Mount Douglas Secondary Teaching Strategies to support ELL students
The following list consists of strategies that Mount Doug teachers use in their classrooms to support English Language Learners (ELL)
- allowing increased time to complete tasks
- using varied assessment strategies
- including multiculturalism in units of study
- arranging student conference times
- increasing practice time for oral presentations
- repeating or paraphrasing new concepts
- providing written directions as well as spoken
- pre-teaching key vocabulary
- focusing on vocabulary development
- providing feedback on work in progress
- consulting with ELL teacher
- allowing for extra revisions of assignments
- using paired and cooperative work groups
- modelling expected outcomes
- using visuals: charts, photos, graphs, etc.
- using gestures
- leaving notes on the board; leaving clues on display
- putting notification of tests and quizzes on the board
- tapping background knowledge
- calling attention to relationships between concepts
- setting up reasons for students to communicate with each other
- allowing time for deliberation and reflection
- grouping ELL students with native English speakers
- providing students with flexibility in terms of reading material
- permitting students to use translators (except in test situations)
- assisting students outside of class time
- buddying ELL students with higher-level students to assist with language-related content
- encouraging students to work with peer tutors
- suggesting students contact the ELL teacher
- explaining assignments to students who require clarification
- creating a participatory environment