All students learn in different ways, and ELLs are no exception.

Creating opportunities for hands-on learning in the classroom can

provide another way for students to grasp difficult concepts.
Background
Students learn in a variety of ways. Therefore, it is recommended that
teachers use different teaching styles to meet English language learners'
(ELLs') needs. Students who are learning the English language can
benefit from a variety of learning modalities. For example, the tactile
learner can have the opportunity to learn through hands-on activities,
increasing the student's learning experience. The following paragraphs
will explain the positive outcomes hands-on activities have on ELLs,
and how educators and parents can implement these strategies in their
classroom or at home (O'Neil, 2004).
Hands-on activities let the students' minds grow and learn based on the
experiences and the environment they are exposed to. ELLs learn while
discussing, investigating, creating, and discovering with other students.
As the students become familiar with the subject they are learning, they
begin to make decisions, requiring less teacher support and allowing
more interactive learning experiences to occur (Cooperstein & Kocevar-
Weidinger, 2004).
There are some guidelines written by Milbrandt, Felts, Richards, and
Abaghari (2004) that provide support as educators create an environment
that promotes hands-on activities. For a successful classroom experience
to take place, ELLs need to have access to many different tools. For
example, they need to be able to have access to computers, videos,
books, magazines, manipulatives, and their local library to do research.
They need time to brainstorm, generate, and re-create their ideas.
Furtheremore, ELLs need to feel comfortable to make mistakes and to
start all over again when necessary. All of these components are
important parts of the learning process, as students become independent
learners.