Teaching ELL Students: Becoming culturally sensitive, overcoming language barriers, and celebrating diversity

What do I need to know about my ELL students and their families? Knowing the background, language, and cultural traditions of your students and their families is an important starting place. (Breiseth, 2011) Read pages 5-7 in the Colorin Colorado Guidebook for Engaging ELL families. *Using the information in those pages, make a list of the important information about each of your ELL students and their families including pertinent background information, language, and cultural/religious traditions.

How do I make ELL students feel welcome and provide the support they need? Learn names Get to know some words from their language Display their work SMILE! Prepare the class for a new ELL student Give them a buddy Clear goals, routines, and expectations Language rich environment Keep vocabulary accessible Opportunities for peer learning Resources from their cultures Connect content to their language and traditions (Colorin Colorado, 2011)

How do I engage ELL parents and students? Read the five strategies listed in the article here and discuss with a coworker. Do’s and Don’ts of teaching ELL students. Skim this article and decide which “Do” of teaching ELL students you need to focus on the most. Make a note of it.

Compare and Contrast strategies used by teachers of ELL students for different ages. What strategies can you use? Middle school teacher Kindergarten Teacher

Supporting Home Language and Culture: Why? *Why are Language Issues Important? Refect on quote from article, “Because language is so core to culture, a child's cultural identity will be impacted by his or her connection and fluency in the family language.” *Bilingualism: When Education and Assimilation Clash Notice the current and controversial issues surrounding this topic. After reading both articles, discuss, answer and/or reflect on the following questions: Why is teaching bilingualism controversial? What are the myths of bilingualism? How do ELL children often feel when trying to assimilate? What are some strategies for strengthening academics and integrating ELL students into an American classroom?

Tips for cultivating cultural sensitivity to ELL students and families 6 Ways Teachers Can Foster Cultural Awareness in the Classroom Skim the article above. Which strategy for fostering cultural awareness jumped out at you? Make a note of this.

Resources Anderson, M.A. (2015, October 27). Bilingualism: when education and assimilation clash. The Atlantic. Retrieved from: http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/10/history-bilingual-education/412543/ Breiseth, L., Robertson, K., & Laseth, S. for Colorin Colorado (August, 2011). A guide for engaging ELL families: twenty strategies for school leaders. Retrieved from: http://www.colorincolorado.org/sites/default/files/Engaging_ELL_Families_FINAL.pdf Chang, H.N., Muckelroy, California Tomorrow (1996). Why are language issues important? In Looking In, Looking Out Principles of Quality Care in a Diverse Society: Language. Reprinted with permission by the Early Childhood Equity Alliance (www.RootsForChange.net). Retrieved from: https://www.teachingforchange.org/wp- content/uploads/2012/08/ec_langissuesimportant_english.pdf Colorin Colorado (2011, July 26). What to do first: creating a welcoming ELL classroom environment. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FegO4Gh3uyk Concordia University (2013, November 1). Five ways to engage parents of ELL students. Retrieved from: http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/teaching-strategies/five-ways-to-engage-parents-of-ell-students/ Early Childhood Videos (2013, January 30). Supporting English Language Learners in the Preschool Classroom. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09PrmLppQ1A Ferlazzo, Jerry (2012, March 12). Do's and don'ts for teaching English-language learners. Edutopia. Retrieved from: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/esl-ell-tips-ferlazzo-sypnieski Lynch, M. (2014, December 9). 6 ways teachers can foster cultural awareness in the classroom. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-lynch-edd/6-ways-teachers-can-foste_b_6294328.html Oxford Seminars (2016, March 17). Tips for teaching ESL to middle school students. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMtEpveFNfk