Supporting ELLs Literacy Outcomes by Using Tools

Abstract

Many general education teachers feel confused and overwhelmed when working with ELLs because they may not have the proper training or knowledge to support this population of students. This is a problem because most ELLs academic achievement scores in reading are lower than their non-ELL peers. ELLs face three overarching challenges including, linguistic, sociocultural and assessment challenges, which impact their learning. To remediate these challenges and address the problem educators will learn through two professional development sessions how to implement various tools including graphic supports and sensory supports to enhance instruction for ELLs. After these two professional development sessions, educators will know how to evaluate and choose graphic supports to use with lesson materials and tests or assessments. They will also know how to select appropriate graphic organizers and modify them using graphic supports.