Teaching English Language Learners: A Handbook for Elementary Teachers

Teaching English Language Learners is a handbook for elementary staff who work with English Language Learners, but who don’t have specialized training in English language acquisition. The book is a handy reference that describes all stages of learning English, and how home language and culture affect English Language Learners in school. It provides a thorough picture of English Language Learners by describing English language levels, adjustment behaviors, family interactions and expectations, non-academic areas of need, and how to discern whether or not student difficulties are language based. It also offers practical strategies for teaching writing and describes general Project Based Learning activities appropriate for both large and small groups. The book supports classroom teachers, para-educators, volunteers, teachers in training, specialists and other adults working with elementary English Language Learners.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments Introduction Acronym Soup and Other Terms Chapter 1: Who are These Kids? Countries and Backgrounds Period of Adjustment Grade Placement The Silent Stage An Adjustment Problem Not an Adjustment Problem Clothes Realistic Expectations Chapter 2: Home Comes to School The Cultural Divide General Information Gender and Expectations Socializing Holidays Resources Chapter 3: Domains and Levels of English Language Learning Language Domains Listening Speaking Reading Writing Testing English Language Proficiency Levels of English Language Proficiency Level 1–2 Beginner Level 3–4 Intermediate Level 5–6 Advanced/Exited Beginning Level Proficiency Goals Intermediate Level Proficiency Goals Advanced Level Proficiency Goals Chapter 4: How to Talk to Your ELLs Pace Yourself Receptive Language Productive Language This is Tense. Keep it Simple. Be an Active Active Speaker More than Words I Don’t Get It Chapter 5: Classroom Accommodations What are Accommodations? Typical Accommodations Who is Part of the Accommodations Process? When and Where do ESOL Students Use Accommodations? Why Use Accommodations? Chapter 6: Making the Everyday Puzzle Pieces Fit The Basics First Steps Technology for the Unemployed Let’s Do Lunch—Book Talk Overview Before—Setting Up During—Let’s Eat After—Clean Up The Book Talk Ripple Effect Chapter 7: Project Based Learning Why PBL? Collect Something Write to Someone Make Something Play Something Chapter 8: Strategies for Teaching Writing Summaries Fiction Non-Fiction General Organization Dots Write Point of View The Kid Piece of the Writing Puzzle Six Word Memoirs OWL Purdue Online Writing Lab Maryland Public Television Chapter 9: What’s the Problem? ESOL and Special Needs ESOL Common Errors (Don’t Worry) Uncommon Errors (It’s Time to Worry) Chapter 10: What Teachers and Kids Say Teachers Input from Kids (with some grammar corrections) Appendix A: Basic Skills Chart for Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Appendix B: Suggested Readings for Book Talk Appendix C: Project Based Learning (PBL) Activities Appendix D: The Great Graph Appendix E: Comparing Proficiency Levels over Time Appendix F: Comparing Proficiency Scores within a Group About the Author Index

About the Author :
Ann Morgan is a long-time elementary and ESOL teacher, teacher trainer, and writer with experience at all levels of English Language Acquisition in K-8 and college. She holds multiple Masters degrees and has worked as a writer, editor and/or consultant for the state of Maryland, Oxford University Press, the Library of Congress, Discovery Education, and the National Institutes of Health.

Review :
Teaching English Language Learners by Ann Morgan is full of workable tips and support ideas for understanding how best to meet the language, cultural, and emotional needs of immigrant and non-English speaking students. This book is easy to read and written in a very practical style without the use of theoretical jargon. The author ends each chapter with “Key Take-aways” that are practical and can be immediately implemented. Every teacher and administrator should read this book to truly understand that teaching an ESOL student is more than just teaching vocabulary and grammar. I recommend this book as it is written by an ESOL teacher who truly understands how best to teach this population of students. This is a vital handbook for elementary classroom teachers with ESOL learners. It is a clear and engaging guide to ensuring young English learners have successful school days. It also gives tools to put in place when faced with the challenges that come with learning a new language. Ann Morgan’s concise explanation of who ELL students are goes a long way to help schools and teachers understand the students they are teaching, both academically and culturally. Ann Morgan has woven a tapestry of the realities of guiding students and their families on their journeys to adjust to and become part of the American fabric. Large issues and specific ideas will help all educators reflect on the challenges of welcoming and assimilating new students into our culture with respect and understanding. The picture of an ESOL student’s life is so clear and challenging to educators. The use of the anecdotes is powerful and helpful. Ann Morgan’s examples from her own teaching, along with concrete ideas to support ELLs in the classroom, are valuable to teachers looking for ways to help this population of students. Her key take-aways at the end of each chapter are not only a great way to summarize each of her main points, but also anchor teachers in practical classroom concepts. It takes an accomplished educator, a passionate teacher, and an engaging writer to give teachers authentic answers to a complex problem in a format that is easy to read and even easier to understand. Thank you, Ann, for your compassionate approach and masterful explanations; your humor, sensitivity, and hand-on suggestions will make a difference to children trying to acclimate to strange new worlds and languages. I can’t wait to share this book with my faculty.