Gatesville ISD ESL Resource Page
Welcome to the ESL website for Gatesville ISD. It is an educational
portal linking to hundreds of websites on the World Wide Web. Although
the sites linked to the Gatesville ISD ESL website have been reviewed
and selected by K-12 educators and is intended as an educational
resource site for teachers, students and parents, the presence of a link
on this website does not represent an endorsement of the site by
Gatesville ISD.
Beginners and Primary
Vocabulary
ESL Pintables
Grammar
Listening and Speaking
Reading
Writing
Bilingual
Science
Math
Social Studies
Fun and Games
Quizzes
What Parents Should Know
Sites for Parents of Spanish Speaking Students
ESL Lessons and Power Points
Resources for Mainstream Teachers
ESL Newsletters and Journals
Professional Organizations
Helping English Language Learners: 20 Tips from TEA
Instructional Strategies for English Language Learners
Beginners and Primary Resources
Preschool and Kindergarten Activities: This site is great for
beginners and primary students. It has printable books, letter
printouts, calendars, K-3 themes, nursery rhymes,
and a printable picture dictionary. Take some time and
explore this site.
Preschool Games: Comprehensive listing of games, activities Gameguarian Junior: A Portal for Preschool - Grade 2
and print offs for the under fives group. Join the fun for some Students! Use the menu to choose a topic.
games, stories
and online activities.
Kid Genius: Free software to teach the Alphabet, Letters,
Numbers, Counting, Reading and Spelling using Sound,
Pictures and Video Clips.
Preschool Games: Have fun and learn with games specially
designed for preschool children! LEGO Preschool offers a
wide range of games, activities and print offs.
eslHQ: There are 1,274 worksheets and 1,935 free ESL
flashcards to choose from. You can print as many as you
want and in many different sizes. on esl HQ and more are
added everyday!
Registration is free.
Sesame Street Games: Games | Stories | Art | Music | Mail |
Elmo's World | TV Info | Site Map. Sesame Workshop:
The ABC Game: Students can click the object that starts
with the letter shown at the top of each page. This game
has 10 questions.
Body Parts : This is an especially useful activity for speakers
of Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati, Mirpuri, and Punjabi because the
site provides audio reinforcement in these languages as well
as in English.
ABC Flash Cards: playing card size flash cards to print
English Media Lab: Site has powerpoint lessons and
interactive quizzes for elementary level students.
The ABC Game: learn the alphabet in 123 with Orgdots
fun letter game for kids of all ages. This is a great site for
older students.
English Exercises online: Site has interactive exercises for
beginners to advanced level ESL students.
Alphabet Games: online learning games with the alphabet
Learn Your ABC"s: learn the letters of the alphabet with this
Fisher-Price game.
ESL Flashcards: English Raven has an impressive
assortment of more than 1300 downloadable
flashcards/game cards designed to help introduce
vocabulary items into classroom English lessons, and
facilitate games and activities.
Genki Phonics: Learn the sounds of English by listening to
the phonics and playing the phonics games on this page.
ESL Flashcards: 100's of free flash cards. Every set of
flashcards comes in color and 3 different sizes to make
teaching easier.
Little Explorer: Picture dictionary. English - English-Dutch English-French - French-English - English-German German-English - English-Italian
English-Japanese - English-Portuguese - English-Spanish
- Spanish-English - English-Swedish - English-Phonetic.
Dictionaries can be printed.
PBS Kids: games, stories, and much more for early
elementary students
ESL Kidstuff: Teachers can print flashcards, worksheets,
games and more for ESL kids.
ESL Phonics: an online collection of downloadable phonics
worksheets
Starfall: Online reading and phonics activities are great for
beginners. Explore the entire site. You can download
books from the Scope and Sequence page.
Phonics and Phonemic Awareness: links to 56 phonics and
phonemic awareness worksheets which will quickly improve
memorization of important consonant and vowel sounds
Learning Page: Learning Page provides a huge collection
of professionally produced instructional materials you can
download and print. Lesson plans, books, worksheets, and
much more can be found here. Sign up to get all this and
more for free!
The Story Place: The Story Place is a pre-school reading
library with online stories and activities, take-home activities,
suggested reading, and parent information.
Back to School Guide - Beginners: This guide to back to
school beginners resources at the site will help you
prepare for the new school year.
Young and Young at Heart: songs and rhymes for all ages
Postcards from Buster: See Buster’s adventures from
various places in the U.S. Each city has video, audio, map
skills and games. (grades 3-5)
Kid's Lab: reading exercises for kindergarten through third
grade This is a great site for parents.
Easy Things for Beginners: Great site for beginners. The
site has easy vocabulary with pictures, nouns, verbs,
months of the year, and days of the year.
Clifford: Try the reading and writing section with students in
grades 2-3.
Room 108 Dolch Word Games: Site has various types of
games to play with the Dolch word lists. Each game is
interactive and allows students to hear the words as they
work with the Dolch Word List.
Just Curious: links to everything about poetry
RHL School: A place for teacher to get free ready to use
quality worksheets for teaching, reinforcement, and review.
Many of these worksheets can serve as the basis for
lessons. (reading, English, and mathematics)
Sites for Teachers: a variety of free printable worksheets for
home and school use
English (ESL) Label Me! Printouts - Enchanted Learning:
over 100 handouts with answer sheets you can print and
use to help build English vocabulary
Animal Eyes : interactive game for learning the 220 Dolch
words.
MES English: MES-English contains free ESL / EFL
resources for teachers of young learners. Site has free
flashcards, handouts to match, free phonics cards, free ESL
games, an international projects Exchange library and
Enchanted Learning: This site consist of Zoom Learning
Units, Little Explorers Picture Dictionary (with vocabulary in
five languages!), hundreds of animals printouts, great
graphics, Rebus Nursery Rhymes, Easy Crafts,
activities all ready for printing.
Geography Units, coloring pages and even activities for
preschoolers. Reading level gets harder as you follow
more links within their site, and then eventually link to
outside resources to extend even further. There's enough
to keep your students, Grades K-6, busy and learning all
year long!
Between the Lions: games such as "Look out Below, " and
'Wordplay"
Vocabulary
The Idiom Connection: (study and
quiz)
Go English: A to Z list of Idioms
Vocabulary: vocabulary exercises sorted by
level
GoEnglish.com Idiom Dictionary:
searchable; scroll down for a list of
words used in idioms
Idoms: Dave's ESL Cafe: (sorted
by first word of idiom, all words in
idiom, and by words in
explanations
Idiom by Kids: This site has over 1000
pictures of idioms. They do not illustrate
what an idiom means, but show the literal
meaning.
Vocabulary Games: Play Word Search,
Crosswords, Hangman Quizzes, and
Match Game with very useful vocabulary
in many different subject areas.
Pictorical Idioms: you can learn
some interesting English idioms
through pictures.
Paint by Idiom: Idioms add color to
language. Help FunBrain.com's grand
master, Salvabear Dali, finish his paintings
by identifying the correct expression.
500 Words: the most commonly used
words in the English language
Easy Vocabulary Quizzes:
ESL Independent Study Lab - Vocabulary
(sorted by level)
Dolch Word List: vocabulary list of 220 An Idiom a Day: Return
common words
to
this page every day to
read a new English
idiom.
Picture Vocabulary: ESL student vocabulary
resources including a photo dictionary and
quizzes. Most quizzes include audio files
that make it possible for you to hear the
correct pronunciation of each word.
The Internet Picture Dictionary:
English, French, German, Italian, and
Spanish
Language Guide: Interactive
vocabulary Pictures. (English and
Spanish)
Vocabulary Games: Learn and review
English words using pictures
Funbrain's Translator Alligator:
English Interactive: Interactive
English vocabulary practice with
audio
ESL Printables
ESL Printables: Here you will find lots of resources for
teachers and students. If you sent them a printable you'll
become a registered member with full access to the whole
collection. Find every subject from A to Z.
EFL Club Resource Box [FRAME] (Chris Elvin)
Worksheets in PDF format, sorted into 6 levels. Great for
teaching conversations.
ESL Teacher Handouts for Beginners: Free English grammar Frankie's ESOL Worksheets: Practical, ready-to-use
and vocabulary worksheets and printable handouts, for
materials by a working teacher. (Middle School)
English language and English as a Second Language (ESL)
teachers and instructors to use in the classroom or other
teaching environment. Handouts open in a new window.
