Strategies and Content Areas for ELLs

I found this passage really meaninful to my field of study, which is TESOL. It discusses about some strategies to help English language Learners to be more successful

Science 

Pray & Monhardt (2009) proposed a process for teaching science to ELLs as follows: a) determine appropriate skills and concepts, b) determine specific activ- ities, c) include students' background knowledge, and d) appropriately assess student learning. Other teaching strategies, such as providing stimulating environ- ments such as oceans, swamps, or parks in science instruction, provided necessary shared learning experiences (Rillero, 2005). In addition, taking "I Spy" walks (Rosenow, 2008) and using science exper- iments (Rivkin, 2005) to promote vocabulary were also important strategies for teaching ELLs.

Social Studies Role play and the Four Comers game for navigational words and skills have been suggested by Rieg & Paquette (2009) to teach social studies. Tompkins (2009) cau-

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tioned to include shared language experi- ences to read, talk, listen, or write about social studies content for ELLs. Further, content related field trips and invited guest speakers were ways to include shared lan- guage experiences. Another strategy was the use of graphic organizers such as Venn diagrams, series of events chains, compare and contrast matrices, and T-charts to rein- force the language (Weisman, E.M. & Hansen, L.E.,2007). An example of peer collaboration in social studies classrooms to include ELLs

was to make charts to compare and con- trast geographic regions throughout the United States. Further, students may work in small groups for rich discussion, and then write graphic organizers to summa- rize main points to reduce language (Weisman, E.M. & Hansen, L.E., 2007).