1. Teaching ELL Students in
the Classroom
Carrie Adams
November 24, 2013

2. Some ELL Facts

In 2010-2011 school year there were an estimated
4.7 million students in public education

States in the West had the highest number of ELL
enrolled in a public school system

In Oregon, Hawaii, Alaska, Colorado, Texas, New
Mexico, Nevada, and California 10% or more of
public school students were ELL

Reading scores for non-ELL 4th to 8th graders were
higher than their ELL peers

This is called an achievement gap

In New Mexico about 15% of the student
population participated in an ELL program in the
2010-2011 school year

In 2007, 36% of New Mexico’s population aged 5 or
older spoke a language other than English at home

3. English Only Programs vs.
Bilingual Programs
 Studies have shown that
immersing students in only
the English language do not
score well in reading
comprehension
 Bilingual programs give ELL
students the opportunity to
practice their first language
and English
 These students score higher
in reading comprehension

4. Who Are ELL
Students?
•ELL students can be present in
classes from K-12 although ELL
classes are more readily available
in elementary school
•ELL students do not represent
just one language
•Over 400 languages are spoken
by ELL students
•79% of the ELL students speak
Spanish as their first language

5. What Can Teachers do to Help ELL
Students?
 Allow students to speak in their first language in the classroom
 Pair a new ELL student with a buddy who has been in the
program for a longer period of time
 Ensure classroom is a safe and welcoming environment
 Encourage ELL students to write about their learning in their first
language
 Have signs, posters, and books in the classroom written in the
first and secondary languages
 Encourage students to teach the class about their culture and
language

6. Useful Theories: Piaget
 Provide real world experiences for students to practice
speaking, reading, and writing in both primary and
secondary language
 Allow students to explore, discover, ask their own
questions, and search out answers with fellow students
 Understand how children learn to help ELL students
learn English
 Stages of Cognitive Development
 These stages pertain to every learner, no matter their first
language

7. Useful Theories: Krashen
 Five hypotheses to promote secondary language learning





Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis
Monitor Hypothesis
Natural Order Hypothesis
Input Hypothesis
Affective-Filter Hypothesis
 Free voluntary reading gives students the chance to increase
literacy and develop vocabulary
 Students learn through reading with pictures and holding
discussions
 Could help ELL students close the achievement gap with non-ELL
students

8. Useful Theories: Dewey
 Give ELL and non-ELL students the chance to interact
and work with each other and with the teacher
 Base lessons on students’ interests and keep in mind the
backgrounds of all students
 All cultures should be reflected in the classroom and
lessons
 Students should be learning how to live in society and
their individual communities

9. Teaching Methods for ELL
Students
 Allow students more time to think about and answer
questions
 Allow ELL students to speak their first language in the
classroom
 Students who continue to learn their first language have an
easier time learning and understanding English
 You only learn to read once! Students should be reading in
first language and English
 Use pictures and models to help ELL students understand new
words and ideas
 Give hands on and real life experiences for ELL and non-ELL
students

10. Teaching Method Cont.
 Ask open-ended questions and give students the chance
to ask their own questions for higher-order thinking
 Present one idea at a time
 Use formative assessments to check for understanding
 Pair new ELL students with ELL students who have been
in the classroom longer
 They can practice both English and first language skills
 Present all lessons with audio and visual to help ELL
students bring together written and spoken words

11. Works Cited
 National Center of Education Statistics. US Department of
Education. Fast Facts: English Language Learners.
https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=96
 Center for Public Education. The United States of Education:
The Changing Demographics of the United States and their
Schools. www.centerforpubliceducation.org/You-May-Also-BeInterested-In-landing-page-level/Organizing-a-SchoolYMABI/The-United-States-of-education-The-changingdemographics-of-the-United-States-and-their-schools.html
 Welcome ELLs: How to Make Your ELL Students Feel at Home.
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/welcome-ells

12. Works Cited Continued
 An Introduction to the Works of Stephen Krashen.
http://esl.fis.edu/teachers/support/krashen.htm
 Mooney, Carol G. “Theories of Childhood: An
Introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget, and
Vygotsky.
 Hakuta, Kenji. Key Policy Milestones and Directions in
the Education of English Language Learners.
http://www.stanford.edu/~hakuta/www/archives/sylla
bi/Docs/rockefeller/Rockefeller.htm