Worksheets 4 Teachers: Ready-Made Language Worksheets Jan Brett's Phonogram Flash Cards: (Flashcards)
and Pintables
Can be printed from web pages or PDF.
Example: -ack => back, lack, pack, quack,
Online ESL Literature Library: Great literature free and
accessible for everyone. I included this site in the pintables
section because it has these fantastic stories to print. Please
take time to explore. Another great site from 1language.com. Great site for Middle and High School. If you
are looking for multicultural stories, this site is great.
Online ESL Phonics: An online collection of downloadable
phonics worksheets. 100s of full-color, downloadable,
systematic phonics worksheets.
MULTICULTURAL STORIES!
English Banana: This site offers more than 750 free printable ESL-Kids' Worksheet Generator: Create thousands of
worksheets for teachers and students of English and Drama, worksheets and printables for ESL kids' classes with the
as well as many other useful resources. All worksheets are
ESL-Kids worksheet generator.
available to download and print now, absolutely free
LearningPage.com: Zaner-Bloser Alphabet Free printable
worksheets for each letter of the alphabet.
Learning Planet: Printable Alphabet Coloring Pages
MES-flashcards Worksheets: Spaghetti String Worksheets:
There are pictures on the left and the words on the right.
Students connect the pictures to the words and then trace
the words. There are 2 versions; one with the words written
out in dot form to be traced and a second with some of the
letters missing for the students to think about and fill in.
Online ESL Alphabet Sheets: Attractive alphabet sheets
for students. These are free to use and download for
personal and educational use, and you are encouraged to
use them.
DiscoverySchool.com's Worksheets to Go - English: Created ESL Wordsearches at 1-languag.com
by teachers. Proofread the worksheets before you use them. Build vocabulary and have fun Online! 100 different word
Teachers can generate worksheets.
searches to choose from.
ESL-Worksheets.com: Download Free ESL Worksheets,
Flashcards & Pintables!
ESL Flashcards: Download Free ESL Flashcards.
English Zone: Many, Many Pintables! All grade levels.
Learning Page: This is the home of free basic worksheets.
There are 470 worksheets available to members. Free
Membership!
Kid's Page Archive: This site offers a variety of free printable
worksheets for home and school use. learning. New
worksheets are added every 1-2 weeks.
RHL School: Your place to get free ready to use quality
worksheets for teaching, reinforcement, and review.
(English, math, and reading.)
Worksheets that are truly unique!
Grammar
Elementary English Online: Site includes grammar
information and quizzes,
with feedback to the learner. These activities make
excellent use of images,
readings and audio. For lower levels, try English 1116.
Intermediate levels try English 1216.
English Vocabulary Quizzes - easy: colors, days of the week,
common nouns, verbs, parts of the body
English Grammar at EnglishClub.com: English grammar
lessons on the parts of speech
Verb Tenses: thirteen problem areas, each with explanation
pages and a quiz page (check answers to the quiz pages at the
quiz answers pages)
Self-Study Grammar Quizzes: (BASIC,
INTERMEDIATE) collected by Internet TESL Journal:
articles; cloze; conjunctions; dialogs; plurals;
prepositions; pronouns; sentence structure; tag
questions; verbs; correct sequence; word choice; other
quizzes
English Daily: Parts of Speech
English-Zone.Com: articles; comparatives; nouns;
pronouns; adjectives; conditionals; questions;
quantifiers; agreement; clauses; etc.
Grammar Blast: Have a blast with Grammar Blast! Answer 10
questions and earn up to 100 game points. To play just choose
a quiz below. (grades 2 -5)
Grammar Blast: Have a blast with Grammar Blast!
Answer 10 questions and earn up to 100 game points.
(grades 6-8)
English Specialist: exercises, worksheets, texts, topics,
grammar, distance learning, reading, fiction, jokes, games,
useful links and resources.
Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling: Purdue University
offer handouts and exercises on grammar, spelling, and
punctuation.
English Basics: This section features original grammar
worksheets for teachers and parents to copy for their kids. Use
them for teaching, reinforcement, and review.
ESL Blue: high beginning to high intermediate activities
The Grammar Gorilla: Our friends, the Grammar Gorillas, need help identifying parts of speech. If you click on the right
word in the sentence, our friends get a banana.
Non Stop English: You can practise your English grammar and vocabulary skills with interactive tests on this free website.
You can receive free interactive email tests. If you register and login you can see which tests you have done and how
successfully. Learning English with these free online tests is really motivating. New tests are added every week.
Agendaweb: This site has free English lessons to learn English vocabulary, exercises in English grammar, exercises in
listening, basic elementary beginners to advanced English exercises; verbs exercises, reading comprehension exercises;
games to play and learn English grammar; ESL and free printable worksheets .
Listening and Speaking Resources
Authentic American English Pronunciation - (Fantastic site)
Lessons are available on quite a few topics. Each lesson
provides the pattern, gives examples, provided practice (a
lot of practice), and ends with a quiz. Each word in the quiz
can be pronounced for the student by clicking on the
speaker icon. This site would be good for language arts or
ESL classes.
100 free short English stories for ESL learners: listening,
grammar, comprehension, and dictation exercises
A Pronouncing Dictionary of Proper Nouns: This site is
great for social studies. ELL students will learn about
states, capitals, presidents, and countries.
ZOOM Playhouse: Act Up: You will find a collection of short
plays and skits created by students or based on studentsubmitted ideas. Each skit is 5-10 minutes and includes a
'script' you can print out and suggested props.
English Pronunciation Practice: minimal pair practice and
quizzes
Fonetiks: Phonics Practice: This English pronunciation guide
is useful for young English speakers, as well as English
language learners of all ages. Site provides clear audio of all
sounds, pointing out exceptions and suggesting learning
exercises. This a wonderful resource for independent work.
Crazy Sentence Singer: Make sentences by clicking on the
word and listen to them being sung.
English Pronunciation and Intonation: You will find a number
of pronunciation exercises here in the form of interactive
quizzes for students to practice pronunciation.
Tongue Twisters From Around the World: You'll find tongue ESL Gold- Low Beginning: phrases for conversation
twisters and tricky phrases in English and more than 40
other languages, from Albanian to Xhosa. English
English Listening Room: Listen to the songs and fill in the
translations are provided for twisters in other languages.
blanks. (real audio files)
This is a cool site.
American English Pronunciation Practice: This site is
designed for older students, but pronunciation and listening
activities could be used for students in 4th grade and up.
English Nursery Songs: This website contains animated
clips of well-known English children's songs and links to
games, riddles, and rhymes. Students can follow the lyrics
as the music plays.
E. L. Eaton English Online: This is a multilingual site with
material for teaching English.
CK's Listen and Repeat: Practice intonation, rhythm,
pronunciation, and other things. (podcast) (irregular verbs)
Between The Lions: This is a great site for movie and audio Stories in a Nutshell: A collection of concise folktale plots for
clips such as "when two vowels go walking," and "vowel
student retelling by Heather Forest
boot camp."
Listen and Read Along: Listen to the story and read along.
(middle and high school)
Audio Concentration Game: Listen to the sounds and find
the match.
Using Storytelling to Assess Listening and Speaking:
rubrics on listening skills and storytelling skills. This is a
great site for ELL students.
English Audio Topics: This site is guided speaking activities
that provides practice conversations, and hints and
examples of good and bad responses.
Reading Resources
Stories for Kids: stories for advanced beginners in grades
3-5 at PBS Kids
Dolch Phrases: print these for your students to practice.
Study Dog: a complete early reading software program for
pre-K through 2nd grade
Dolch Reading Books: A series of interactive, very short
stories using high-frequency Dolch sight words. Students
can click on unfamiliar words as the sentences are acted out
using animation.
Kid's Lab: grades 1- 3 activities in vocabulary, phonics and
phonemic awareness, and reading comprehension
The Reading Room: posters to print, games to play, word
charts for the classroom and much more (grades K-2)
Words and Pictures: These games and activities from the
BBC will make learning phonics fun.
Fluency Through Fables : The fables are used to increase
fluency as well as critical thinking.
Reading A - Z: This site has guided reading, phonics,
phonemic awareness, alphabets, and other resources.
There are 30 books to download in English and Spanish.
Phonics and Word Study: Students can use their knowledge
of letters, sounds, and words as they try out the games and
activities. This is a great site for k-6.
Reading worksheets: This is a great site for high beginner
with reading passages and questions.
Enchanted Learning: This is an excellent site with printable
books in English and Spanish for early to fluent readers.
