This information comes directly from an article entitled "How Can I Help My English Language Learners?" in the SEPT/OCT edition of Instructor magazine. These are some resources listed as being great ELL sites:
This bilingual website for families and educators focuses on teaching ELL students how to read.
Scholastic's site offers classroom strategies and a wealth of research on language acquisition.
ELLs can listen to pronunciation of English words, including difficult beginning and ending sounds. The site also features links for teachers.
This extensive website outlines one district's ELL program implementation. Its helpful detail is both broad and specific. Click on programs.
This year I have several ELL students in my reading group. I am focusing a lot on using visuals and picture representations of the words we blend. I noticed one day that the kids did not hear the difference between the words hug and hog. The slight differences in vowel sounds are difficult for them to decipher, so I starting using my Boardmaker program to print small 2"x 2" pictures to accompany all of the words used during blending. That way, not only are they doing phonemic awareness and phonics exercises, but they are building vocabulary as well.
Visuals can also be a great way to facilitate communication with parents who speak little or no English.
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