It is no secret that English Language Learners (ELL) are becoming one of the fastest growing populations of students in the United States, or that the majority of these individuals are entering the public school system at the elementary level, causing increasing pressures on the system to provide the appropriate means of instruction to those students (Calderon, Slavin, & Sanchez, 2011). There are many different strategies that may be employed in order to provide instruction to ELL students, thereby working to ensure that ELL students are not handicapped in any way and are able to master the same core competencies as other students, with enough assistance (Greene, 2013). Strategies that may be used include, but are not limited to, scaffolding understanding, purposeful grouping of students, offering students background knowledge on the topic of instruction, allowing for extended discussion on the topic of instruction, and indicating an increased valuation of linguistic differences within the classroom setting (Greene, 2013).
In offering these differentiated types of instruction for ELL students, it is possible to work to ensure that the needs of the student are adequately addressed within the classroom setting, and that no student is left behind as a result of their lack of knowledge of a particular language (Ford, 2011). Steps are being taken and new methods are being applied in order to ensure that teachers are able to provide all students with the best possible opportunity for educational advancement, however at this time it is still clear that there is a long way to go in working to ensure that such differentiations in teaching strategy do not cause increased strain on the classroom. It is clear that ELL instructors have a hard road ahead of them, but by ensuring they have the proper knowledge to accomplish such a task, it is possible to ensure the continued success of all students, elementary level or not, native English speakers, or ELL students.
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"Reflection on ELL Instruction".
- Calderon, M., Slavin, R., & Sanchez, M. (2011). Effective instruction for English learners. The Future Of Children, 21(1), 103–127. Retrieved from http://futureofchildren.org/publications/journals/article/index.xml?journalid=74&articleid=542
- Ford, K. (2011). Differentiated Instruction for English Language Learners. Colorín Colorado. Retrieved 20 September 2014, from http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/41025/
- Greene, R. (2013). 5 Key Strategies For ELL Instruction. Tchers’ Voice. Retrieved 20 September 2014, from https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2013/10/25/strategies-for-ell-instruction/