The Library: children's literature powerpoint
English Story Reading Room: English Monkeys gives
student short illustrated stories to read online.
RHL School: RHL features free reading comprehension
activities for teachers and parents to copy for their kids.
Research Skills: This section features original research skills
worksheets for teachers and parents to copy for their kids.
Activities include original stories, poems, essays, and
articles that are most appropriate for upper elementary
through middle school years.
English Story Reading Room: English Monkeys has stories
to read online for Middle and High School.
EdHelper Spelling lessons: Great site for spelling, sight
words, and vocabulary lessons with a place to create new
worksheets. Site has many word list for 1st - 12th grade,
and SAT vocabulary.
English Vocabulary: games with pictures
Room 108: There's over 400 pages of free educational
games, worksheets, animated stories, kids songs, kids art,
math games, math worksheets, science, social studies,
distance learning, and much more. It is a great resource for
primary kids and teachers!
Chateau Meddybemps: Beantime Stories: This is a
collection of interactive stories for preschool and primary
listeners and readers centered around the island of
Meddybumps. Tippity Witchet tells the stories about this
fantasy island.
English Story Reading Room: Online classics books such
Dolch Sight Word List: This is a great resource for dolch
as Through the Looking Glass, Peter Pan, and A Christmas sight word lists by grade level for grades pre-k through third
Carol, to read. (another great site from ESL Monkeys)
grade.
Kiz Club Stories: Read along with these colorful, animated
storybooks. Early fluent readers and English language
learners can practice their reading, listening, and speaking
skills.
Super Kids Vocabulary Builders: Looking for an easy way to
improve your students' (or your own) vocabulary? These
should help, and hopefully be fun, too.
Aesop's ABC: This is a collection of retold fables by
Heather Forest.
Storytelling in the Classroom: As a learning tool, storytelling
can encourage students to explore their unique
expressiveness and can heighten a student's ability to
communicate thoughts and feelings in an articulate, lucid
manner.
Stories from the Web: A reading skills development
program for children from age 1 to 14. Children can find
short stories, poems, art work, games, pictures, everything
divided by age range. Also are useful links for parents and
teachers.
Kids' Space: A Storybook of Kids, by Kids, for Kids: This
extensive collection of written work which were written by
children from all over the world, includes stories, poems,
journals, folktales, and class projects. Children are invited to
submit their own pieces of writing to be published online.
Play Kids Games: vocabualry games for grades 1-4
Storyline Online: You will love this site! Students will listen to
online streaming video programs featuring Screen Actors
Guild members reading children books aloud.
From Texas Education Agency:
Language Arts
Test 4 Free: Test your level of Phonics and Comprehension.
Writing Resources
Owl Writing Lab: six traits of writing for elementary students PowerPoint Presentations: There are several powerpoint
presentations available within the Guide to Grammar and
Fun with Words and Sentences: Fill in the blank with words Writing.
and phrases.
Computer Assisted Sentence Production: Let the computer
assist students to write sentences.
Writing PowerPoints: writing strategies and applications
OZ Speller: Student can improve spelling by listening to the
words, see a sentence example, and type the word. (grades
k-6)
Grammar PowerPoints: oral and written language
conventions, (sentence structure, parts of speech,
punctuation, and more
Funbrain Spell-A-Roo: Students can read a sentence and
click the word that is spelled wrong. (CGI Game)
Musical Spelling Rule: Student can listen and sing the
songs as they learn the rules for spelling.
English Sentence Patterns: This is a great site for teaching
the 5 basic sentence patterns. Site also has sentence
games.
P I Z ZA Z: People Interested in Zippy and Zany Zcribbling
is a great site for creative writing for beginners to advanced
students.
Abbreviations, Contractions Editing Game: This site has lots
of fun interactive games to play as students in grades 1-5
learn to do abbreviations, contractions or editing.
Capitalization Guidelines: This page provides a detailed list
of when capitalizing is necessary.
FunBrain: Spell Check Word Game: The interactive spelling
game for elementary and middle school children is a good
word-recognition practice for English language learners and
native English speakers alike. (Easy & Hard)
Bilingual Resources
Activities for ESL Students: Site has bilingual quizzes,
tests, exercises and puzzles to help students learn English
as a Second Language (ESL).
Zaki World: Learning the English Alphabet: Zaki World is an
audiovisual site to help Arabic-speaking students learn the
English alphabet. Students can listen and watch as letters
flash. Student will see the English pronunciation written in
Arabic.
NASA: El Space Place: Space Place: NASA’s space
science site for kids - en espanol features a wide range of
activities, including games, projects, animations, and more.
Site also contains useful information on basic physics,
chemistry, and other natural sciences, offering readers
good practice with technical vocabulary.
LG Korean Folk Tales: This site has short stories and
Korean folk tales in an audio-picture format for children.
Stories and tales are available in Korean, English,
Japanese, Chinese, French, Norwegian, and German.
English - Spanish Dictionary Translation Games, Activities
and Quizzes:
Clean Up Your Grammar - Limpia Tu Gramatica: This is a
Spanish and English grammar game in two different
difficulty levels.
PBS: Maya and Miguel, Games: an Interactive site with fun
activities vocabulary drills related to sports, adventure and
musical instruments. Children choose the language
(English or Spanish).
Kids Place: Find games and activities in Spanish, French,
Italian, Japanese and more. Visiting these sites is also a
great way to learn another language.
Chinese English Word Dictionary with Pictures: This is a
site where Chinese learners of English can look up English
words.
Texas State Library & Archives: El Día de Los Niños: The
site has an online bilingual library with traditional songs,
rhymes, fingerplays, games, activities, and stories for
children.
Internet Picture Dictionary: Spanish Activities: Site has a
diverse variety of topics and interactive learning activities.
Some of the activities are flashcards, fill in the blanks, word
scramble, stinky spelling, and straight recall. The picture
dictionary is available for other languages as well: French,
Italian, German and English.
PBS Teacher Source: Bilingual Printables for PK-2 Parents:
This site contains many documents teachers can print and
distribute to parents. The documents contain tips and
suggested activities parents can use to support their child in
academics, health, and other areas. (English and Spanish)
Yahoo Korea Kids: A comprehensive website for Koreanlanguage elementary school children which provides
homework information, interactive games, pictures, world
news, community act ivies, and many more.
Caminan, nadan o vuelan - Harcourt: This is an interactive
game in Spanish where you need to take the animals to
their environment - air, water, or earth.
Personal Educational Press: Create free educational
worksheets such as flashcards, game boards, and quizzes
to print directly from your browser. Simply choose a word
list and an output style. (Available for English, Spanish,
French, and German.)
Many Things: online material for LEP students studying
English
Science Resources
National Geographic for Kids: Site
includes online articles about
current topics as well as links to
amazing facts, a cartoon factory,
and a great
online "Geobee" challenge.
Building Volcano Models: This
site has instructions for making
volcanoes from clay, cardboard,
paper Mache and dough.
From Texas Education Agency:
Science
Virtual Zoo - Great for pictures
Pumpkin Science: This "Pumpkin Science"
lesson gives ELL
students a background in how plants grow. It
also provides them with practice in estimating
and in predicting outcomes.
SEDL: Five Senses: The site is a complete
science unit on the five senses in English
accompanied by its Spanish version. These
resources will help increase awareness of all
the senses while helping English language
learners.
Room 108 Primary Science: Room 108 has
science games for primary students.
ESL Zoo Project: Students will design a zoo.
Zoom School: Zoom School is an
on-line elementary school classroom
with lessons in geography, biology,
language arts, and early childhood
activities.
Science Brainteasers, Puzzles, and
Riddles: kids' page from the National
Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences for grades 5-8
Maggie's Earth Adventures:
Students can label pictures using
science vocabulary.
(grades 4-8)
Brainpop: Animated Educational
site.
Student Resources: This site has
social studies, science, language
arts, and technology activities
Kids' Door: this site has a virtual field trip,
legends of volcanoes, fun and games and
stories related to volcanoes.
Science Experiments with Eggs:
Science experiments are a good
way to develop vocabulary and
introduce the scientific method to
your English language learners.
The Electronic Zoo - All about
zoos - includes info. on specific
animals.
ESL Science Powerpoints This is a great site
for science power point presentations for k-4.
NASA, Space Place: Captivating
site which offers games, animations
and projects about earth, space and
technology. (English and Spanish)
Kids Planet: Interactive games
reinforce science vocabulary.
Students will love this site.
