LEON COUNTY SCHOOLS ESOL Program 2010-2011

SELECTED ESOL STRATEGIES

According to the 1990 Florida Consent Decree, ELL students must be given comprehensible instruction using modifications and strategies that have proved effective with ELL studentsas well as with non-ELL students who have difficulty using the English language. Because English is the language of instruction in our districts mainstream inclusion model, teachers of ELL students must modify their instruction in the New Generation Benchmarks to meet the specific needs of their ELL students. Teachers of ELL students are required to implementand document the use ofESOL strategies. One easy way to document is to keep this sheet in the teacher plan book and record the number of each strategy used during a unit or lesson.

Strategies while planning a lesson:

1. Establish English language objectives for each lesson or unit. 2. Allow the use of bilingual dictionaries during class and tests. 3. Write instructions and problems using shorter, less complex sentences. 4. Include pre activities such as advance organizers and semantic webbing. 5. Modify assignments as appropriate for ELL students level of English proficiency (pre-production, early production, speech emergence, and intermediate fluency). 6. Prepare written outline of lesson objectives and instructions to give to ELL students.

Strategies while presenting a lesson:

7. Simplify grammatical structures. When speaking with ELL students, use familiar words, avoid long words, and limit the length of sentences. 8. Check for understanding. Make sure your ELL students know what is expected of them in terms of classroom and homework assignments, projects, etc. Model step-by-step procedures prior to a student activity. Always provide written directions for assignments. 9. Facilitate comprehension of concepts by using pictures, tables, graphic organizers, maps, diagrams, globes, and other visual aides to illustrate new words and terms and to assist in comparing and contrasting. 10. Assist students in understanding complex concepts and skills by presenting clear illustrations and using gestures, realia (concrete objects), demonstrations, and concrete examples. 11. Teach and reinforce study skills by using timelines, flow charts, outlines, underlining or highlighting main points, and Venn diagrams. 12. Build on the students prior knowledge and existing language skills.

13. Use cooperative learning activities that provide students with additional opportunities for verbal expression. These include o jigsaws o cooperative games o peer tutoring o peer assignments o numbered head reviews o cooperative projects 14. Allow time for oral expressionin centers, with games, through project presentations. 15. Facilitate reading comprehension by providing audio and/or visual supplements. 16. Use outlines and the process writing technique to foster development of students writing skills. 17. Reflect cross-cultural understanding in the classroom through use of displays, reading materials, biographies, pictures, guest speakers, etc.

Strategies for assessing student learning:

18. Observe students, ask questions, and evaluate constantly. 19. Make sure that tests and other materials are printed clearlynot handwritten or poorly copied. 20. Check for content comprehension with learning logs, strip stories, dialogue journals, cloze exercises, drama/role play, experiments, reading logs, illustrations. 21. Allow the student to use his/her native language especially when doing writing assignments or to clarify meaning with an individual proficient in his/her language.

Strategies for Improving Parent/School/Community Connections:

22. Communicate frequently with the parents and ask for them assistance when needed. Enlist the assistance of bilingual individuals and resources to facilitate communications with parents, if necessary. 23. Use parents as a resource for tutoring students in their native languages or for sharing artifacts and cultural background. 24. Consider parents English proficiency when assigning projects or homework requiring parental assistance. 25. Facilitate partnerships between ELL students and neighbourhood children or parents for homework help. 26. Enlist volunteers, particularly from the multicultural community, to tutor students in their native language.