Immediately Adjusting Teaching Strategies
for Reducing Language Barriers for English Language Learners*
Heike Rüdenauer, Dipl.SP (FH), M.S., M.Ed. – University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Motivation and Challenge
• More ELL’s
in U.S.
classrooms
• Both
general and
special
education
ELLs
1, 15, 19, 21, 22, 28, 32
Demographic
Changes
14, 21, 22, 24, 28, 30, 32, 34
• Diverse
cultures
• Diverse
languages
• Often
additional
challenges
that come
with “being an
ELL”
• Reality:
Every
teacher
might need
to instruct
ELLs
• Only few are
formally
prepared for
this task
Teachers
6, 11, 27
And what about the misrepresentation of
ELL’s in special education services?
Or about students with an IEP who are
ALSO ELL students? 20, 22, 23, 25
Underprepared Teachers?11, 27
Teacher
preparation
varies from
state to state
TESL courses
cost money
and take time
ELL teacher
preparation is
often limited
Teachers
already worry
about
implementing
IEP’s, reaching
common core
standards, and
organize social
services
Questions…
• How much can one teacher do?
• How much support do teachers get?
• How can we support teachers AND students?
Start-Out-Solutions will need to





be cost-effective
be time-efficient
be easily accessible
be connected to teacher’s realities
work for all students in a class
So… where can we start?
How can we improve ELL academic
outcomes?
 Increasing access to grade level curricular
content
 by building bridges to overcome the
language gaps
 through creating increased opportunities for
language application and practice
1, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 35, 38
All references are numeric,
please refer to reference and resource list
Your Take-Away…!
Evidence-Based Practices for ELL Students: What do We Know?
Increasing
Comprehension

Extensive
Vocabulary Instruction
Increasing
Interaction

1, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 18, 35
Activating Higher
Order Thinking
Increase Academic Conversations and Discourse
1, 9, 11, 12, 17, 18, 38

What’s in for Teachers?
What can you implement in your
classroom when you return to your school
tomorrow for addressing…..
Increasing
Academic
Conversations
Extensive
Vocabulary
Instruction
Interpreting
Language
Proficiency Scores
[email protected]
Immediately create evidence
based vocabulary instructions
Instantly use classroom methods
increasing academic
conversations
Understand language proficiency
scores and how they relate to
your lesson planning
1. Vocabulary Instructions for ELL’s – What Works?
What to Teach:
Text & Target Vocabulary
Before I start:
Initial Considerations
• Individualize: Supplement
curricular suggestions with
actually needed words 12
• Consider multimedia
instructional tools: video clips,
visuals, graphic organizers 1, 9
• Teach word-learning strategies:
help students independently
finding meanings of words 1
• Consider preview – view – review
strategy
• Consider multiple modalities:
writing, speaking, listening,
reading 1, 7, 26, 36, 37
• Age appropriate
• Connection to prior
experiences & learning 1, 5, 7, 11,
12, 17
• Connected to grade-level
curricular content 3, 5, 11, 35, 37
• Small set of tier II words
1, 12, 17, 31,
• High relevance 1,17
• High frequency 1,17
• Crossing content areas1 ,17
• Multiple meanings 1,17
• Cognates / False Cognates 1, 2, 17
• Consider scaffoldings such as
word banks, sentence starters,
fill-in-the-blanks 1,8, 12, 17, 26, 37
When to Teach:
Frequency
How to Teach:
Components
• Small group v. whole group29,
33
• Vocabulary cards 12
• Definitions 1, 4, 12, 17
• Visuals1, 4, 12, 17
• Written words1, 4, 12, 17,
• Consider L1 – L2 translations as
additional support 1, 3, 4
• Use in children’s own context:
Partner Talk 1, 4, 12, 17, 26, 33, 38
• Practice example sentences
1, 4, 12, 17,
• Consider kinetic connectors
(clapping syllabus, word
rhythms, ASL Support) 16
• Brief, precise, and consistent 1
• Pre-Teach, before reading text
1, 12, 17, 19
• Every day in short sequences
1, 12, 17
• Consider end-of-the-week
summary/ assessment (incl.
learning games, revision races,
etc.) 1, 5, 8, 11, 29
• Make it fun and worthwhile 1
• Repetition and reviews
throughout the day 1, 5
2) How can I increase academic talk time and higher order thinking?
(a) Establish and Practice a
Classroom-Conversation Culture1,38
• Discuss what “conversation” is and
what it is not, roleplay examples
• Discuss and practice conversation
etiquette, establish some classroom
rules of “good conversation manners”
• Teach strategies such as
elaborating, clarifying, supporting
ideas with examples, paraphrasing,
synthesizing
• Consider age of your students:
what can they do? Which language do
you use for explaining concepts?
• Think “deep”, not “broad” when
encouraging academic conversations
(b) Activate
(c) Choose discussion activities
Higher Order Thinking
grounded in cooperative learning
with Questions like…1,4,5,11,26,29
strategies such as…1,2,8,9,37,38
Can you
give an
example
for this?
I agree /
disagree
because…!
Can you
say this in
your own
words?
What does
____
mean?
Did
something
similar ever
happen to
you?
What do
you think
could
happen
next?
Why is this
important
to know / to
learn?
What
Did you
comes to
Tell me
hear / read
your mind
something
more about
first when
like this
…
you read
before?
this?
How does
What was
this relate
Why do you
the main
to what we
What are
point of
think
____
talked
other points
what ____
did
what
about
of view?
just read /
he/she
did?
yesterday?
said?
• Take a minute and discuss it with your
neighbor
• Inner-Outer Circle Review Round
• Pick a point and tell me about it!
• Small-Group graphic organizers &
discussion
• Two-Minute-Opinion-Share
• Pro and Con Discussions
• Gallery Walks
• More examples: Kagan-Strategies:
RallyRobin, Timed Pair Share,
RoundRobin, RallyCoach, Stand UpHand Up-Pair Up
3. Get familiar with your student’s WIDA® scores
Bonus: What’s good for ELL’s…10
Students who struggle with difficulties in accessing
academic content information due to limited academic
vocabulary and it’s application in context:
 Many ELL students
 Many student from low income families
 Some students with an IEP
 Students who combine several of these factors
The GOOD thing:
Explicit vocabulary instruction and increased
academic discourse can support all these students in
their academic outcomes.
Next Steps ?!
Could a
Peer-Observation
System help me
“becoming fluent” in
ELL instructions?
Maybe a TESOL
endorsement?
How about
a Professional
Learning
Community
Professional
on my campus?
development
at my school?
Let me meet with
our ELL coordinator or teacher
and see what support and
info I can get…
ttp://img.clipartall.com/marsha-thinking-cap-200-thinking-cap-clipart-200_226.jpg
Next Research Questions
 How effective is this suggested combination of
strategies and methods?
 Does it make a measurable difference in ELL
students’ outcomes?
 What can schools do for supporting teachers’ who
do not hold an endorsement for instructing ELL
students?
References and Resources
Ask your
school or district
ELL coordinator
www.colorincolorado.org
Scan QR Code and find this poster,
references, and links to resources here!
Or check out:
http://ruedenauer-plummer.weebly.com
www.postersession.com