Volcano World: a collaborative higher
education, K-12, and public outreach project of
the North Dakota and Oregon Space Grant
Consortia.
Virtual Frog Dissection Kit: Click on
the frog’s different organs to see
their names and learn their functions
or click on their names at the bottom
to
take them out or put them back in
again. This is an easy and
interactive way to learn anatomy.
Site available in a number of other
languages.
Creature Feature Archives National Geographic index of
many animals
Apples-4-Teachers: free
interactive elementary science
activities and games online for
kids
ExZOOberance - information on animals
Harcourt Science Video Updates: This site has
interesting science news videos that include a
written version. Some of the topics include:
dinosaur bones, NASA space technologies,
blackout of 2003, Amazon River, Egypt
mummy, Geomagnetic storms, Japan volcano,
and more.
Science Games - Surfing the Net
with Kids: Good mix of science
vocabulary games for kids, including
word scrambles and searches,
crossword puzzles, and quizzes.
Math Resources
RHL Math: math computation and problem solving.
Math Vocabulary: math vocabulary for kindergarten - sixth
grade.
Aplusmath: This web site was developed to help students
improve their math skills interactively. ELL students can
work independently or in small groups on quizzes and
flashcards.
AAAMath: The site has hundreds of pages of basic math
practice an interactive practice. Activities are listed by grade
level or by topic.
(grades 1-6)
Funbrains Math: math facts practice in a baseball context
for grades: 1-4
Edhelper Math: math worksheets, puzzles, word problems,
test preparation. (grades 1-5)
Saxon Math Online: online activities to support Saxon Math
lessons. (requires free shockwave download) (grades: 1-5)
Middle School Math: middle school math mixed review (PreAlgebra)
Connect the Dots: These are interactive connect-the-dots
games designed to help beginning readers learn to count
from 1 to 10 and from 1 to 20. Also reinforces
understanding of the ABCs.
Cool math.com: This site is amusement park of math and
more!
Cool math has a ton of cool math games and puzzles, lots of
really clear math lessons and tons of very cool math stuff for
kids, teens, parents and teachers.
Kaboose Math Games: These games are appropriate for
ages 6 and up.
Teacher Exchange: math units and resources organized by
grade
Play Kids Games: The student can play the game and
improve their math skills.
From Texas Education Agency:Mathematics
Super Kids Math Worksheet Creator: Make your own
worksheet here at Super Kids for free!
Free Primary Worksheets: Generate millions of math
worksheets. No downloading or PDF reader needed for
these free math worksheets.
Social Studies Resources
Martin Luther King, Jr.: fact sheet, crossword puzzle, and
reading worksheet.
Fact Monster: A site that provides easy access to a
children's atlas, almanac, dictionary, encyclopedia and
much more.
Discovery Kids Online: explore by topic animals, dinosaurs, ESL Social Studies: U.S. presidents, explorers, maps, 13
history, planet Earth, space and technology or discovery
games
colonies, the Civil War, and slavery.
National Geographic Homework Help: This is a great place
for research for pictures, articles, maps, and more.
Enchanted Learning: biology printouts to label and physical
science pages
Zoom School: Zoom School is an on-line elementary school
classroom with lessons in geography, biology, language
arts, and early childhood activities.
Student Resources: social studies, science, language arts,
and technology activities
Social Studies PowerPoint: history, geography, government,
countries, and cultures
Ancient Rome: Site has comprehension exercises for all
grade levels.
Edhelper Social Studies: social studies mixed review
practice and theme units for 1st - 6th grade
5O States: questions, facts, comprehension, and puzzles
for grades 2-6
The Smithsonian Kids: The Smithsonian has collected more
than 142 million objects from flags and fossils, to sculptures
and spacecrafts, to toys and tapestries.
Wendy's World: social studies lesson for 2nd and 3rd grade Geography Reading Comprehension: reading
comprehension worksheets for grades 3-8 at edhelper.com
Flash Flashcards: flash games; states and capitals, months Teachnology: Reading Comprehension Worksheets: This
of the year, and more.
site offers dozens of free worksheets users can download
and print to practice reading comprehension
skills. The topics include holidays, science, and social
studies. The site includes answer keys and links to lesson
plans and other teacher resources. The special
"worksheet makers" require an annual subscription.
Apples-4-Teachers: This is a fun educational website for
teaching elementary social studies.
Play Kids Games: geography problem-solving games and
puzzles on Africa, Asia, and Australia
From Texas Education Agency:Social Studies
NASA: Robin Whirleybird Learns about Rotocrafts:
Educational and interactive
online story about a girl who goes to work with her mother at
a rotorcraft research center. A complement of enrichment
activities accompanies the story. Besides reading the story
online, you can choose to listen to the story,
explore a rotorcraft timeline, learn more about the parts of a
rotorcraft, and more. (Chinese, English, and Spanish)
Fun and Games
Between the Lions: stories, games, songs, and things to
print. This is a great reading site.
Alphabet Soup Spelling Game: Play this fun interactive
game with great sound effects as you click on falling letters
to make words.
Genki ESL Games: Elementary ESL Games
Funbrains: interactive games
Gamequarium: This is a portal to hundreds of free, online
Ben's Interactive games: connect the dots, word finds, and
learning games for pre-school through grade 6 students. All name the states games
subjects are included on this site.
Interesting Things for ESL Students: word games, puzzles,
and quizzes
E-Word games: games for intermediate students.
Primary Games: Language arts, social studies, science,
and math games
Children Only ESL Games: All games can now be
downloaded in PDF format for your convenience.
Little Fingers: This site has games for early learning.
Another website recommended by
Jamie Scholik
Quizzes
Easy English Vocabulary Quizzes:
levels 1 and 2
Medium English Vocabulary Quizzes:
easy to medium quizzes
Flash Quizzes for ESL: multiple choice
quizzes
Super quiz machine: randomly
chosen questions
English Test.net: a great site filled with
English grammar for students from
elementary level to advanced
ESL Monkeys: online resources for ELL
students and teachers. The site
includes word of the day, idiom of the
day, quote of the day, flashcards, and
quizzes.
1-language.com: online resources
for learning English, flash games,
grammar quizzes, alphabet sheets,
and much more
Quiz-Tree: This site has math, reading,
language and much more. You will find
exercises that can help your children
master Dolch Word List and have some
fun too.
What Parents Should Know
A Guide to Learning English: for parents who want to know how they can help their children learn English as quickly and
effectively as possible
Brochures for Parents: This brochure is available in PDF format in the following languages: Chinese (simplified
characters), Chinese (traditional characters), English, French, Hindi, Korean, Japanese, Persian (Farsi), Polish,
Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese.
Parent Meetings: Topic: How to hold an effective ESL parent meeting
To Learn English: exercises for beginners, intermediate and advanced students to learn English. (Spanish and English
versions)
Kid's Zone: Bedtime fairy tales in Spanish and English offer good reading practice for young language learners. To access
the English versions of the stories, return to the La-Clase-de-Pablo home. Site also links to the White House site for kids
(English only) and to the Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans (English and Spanish).
TVO Kids for Parents and Teachers: Doodle Dots helps your child recognize, name, and sequence letters and numbers,
which become the building blocks of reading and mathematics.
LEARNING PAGE: This a great site for students, teachers, and parents. Registration is free. Site has Tommy Tales
adventure books to download in English and Spanish.
PBS Parents: Click on "Fun & Games" for activities for parents and children to do together. Click on "Issues & Advice" for
information on child behavior and development, communication, school, and reading and language.
Manatee County Phonemic Awareness: Check out this amazing site to learn more about educating children about
syllables. Students will learn to clap and count out syllables through this educational method.
Compact for Reading: This collection of lessons focuses not only on writing but also the reading and speaking skills of
kindergarten students. It is written and presented by the Department of Education's Compact for Learning program.
(School-Home Links) [PDF]
Sites for Parents of Spanish
Speaking Students
Reading is Fundamental: A bilingual website designed to
Monthly Activity Calendar: The calendar provides a new
help Latino families read, sing and share stories together at reading and writing activity suggestion for every day of each
home.
month. (in Spanish and English)
Yahoo in Spanish: a search engine for Spanish speakers.
Ingles Mundial: beginning, intermediate and advanced
lessons for Spanish speakers and English speakers
National Center for Family Literacy: a series of 9 booklets
for parents on how to help their children with school work
and many other parenting issues The booklets are in
Spanish and can be downloaded.
