Opinion Blog

Classroom Q&A

With Larry Ferlazzo

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to lferlazzo@epe.org. Read more from this blog.

English Learners Opinion

10 Strategies for Reaching English-Learners

By Larry Ferlazzo — July 28, 2022 5 min read
Supportive hand holds up a student who is reaching for a star
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

During the summer, I am sharing thematic posts bringing together responses on similar topics from the past 11 years. You can see all those collections from the first 10 years here.

Today’s theme is teaching English-Language Learners.

You can see the list following this excerpt from one of the posts:

teachersneedhaynes

1. Crystal Ball Predictions: What Will Education for ELL Students Look Like in 10 Years?

In the next decade, schools just might appreciate English-learners for whom they are and the language skills they possess. Read more.

2. 14 Strategies for Teaching Intermediate English-Language Learners

Using drama, sentence frames, and academic conversations are a few teacher-recommended instructional strategies for intermediate ELLs. Read more.

3. Four Educator-Recommended Approaches for Teaching English-Language Learners

Five educators recommend classroom strategies for teaching ELLs, including translanguaging & consistency. Read more.

4. The Six Most Effective Instructional Strategies for ELLs—According to Teachers

Teachers share their “go-to” strategies for teaching English-language learners, including sentence starters and Total Physical Response. Read more.

5. Assessment Strategies for English-Language Learners

Four educators share practical assessment strategies to support English-language learners. Read more.

6. Thirteen Instructional Strategies for Supporting ELL Newcomers

Five educators share effective instructional strategies to use with English-language-learner newcomers, including using images and games. Read more.

7. Author Interview: ‘Reading & Writing With English Learners’

Authors Valentina Gonzalez & Melinda Miller answer questions about their book Reading & Writing with English Learners: A Framework for K-5. Read more.

8. 12 Common Mistakes Made by Teachers of English-Language Learners

Don’t assume students who are paying attention understand what’s being taught and, especially for young children, support learning in their home language. Those are among the ideas six educators share for helping ELLs. Read more.

9. Don’t Make Assumptions About Your ELL Students

Seven educators offer their nominations for the most common mistakes made by teachers of ELLs, including making background-knowledge assumptions and not providing enough scaffolding. Read more.

10. Teachers Must Create Ways ELL ‘Students Can Show Us What They Know’

Four educators share common mistakes made by teachers of English-language learners, including not being creative in how ELLs can show us what they know and by translating “everything.” Read more.

More Q&A posts about teaching English-language learners:


Explore other thematic posts:

Related Tags:

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

Events

School & District Management Webinar Squeeze More Learning Time Out of the School Day
Learn how to increase learning time for your students by identifying and minimizing classroom disruptions.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Improve Reading Comprehension: Three Tools for Working Memory Challenges
Discover three working memory workarounds to help your students improve reading comprehension and empower them on their reading journey.
Content provided by Solution Tree
Recruitment & Retention Webinar EdRecruiter 2026 Survey Results: How School Districts are Finding and Keeping Talent
Discover the latest K-12 hiring trends from EdWeek’s nationwide survey of job seekers and district HR professionals.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

English Learners Advocates Call for Return of Rescinded Federal Guidance on English Learners
The Trump administration quietly rescinded 2015 guidance on English learners' federal rights.
3 min read
ELL Aide Katherine Alfaro works with 4th grader Catarina Mendez Pedro at Russellville Elementary in Russellville, Ala., on Dec. 9, 2022.
English-learner aide Katherine Alfaro works with 4th grader Catarina Mendez Pedro at Russellville Elementary in Russellville, Ala., on Dec. 9, 2022. A national coalition of English-learner educators and advocates have called on federal officials to reinstate federal guidance for these students.
Tamika Moore for Education Week
English Learners Opinion How to Teach English Learners the Right Way
Teaching English learners can be challenging. These veterans offer guidance.
12 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
English Learners Advocates Push Congress to Protect Funding for English Learners
President Donald Trump has called for eliminating federal dollars set aside for English learners. Advocates make their case.
3 min read
TahSoGhay Collah, right, teaches a 3rd grade English learners class at the 700-student Worthington Intermediate School that serves grades 3 through 5, in Worthington, Minn., on Oct. 22, 2024.
TahSoGhay Collah, right, teaches a 3rd grade English-learners class at the 700-student Worthington Intermediate School that serves grades 3 through 5, in Worthington, Minn., on Oct. 22, 2024. English-learner advocates call for national leaders to protect federal dollars dedicated to these students.
Jessie Wardarski/AP
English Learners Trump Admin. Quietly Rescinds Guidance on English Learners’ Rights
The 2015 Dear Colleague letter detailed how schools and districts can comply with federal requirements in English-learner education.
4 min read
Photo of Dear Colleague letter.
The 2015 Dear Colleague letter outlining the rights of English learners has been rescinded, now with a notice at the top.
Education Week + Getty