Addressing the Needs of English Language Learners (ELLs)

In this course, participants learn how to address the language, literacy, and learning needs of English Language Learners in their classes through active, hands-on experiences that model the concepts and strategies that are to be applied in their schools. Practical activities are informed by research on second-language acquisition, bi-literacy development, and content-based second language instruction, and they are blended with discussions of current research-based literacy concepts as presented in many state language arts frameworks. Teachers explore strategies to teach reading, writing and talking across all content areas to ELLs, and work to establish literate classroom environments that are accessible to all students. This course is designed to foster collaboration between mainstream teachers and ESL teachers within and across schools while strengthening collegial support and problem solving in the implementation of the PLN frameworks. Participants get an overview of the management and evaluation of a literate environment that is accessible to ELLs while focusing on the development of curriculum plans that integrate content and language.

Course texts: Participants must purchase the course text “Unlocking English Learners’ Potential: Strategies for Making Content Accessible” 1st edition, by Diane Staehr Fenner and Sydney C. Snyder. PLN provides “The Plainer Truths of Teaching, Learning and Literacy” by Morton Botel and Lara Paparo as a mentor text.