Vocabulary: This site is printed in Spanish. It will allows
parents to learn expressions in English.
Isabel's ESL Resources: This site has been developed and
maintained by the Spanish Secondary English teacher
Isabel Pérez Torres. Isabel has listed a great deal of
resources in Spanish.
English Spanish Link: This amazing site offers newspapers
and magazines from various Spanish countries along with a
tool bar that includes a spell checker, verb conjugator,
Spanish and English dictionary, Spanish verbs and much
more. (available in Spanish and English)
Texas State Library & Archives: El Día de Los Niños: an
online bilingual library with traditional songs, rhymes,
fingerplays, games, activities, and storytales for children.
Also varied links to web sites and bilingual programming
resources
Quiz Tree: This is a fantastic quizzes for Spanish speakers. All quizzes feature colorful interface and humorous feedback
noises that make learning more enjoyable. Some of the topics are basic phrases, colors, common expressions, describing
people, entertainment, family, house, medical, numbers, occupations, school, shopping.
Fiesta - ESL with a Spanish Flavour: An online resource for Spanish-speaking English language learners, the features
include grammar drills, vocabulary exercises, proficiency tests, and recommended links for reading practice.
Saber Ingles: a storehouse of resource links to help native Spanish speakers learn English. Includes games, lessons,
exercises, dictionaries, a translator, and more.
Bilingual Brochures for Parents: developed by Project FLAME at the the Center for Literacy,
University of Illinois at Chicago. Brochures can be ordered in Spanish and English.
Translations: English to Spanish and Spanish to English
Colorin Colorado: This is a bilingual web site that provides
information, activities, and advice on helping children learn to translation dictionary
read and succeed at school.
Top Ten Sites of Spanish Translation
Literacy Connection: reproducible Spanish and bilingual
books
PBS Parents/ Spanish: Click on "Fun & Games" for activities
for parents and children to do together. Click on "Issues &
Advice" for information on child behavior and development,
communication, school, and reading and language.
PBS Teacher Source: Bilingual Printables for PK-2
Parents:
This site contains many documents teachers can print and
distribute to parents. The documents contain tips and
suggested activities parents can use to support
their child in academics, health, and other areas. Teachers
can customize the document with their name. English and
Spanish versions are available.
Family Education: Printables: This website contains
hundreds of printable worksheets on a variety of topics for
use with students of all ages. Designedas materials parents
can use to support learning at home. Topics include: early
learning and literacy, math, music, art, social studies,
science, and reading.
Learn Englsih: Learn English is a free, on-line, educational
resource for
ESL and EFL students to learn English words. The flash
site incorporates 40 topics, along with over 1,500 English
words and phrases. When you click on a word or phrase
you can hear it spoken. The high quality audio was created
in a sound studio. The site is multilingual. The menus,
transliterations andtranslations are in four languages:
French, HebrewRussian and Spanish.
Rosetta Stone: You can now learn English and any other
language by registering with the Memphis Shelby County
Library.
The Rosetta Stone language software, like its namesake, is
the key to learning new languages.
ESL Lessons and PowerPoints
Pete's PowerPoint
Station: FREE K-12
PowerPoint
PRESENTATIONS
PowerPoint Presentations: listed by topics and themes
from A to Z
Everything ESL: 45 content based ESL lesson plans for
beginning through intermediate students
ESL PowerPoints: lessons that
teachers can use in the classroom
(vocabulary, punctuation, and
grammar)
Easy English: free online ESL Independent Study Lab: This site has over 250 of the best
internet resources for ESL/EFL students! All Web sites are
English test and lesson
clearly annotated. Organization is by skill area and language
plans
level.
Resources for Teachers
TransACT: TransACT helps school administrators
communicate with parents in multiple languages. (See the
ESL teacher for your school)
Strategies for Classroom Teachers: Multicultural Activities
for Mainstream Teachers
Test Your Cultural Awareness : Teachers can take a cultural
quiz.
Strategies for Classroom Teachers: Classroom
Management Tips for Teachers of English Language
Learners
Cultural Considerations: Site give information on things to
consider when teaching ELL students.
Nettreker: a new search site that has many websites
Tips for Teaching English Language Learners: Strategies for
evaluated by experts in the field of education. Registration
is free. Great for ELL students.
Promoting Success for the Second Language Learner in
Grades K-12
For Mainstream Teachers of ESL Students: This section of
the ESL website has been written for mainstream (i.e. nonESL) teachers who wish to learn how they can best help
the ESL students in their classes. There are a few links for
ESL specialists at the foot of the page.
Commonly Encountered Problems: Click on the following
often-overheard comments made by classroom teachers of
ELL's to learn more about possible causes for these
behaviors.
Teaching English Language Learners: Click on these
former English Language Learners
and listen to their stories.
How Can I Modify for My English Language Learner:
powerpoint presentation on ESL modification.
Keys To Effective Communication: Site give teachers
strategies to help teachers communicate more effectively
with English language learners.
Strategies for Classroom Teachers: Topic: Making English
Language Learners (ELLs) Comfortable in Your Class.
Best Practices: Best Practices for Teaching Young English
Language Learners (ELLs)
Casa Notes: Teacher Notes for Home: Take the pressure
out of creating common teacher notes to go home. Using
the templates, you can easily create notes for home.
Create notes in English or Spanish - (great for the ELL
teacher and students)
Help! They Don't Speak English: At this site, you can
download the text of a resource guide for K - 6 teachers
working with ELL students.
Super Quiz Machine for ESL: Each time you load the quiz, 20
questions are chosen from a database of more than 3,000
questions.
For Mainstream Teachers of ESL Students: This section of
the ESL website has been written for mainstream (i.e. nonESL) teachers who wish to learn how they can best help the
ESL students in their classes. There are a few links for ESL
specialists at the foot of the page.
The Classroom Teachers Survival Packet: Site provides help
for the classroom teacher with new Spanish speakers in their
class.
Survival Spanish for Teachers: Site has common phrases for
the classroom teacher. This is an excellent resource for the
mainstream teacher.
Internet4Classrooms: Site has a comprehensive list of
interactive sites for learning English.
Primary School ESL: This page gives a list of primary ESL
sites that are great for all teachers.
English Vocabulary: Study word list and then choose a game.
Interesting Things for ESL Students: This a fun study site for
learners of English as a Second Language.
Flash Matching Quizzes: Student can do independently at
computer with the help of a dictionary.
Personal Educational Press: Create free educational
worksheets such as flashcards, game boards, and quizzes to
print directly from your browser. Simply choose a word list
and an output style. (Available for English, Spanish, French,
and German.)
VOA Flashcards: Learn the words on the Voice of America's
Special English Word List. (word and definition)
Flash Quizzes for English Study: This site has a list of flash
quizzes for grammar and vocabulary. ELL students can work
independently at the computer.
Primary Resources: free lessons plans, activity ideas and
resources for primary teachers
Easy Things for Beginners: word games, puzzles, quizzes,
and exercises
Crossword Puzzles: crossword puzzles with picture hints or
definitions
ESL Newsletters and Journals
Genki English Newsletter: Sign up to get a new newsletter
each month.
The Internet TESL Journal: a monthly web journal for ESL
teachers.
Language: The magazine of Communication and
Education
TESL Newsletters: links of interest to teachers and students
of ESL
Developing Teacher: This is a great site for teachers to get
weekly teaching tips by e-mail.
Colorin Colorado: newsletter for teachers, students and
parents. Reading Tips can be translated in 10 different
Texas Education Agency
newsletters so you will informed of all
languages.
TEA changes from ListServ
Professional Organizations
The Internet TESL Journal: This is a monthly web journal with articles, researchpapers, lessons plans, classroom
handouts, teaching ideas and links.
NCTE: National Council of Teachers of English
TESOL: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages
Helping English Language Learners
Texas Education Agency Bilingual/ESL Unit August 2004
Twenty Tips for Teachers of Language Minority Students
1. 1. Increase your own knowledge: Learn as much as you can about the
language and culture of your students. Go to movies, read books. Keep
the similarities and differences in mind and then check your knowledge by
asking students whether they agree with your impressions. Learn as much
of the student’s language as you can; even a few words help. Widen your
own worldview; think of alternative ways to reach the goals you have for
your class.
2. 2. Simplify your language: Speak directly to the student, emphasizing
important nouns and verbs. Use as few extra words as possible.
Repetition and speaking louder doesn’t help; rephrasing, accompanied by
body language, does. Avoid slang and idiomatic expressions.
