcards some too!
Strategy 3
Teachers should be merging content and finding every opportunity to use words that will build capabilities and capacity in ELL students. For example, a math lesson can have math word problems related to lessons in humanities or science. In this case, an ELL teacher can enhance
the use of words with sentence stems and sentence frames that an ELL student can fill in. Think of sentence stems and sentence frames as training wheels on a bicycle. An ELL student can use them until they feel confident that they can build sentences with their warehouse of vocabulary on their own. I can think of several science and math vocabulary words that merge content on a variety of subjects.
Below are some links to some wonderful books on raising and teaching multilingual kids.
How to Raise Confident Multilingual Children
I hope these tips have been helpful. With lots of love for your little one’s learning, Lexx