English Language Learners: Teaching Strategies that Work

This unique new perspective and method for teaching English Language Learners is the proven result of the author’s community organizing career and his successful career in the classroom.

Written by an award-winning practitioner, English Language Learners: Teaching Strategies that Work offers educators a five-step methodology for teaching this burgeoning population. Rather than viewing these students through the typical lens of deficits they might have, the process helps educators recognize and use the assets ELLs bring to the classroom.

The five principles around which the process revolves are: building relationships, accessing prior knowledge through student stories, developing student leadership, learning by doing, and reflection. The book shows how these ideas can be used in all subject areas to help ELLs master both content and language using high-order thinking skills. In addition to providing detailed lessons, the book shares a framework teachers can use to create their own lessons, and it shows how to take advantage of technology and games as teaching tools. References to extensive research studies are included to provide evidence of effectiveness, and each lesson is linked to state standards in English Language development.

Provides over 50 original lessons for English Language Learners

Presents a five-step process teachers can use to increase student achievement

Offers many real-life examples, both in the author’s voice and in the voices of students

Includes graphic organizers and diagrams, K-W-L charts, examples of student work, and reproducible handouts

Lists two appendices: one on educational technology and the other on the use of learning games