3. 3. Announce the lesson’s objective and activities: Write the objectives on the
board and review them orally before class begins. It is also helpful to place
the lessons in the context of its broader theme and preview upcoming
lessons.
4. 4. Write legibly: Remember that some students have low levels of literacy or
are unaccustomed to the Roman alphabet. Use the chalkboard or
overhead projector to write important words.
5. 5. Demonstrate; use manipulatives: Whenever possible, communicate with
gestures, pictures and objects that help get the meaning across. Use a
variety of different pictures or objects for the same idea. Give an
immediate context for new words.
6. 6. Make use of all senses: Give students a chance to touch things, to listen to
sounds, even to smell and taste when possible. Talk about the words that
describe these senses as the student physically experiences something.
Write new words as well as say them.
7. 7. Use filmstrips, films, videotapes, and audiocassettes with books: Obtain audiovisual materials from the school or district media center to improve a
content lesson. It is helpful to preview the audio-visual materials before
showing them to the class, both for possible language difficulties and
misleading cultural information.
8. 8. Bring realia into lessons: Use visual displays (graphs, charts, photos),
objects, and authentic materials, like newspaper and magazine clippings,
in the lessons and assignments. These help provide non-verbal
information and also help match various learning styles.
9. 9. Adapt materials: Don’t "water down" the content. Rather, make the
concepts more accessible and comprehensible by adding pictures, charts,
maps, time-lines, and diagrams, in addition to simplifying the language.
10. 10. Pair or group language minority students with native speakers: Much of a
student’s language learning comes from interacting with his/her peers.
Give students tasks to complete that require interaction of each member
of the group while ensuring that the language minority student has
linguistically easier tasks. Utilize cooperative learning techniques in a
student-center classroom.
11. 11. Develop a student-centered approach to teaching and learning: Instructional
facilitators let students assume more responsibility for their learning. When
activities are planned that actively involve students in each lesson,
students can better process the material presented and acquire the
language as well.
Texas Education Agency Bilingual/ESL Unit August 2004
1. 12. Have students do hand-on activities: Plan for students to manipulate new
materials through hands-on activities, such as role-play and simulations.
This includes TPR (total physical response), laboratory experiments,
drawing pictures and story sequence, and writing their own math word
problems.
2. 13. List and Review instructions step-by-step: Before students begin an
activity, familiarize them with the entire list of instructions. Then, have
students work on each step individually before moving on to the next step.
This process is ideal for teaching students to solve math and science word
problems.
3. 14. Ask inferential and higher-order thinking questions: Encourage students’
reasoning ability and higher order thinking skills such as hypothesizing,
inferencing, analyzing, justifying, and predicting.
4. 15. Build on the student’s prior knowledge: Find out as much as you can about
how and what students learned in their own country. Then try to make a
connection between the ideas and concepts you are teaching and
students’ previous knowledge or previous way of being taught. Encourage
students to point out differences and connect similarities.
5. 16. Recognize that students will make language mistakes: During the second
language acquisition process, students make mistakes; this is natural in
the process of learning a language. Make sure that students have
understood the information, but do not emphasize the grammatical aspect
of their responses. When possible, model the correct grammatical form.
6. 17. Increase wait time: Give student’s time to think and process the
information before rushing in with answers. A student may know the
answer, but may need a little more processing time in order to say it in
English.
7. 18. Don’t force recent students to speak: Give students an opportunity to
demonstrate comprehension and knowledge through body actions,
drawing pictures, manipulating objects, or pointing.
8. 19. Respond to the message: If students have the correct answer and it’s
understandable, don’t correct their grammar. The exact word and correct
grammatical response will develop with time, especially with young
children. Instead, repeat their answer, putting it into standard English, and
let students know that you are pleased with their response.
9. 20. Support the student’s home language and culture; bring it into the classroom:
Your goal should be to encourage students to keep their home language
as they acquire English. Many children in this world grow up speaking
more than one language; it’s an advantage. Let students help bring about
a multicultural perspective to the subject you are teaching. Students might
be able to bring in pictures, poems, dances, proverbs, or games. Do what
ever you can to help your fluent English-speaking students see the
language-minority student as a knowledgeable person from a respected
culture.
Adapted from:
Short, D.J. (1991). Integrating language and content instruction: Strategies and techniques.
Washington, D.C. National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education
Sullivan, T. (1993). Sheltered English techniques in the mainstream class: Guidelines and Techniques for Teaching.
Washington, D.C. Center for Applied Linguistics.
Instructional Strategies for English
Language Learners BILINGUAL EDUCATION
Every school district is responsible for providing all students an English language arts
program that includes the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) of oral
communication, reading with comprehension, composition, and the mechanics of
language. Students of limited English proficiency (LEP) will need to receive instruction in
language arts as a subject as well as language as medium for instruction in required
subjects other than language. Administrators should provide a quality language arts
program that develops expanded meaning of language, builds vocabulary, and teaches
word recognition and comprehension techniques to both LEP and native Englishspeaking students. English-speaking students in the regular classroom have acquired
prereading and basic reading abilities they can add to the specific requirements a
language arts program demands. Therefore, these students have a good start in
attaining a mental framework upon which to establish the additional competencies
needed for successful reading in a language arts program.
The content areas must be taught in the primary language as well as in English
commensurate to the student’s needs in the Bilingual program. Bilingual teachers need
to teach the ESL TEKS when instructing students in the content areas as well as
language arts and reading. Particular attention needs to be paid to the modifications
stated in the TEKS.
On the other hand, the LEP student who is struggling to speak, read, and comprehend
the English language will have few, if any, of the preskills necessary for academic
success in language arts. The reading requirements are often extensive and unrealistic,
and these students’ comprehension of the abstract concepts basic to much reading
comprehension is minimal. Success in mastering language arts concepts is possible only
to the extent that the LEP students have acquired the basic oral proficiency and reading
skills, specialized abilities, and knowledge demanded in the content area. To ensure that
a quality English language arts program is provided for LEP students:
1.
2.
• Instruction must include all the characteristics of a quality English language
arts program for native speakers of English
• Administrators must provide this program through a required bilingual
education or English as a second language (ESL) program
Transferring Skills between Languages
Transfer is the process of connecting prior learning to present learning. Bilingual
education as a mode for teaching English language arts is based upon the positive
transfer process whereby original learning in the primary language boosts
comprehension and retention of information given in the course of English instruction.
Recent research on effective schools includes Effective Teaching Practices (ETPs) in the
areas of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
• teaching strategies
• time on task
• feedback techniques
• learning climate
Texas Education Agency Bilingual/ESL Unit August 2004 Instructional
Strategies for English Language Learners
Enumeration of these strategies as they affect LEP students provides administrators and
teachers with some important indicators of the quality of the programs they are directing.
Teachers and administrators should be aware that:
1.
2.
3.
4.
• Teachers need to provide information in a way that is clearly understood. For
the LEP student, this means that instruction may need to be given in the
student’s primary language and through ESL.
• Appropriate variations of instructional strategies increase the probability that
students will master, retain, and transfer knowledge and skills. LEP students
are best able to absorb knowledge through the language they know. Therefore,
their English proficiency is strengthened through ESL until English becomes an
appropriate modality for learning the language arts Texas Essential Knowledge
and Skills (TEKS).
• teachers should differentiate instruction for LEP students according to their
entry-level language skills
• Students understand complicated concepts by transferring known language
competency to English and by developing conversational language abilities to
abstract academic levels.
When they are acquiring English language skills and simultaneously receiving reading
instruction in print as well as orally, LEP students should concentrate on developing
these basic competencies:
1.
2.
3.
4.
• word recognition techniques to build reading vocabulary
• comprehension of phrases, sentences, and expressions peculiar to reading
instruction, syntax and grammar, and speaking skills
• ability to organize and sequence information logically
• ability to follow specific oral and written directions
A LEP student would have difficulty learning to speak, read and write a second language
while simultaneously trying to comprehend complex reading passages. Therefore, a
teacher specializing in language arts must consider two relevant and basic questions:
1.
2.
3.
• How much prior skill and knowledge of the field does the student possess?
• How effectively is the student able to read the passages assigned?
• What is the academic level of the student in all of the content areas in the
primary language?
Unless the student has significant prior skill and knowledge and can effectively read the
text, modifications of the lesson delivery will be necessary.
