Meeting the needs of ELL in the classroom

Inclusion for all students in the classroom is important. As a school we want to make sure all the students feel welcome and like they belong. These days, nearly one in every 10 U.S. students is an ELL learner (Edutopia). This means that there are a large number of students that are struggling to just understand the words they are reading. As teachers, there are ways for us to reach these students. We all want to give students our individual attention and one-on-one time, but it's not practical. Using words when teaching provides a barrier when students struggle to understand the language. Using pictures and visual representations of what you are teaching can helps students understand what they are learning. In science class, using demonstrations, for example make help students connect words with what is happening. The goal of teaching is for students to be able to take what you taught and use it in other classrooms so by, "using this type of [visual] representation [can] include transfer of knowledge" (Instruction that Works, 64). In all the subjects, there are places where teachers can add more pictures or visual connections in the form of graphs, graphic organizers, charts, anything that can give students a visual picture of what's going on.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-english-language-learners-complex-endeavor