Modifying the Language Arts Curriculum for LEP Students
Educators employ two distinct programs, Bilingual Education and English as a Second
Language (ESL), to modify the general education program to teach English language
arts to students limited in English proficiency (LEP). A bilingual education program
makes use of a LEP student’s native language as well as English. An ESL program uses
the second language, English, as the medium
Texas Education Agency Bilingual/ESL Unit August 2004 Instructional
Strategies for English Language Learners
of instruction along with adaptive methodologies. The instructional staff should assess
LEP students’ language abilities to determine which language should convey the content
of the course. The selection of the appropriate medium is dependent on the language
strengths and maturities of LEP students.
LEP students vary in the extent of language proficiency that they bring to the classroom.
Some students come to school without English language skills or with some basic word
knowledge in English but are not able to communicate well with teachers or peers. Other
students come to school with academic language proficiency in their primary language,
but have not acquired sufficient content vocabulary in English to enable them to complete
their classroom assignments or participate in oral assignments. Many students come to
school with some knowledge of English and some proficiency in their primary language,
but still need intensive language development in both languages. It is imperative that a
careful diagnosis of language proficiency be done in English and, if possible, in the
primary language. After the LEP students’ language characteristics have been
determined, teachers can identify the appropriate instructional methods, material, and
pacing necessary to ensure mastery.
General Principles of Modification for Language Arts
In a bilingual education program, teachers provide the regular curriculum through dual
language use to meet students’ academic needs. They modify the instructional program
by altering the language in which the content is conveyed; however, they would not alter
the scope of the curriculum in a bilingual education program.
District planners should design their curriculum to ensure mastery of the English
language arts Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The curriculum that results
from a dual language program should:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
• emphasize acquisition of basic skills
• foster the critical thinking process
• stimulate continuous reorganization of the information presented
• encourage further investigation of the information presented
• use multiple learning styles
Bilingual or ESL certified instructors may also form teams with other teaching or support
personnel to develop supplementary programs for LEP students. Parent volunteers and
paraprofessionals can work with regular instructional personnel cooperatively to deliver
the needed programs in accordance with State Board rules.
In other specific modifications appropriate for teaching the Texas Essential Knowledge
and Skills (TEKS), teachers may include instructional strategies with the following
objectives:
1.
2.
3.
4.
• to help students build card files on needed vocabulary
• to show the same information through a variety of visual aids
• to encourage students to underline key words or important passages in
written student assignments
• to teach vocabulary helpful in grouping words, language arts concepts, and
techniques into meaningful categories
Texas Education Agency Bilingual/ESL Unit August 2004 Instructional
Strategies for English Language Learners
1.
2.
3.
4.
• to pair students for team learning
• to teach English expressions and colloquialisms
• to teach prefixes and suffixes peculiar to the English language
• to develop and translate meanings through the language arts materials and
context rather than providing mere translation in the vernacular which does not
guarantee the same meaning in the native language and often creates
confusion
Further, instructional personnel should be alert to language and concepts that may be
unclear in materials used because of cultural difference.
Modifications in Pacing and Teaching Strategies for Language
Arts
The LEP students’ program must be paced according to language and academic
abilities. Teachers should give consideration to the progression of language
development; listening, speaking, reading, writing. They may make modifications in the
language of instruction in accordance with each student’s language ability, a factor that
also should govern pacing of instruction. In an ESL program, pacing modifications
concentrate on vocabulary and concept development; in a bilingual program, dual
language instruction concentrates on a process approach to the content area.
Instructional personnel should carefully investigate course selections and placement at
the students’ instructional levels in textbooks. Additional modifications may include the
following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
• to explain special vocabulary terms in words known to the students
• to write shorter and less complex sentences
• to assign short homework tasks that require reading
• to teach the words that signal sequence
• to check understanding of written language that may convey complex
concepts
6. • to rewrite story problems in simpler English by using shorter sentences and
pictures
7. • to teach new vocabulary in each day’s unit and to review terms already
mastered
8. • to tape short stories for independent listening assignments
9. • to de-emphasize speed and emphasize accuracy of reading
10. • to help students organize their materials, set realistic goals, and develop
independent study habits
Modifications of Materials Needed for Language Arts
All materials, whether state-adopted textbooks in Spanish and English, teacher-made
lessons, or district-developed aids to instruction, should be modified to meet the
students’ academic needs. Administrators and curriculum supervisors might encourage
classroom instructors to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
• provide numerous pictures to illustrate new words
• offer a variety of reference materials at the student’s instructional level for
independent use
• keep a variety of word games to be played by pairs of students or small
groups
• use cartoons and leave the bubbles above the speakers blank to be filled in
by the students
• have students prepare glossaries of reading terms
• use drawings to identify concepts and relationships
Texas Education Agency Bilingual/ESL Unit August 2004 Instructional
Strategies for English Language Learners
1.
2.
3.
4.
• maintain a library of supplementary reference books, workbooks, and other
materials that are written in simple English and that offer additional reading
samples that are well illustrated
• provide films, records, filmstrips, and other materials that may be used
independently or in small groups
• help students improve writing skills by highlighting transitional devices used in
writing samples
• use pictures and other visual aids to assist in comparison and contrasts for
comprehension of concepts
What are some content area ESL methodologies?
General Principles of Modification for Mathematics
To meet the instructional needs of the LEP student through bilingual education and ESL
programs, districts may modify their programs for learning English and for mastering the
mathematics Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) required. The program as
modified in an ESL language program should begin:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
• to emphasize and reinforce the concepts and ideas of mathematics as the
students learn English
• to emphasize acquisition of basic mathematics skills
• to foster the thinking process
• to stimulate continuous reorganization of previously learned ideas
• to support multiple learning styles
In an ESL program, the sequence in which the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
(TEKS) are presented may be modified to accommodate the students’ progress in
acquiring English language skills. Emphasis on oral and visual stimuli aid students in
comprehending concepts English-speaking students develop through written material.
Modification of Methods for Mathematics
Instructional strategies may include the following objectives:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
• to help students build card files and glossaries on mathematics vocabulary
• to show the same information through a variety of difference graphs and
visuals
• to encourage students to underline key words or important facts in their
written assignments
• to encourage students to underline key words into meaningful groups to pair
students for team learning
• to teach English expressions for mathematical operations such as "square",
"add", and "multiply"
6.
7.
8.
• to teach measurement terms through use of the actual instruments and
devices whenever possible
• to teach the names of currency, coins, and monetary units
• to teach words that indicate quantitative relationships such as "more", "less",
"larger", and "twice as many"
Texas Education Agency Bilingual/ESL Unit August 2004 Instructional
Strategies for English Language Learners
1.
• to teach prefixes peculiar to the language of mathematics such as "bi", "deci",
"centi", and "kilo"
Modifications may also include the teaming of bilingual or ESL certified instructors with
personnel on emergency teaching permits to develop supplementary programs for LEP
students. Parent volunteers and paraprofessionals can work with regular instructional
personnel cooperatively to deliver the needed programs in accordance with the State
Board rules.
Modification of Pacing and Placement for Mathematics
The LEP students’ program must be paced according to language and academic abilities
and should employ teaching strategies that take these students’ unique needs into
consideration. Modifications may also involve placement of a student at an instructional
level determined by what courses the students have successfully completed. Course
selection and choice of state-adopted textbooks should be carefully supervised by
teachers, counselors and administrators. Teachers of LEP students should teach the
ESL TEKS and pay special attention to the modifications specified in them.
In an ESL program, pacing modifications concentrate on vocabulary and concept
development. In addition, teachers may be able:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
• to explain special vocabulary terms in words known to the student
• to write instructions and problems using shorter and less complex sentences
• to prepare a sequence of ordinal numbers and identify the ordinal position of
each one by writing the appropriate numerical symbol and word (i.e., "1st-first")
• to assign short homework tasks that require reading
• to limit the number of problems that must be worked
• to emphasize special mathematical meanings of words commonly used in
English
• to tape record problems for independent listening assignments
• to de-emphasize speed and emphasize accuracy of work
Modification of Materials for Mathematics
All materials, whether state-adopted textbooks in Spanish, teacher-made lessons, or
district-developed aids for instruction, should be modified to meet the students’ academic
needs. Administrators and curriculum supervisors can support the classroom instructor:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
• to provide numerous pictures to illustrate new words
• to offer a variety of reference materials at the student’s instructional level for
independent use
• to keep variety of number games to be played by pairs of students or small
groups
• to maintain a library of supplementary books and workbooks written in simple
English which offer additional illustrations for problems
• to keep listening tapes on mathematical problems for individual assignments
• to help students prepare glossaries of mathematics terms
• to encourage the use of diagrams and drawings as aids to identifying
concepts and seeing relationships
Texas Education Agency Bilingual/ESL Unit August 2004 Instructional
Strategies for English Language Learners
1.
• to support reading in mathematics by having films, records, filmstrips, and
other materials which may be used independently or in small groups
General Principles of Modification for Social Studies (SS)
To meet the instructional needs of the LEP student through bilingual education and
English as a second language programs, districts should modify their programs for
learning English and for mastering the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
required in social studies programs. Assessments of mastery should be consistent with
the method of instruction used and may be conducted in the primary language or in
English. Teachers of SS need to teach the ESL TEKS when teaching SS with English as
a second language methodology. Particular attention needs to be paid to the
modifications stated in the TEKS.
In a bilingual education program, the regular curriculum is provided through dual
language use to meet students’ instructional needs. The districts have the responsibility
to ensure that instructors modify curriculum according to the learning styles and
instructional needs of various students. The social studies curriculum that results from a
dual language or ESL program should begin:
1.
2.
3.
• to foster the critical thinking process
• to stimulate continuous reorganization of previously learned ideas
• to encourage further investigation of the information presented
Modification of Methods for Social Studies
Instructional strategies may also include the following objectives:
1.
• to help students build individual card files on needed vocabulary for social
studies
2. • to show the same information through a variety of different graphs and visuals
3. • to build vocabulary needed to read maps and legends as these are discussed
4. • to encourage students to underline key words or important facts in their
written assignments
5. • to teach necessary vocabulary for sorting categories of social studies
concepts into groups and to explain this vocabulary in words known to the
student
6. • to use student pairs for team learning (cooperative learning) especially for
reports
7. • to teach the vocabulary helpful in evaluating material for logic of written
expression and for categorizing as opinion or fact
8. • to write shorter and less complex sentences and paragraphs with fewer
sentences for easier comprehension
9. • to use language experience techniques in discussing concepts and ideas
10. • to teach the words that signal sequence
11. • to check understanding of written language that may convey complex
concepts
12. • to show students how to use a timeline to arrange and sequence important
facts
Texas Education Agency Bilingual/ESL Unit August 2004 Instructional
Strategies for English Language Learners
Modification of the Pacing and Placement for Social Studies
Appropriate pacing may require reordering the sequence in which Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are provided until some degree of reading comprehension
is reached. Further secondary LEP students, whose academic needs require fulfillment
of graduation credits, will need assistance in pacing course selection to accommodate
their language and academic abilities. Modifications may also involve placement to the
student at an instructional level determined by what courses the student has successfully
completed. Textbooks should be chosen to meet the student’s instructional needs.
Informal reading inventories in the primary language and in English may be used to
determine both instructional level and appropriate textbooks.
Modification of Materials for Social Studies
Social studies state-adopted textbooks are available at the elementary level in the
primary language (English, Spanish). Districts can also design their own appropriate
instructional materials in the primary language by using social studies Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) as the content guide. In ESL programs, the district may
use the state-adopted social studies textbooks adapted to ESL methodologies. Other
instructional materials such as teacher-made and commercially-made products should be
modified to adjust for the students’ language and academic abilities. Additional
suggestions for modifications may be:
1.
• to provide a number of pictures to illustrate new words
2.
• to offer a variety of reference materials at the students’ instructional levels for
independent use
3. • to use cartoons and leave the balloons above the speakers blank, to be filled
in by the students
4. • to collect many of the available comic books that portray historic and cultural
events in simplified language
5. • to provide biographies of significant men and women from different cultures
6. • to prepare difficult passages from textbooks on tape for listening activities
7. • to use outline maps for students to practice writing in the details and labels
8. • to support reading instruction in the social studies by maintaining films,
records, filmstrips, and other materials which may be used independently or in
small groups
9. • to present clear illustrations and concrete examples to assist the student in
understanding complex concepts and skills
10. • to highlight written materials for readability by enlarging the size of print, by
organizing chapters meaningfully, and by writing headings that show
introductions for transition from one idea to another
11. • to use pictures, tables, maps, diagrams, globes, and other visual aids to
assist in comparison and contrast for comprehension of concepts.
General Principles of Modification for Science
To meet the instructional needs of the LEP student through bilingual education and ESL
programs, districts have the responsibility to modify their curriculum according to the
learning styles and different instructional needs of various students.
The program as modified for either dual language or ESL instructional should begin:
Texas Education Agency Bilingual/ESL Unit August 2004 Instructional
Strategies for English Language Learners
1.
2.
3.
• to foster the critical thinking process
• to stimulate continuous reorganization of previously learned ideas
• to encourage further investigation of the information presented
Modification of Methods for Science
The interdisciplinary nature of science experience provides students with opportunities to
apply skills acquired in other content areas while in the process of acquiring science
skills.
Modifications may need to be made especially if the science activity requires reading or
writing. Instructional strategies may include the following objectives:
1.
• to practice cause and effect relationships in the environment, laboratory, and
on field trips facilitated by providing language and visual cues
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
• to teach the special vocabulary of the scientist, particularly verbs such as
discover, classify, and hypothesize
• to help students build notebooks of their hypotheses, materials, procedures,
data, and conclusions or experiments and field experiences
• to ask numerous questions which require higher level thinking responses
• to limit the number of variables in laboratory experiments
• to show the same information through a variety of different charts and visuals
• to develop meanings through the science materials and activities rather than
in terms of the equivalent words of the students’ vernacular since direct
translations often do not convey the exact meaning
• to stress definitions of terms based on the students’ observations
• to read a variety of sources to highlight contributions of scientists, inventors,
and researchers
• to contrast interrogative, negative, and affirmative statements drawn from the
science lesson
• to encourage careful, thoughtful reading of short selections in which one main
idea is presented
• to encourage students to underline key words or important facts in written
assignments
• to teach interrogative words and expressions and show how they are used in
science to answer such questions as who, how, when, and where and higher
level questions
• to encourage complete sentences, correct spelling, and accuracy of
expression of science methods and language
Modification of the Pacing and Placement for Science
Appropriate pacing may require reordering the sequence in which Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are provided until some degree of reading comprehension
is reached. Further, secondary LEP students, whose academic needs require fulfillment
of graduation credits, will need assistance in pacing course selections to accommodate
their language and academic abilities.
Modifications may also involve placement of the student at an instructional level
determined by what courses the student has successfully completed. Textbooks should
be chosen to meet the
Texas Education Agency Bilingual/ESL Unit August 2004 Instructional
Strategies for English Language Learners
Student’s instructional need. Informal reading inventories in the primary language and in
English may be used to determine both instructional level and appropriate textbooks.
Modification of Materials for Science
Along with the instructional approaches and pacing modifications noted, modifications of
the instructional materials may also be needed for LEP students. For districts with a
bilingual education program, state-adopted science textbooks in Spanish are available.
Districts may also design appropriate instructional materials in Spanish by incorporating
the science Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) in the content guide. In the
ESL programs, the district may use the state-adopted science textbooks adapted to ESL
methodologies. Other instructional materials such as teacher-made and commerciallymade products should be modified according to the students’ language and academic
abilities. Additional suggestions for modification may include the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
• to provide a number of pictures to illustrate terms such as names of living
things, weather patterns, and parts of the body
• to develop interests and arouse curiosity through hands-on experiences, outof-doors pictures, newspaper clippings, and periodicals
• to use cartoons and leave the balloons above the speakers blank, to be filled
in by the students
• to have students prepare collections of science objects such as rocks and
leaves
• to prepare difficult passages from textbooks on tape for listening activities
• to support reading instruction in science by having films, records, filmstrips,
and other materials which may be used independently or in small groups
• to present clear illustrations and concrete examples to assist the student in
understanding complex concepts and skills
• to highlight written materials for readability by enlarging the size of the print,
by organizing chapters meaningfully, and by writing headings that show
introductions for transition form one idea to another
Districts may find it helpful to consult the published readability levels of state-adopted
textbooks as they select materials that will be appropriate for the LEP students.
In summary, these suggestions for modification of the academic program for teaching
mathematics, social studies, and science to the LEP student are a beginning. Additional
instructional suggestions and techniques can be used from the Compensatory, Gifted
and Talented and Migrant Education programs.
Adapted and revised by TEA, July 2004
Texas Education Agency Bilingual/ESL Unit August 2004