Digital Promise Signature Workspace

Digital Learning Strategies for Academic Language and ELL Support

This workspace highlights research-based strategies and resources that can improve digital-learning settings for English Language Learners (ELL).

strategies for ell distance learning

Direct Instruction: Vocabulary

Literacy PK-3

Seeing and using new words repeatedly and in many contexts is critical for Vocabulary acquisition.

Multimodal Instruction

Literacy PK-3

Instruction in multiple formats allows students to activate different cognitive skills to understand and remember the steps they are to take in their reading work.

Manipulatives

Literacy PK-3

Providing physical representations of concepts helps activate mental processes.

Dialogic Reading

Literacy PK-3

With this interactive technique, teachers help students become storytellers by listening and questioning.

Sentence Frames

Literacy 4-6

Sentence frames or stems provide language support for students' writing and participation in academic discussions.

Manipulatives: Sentence Construction

Literacy 4-6

Providing physical representations of parts of a sentence activates learners' mental processes.

Student Choice

Literacy 4-6

Providing students a voice in their learning is critical for making learning meaningful.

Visual Reading Aids

Literacy 4-6

Visual supports, like text magnification, colored overlays, and guided reading strips, help students focus and properly track as they read.

Collaborative Writing

Literacy 4-6

When peers are able to work together to plan, draft, edit, and revise their compositions, their writing quality improves.

Word Walls

Literacy 4-6

A word wall helps build Vocabulary for reading fluidity.

Growth Mindset Feedback

Literacy 4-6

Providing feedback that focuses on the process of developing skills conveys the importance of effort and motivates students to persist when learning.

Feedback on Writing

Literacy 7-12

Providing constructive feedback supports students' writing development by letting them know how to improve their writing.

Accessible Vocabulary & Syntax

Literacy 7-12

Using language that is accessible and appropriately leveled for each student allows all students to feel successful and participate in learning.

Daily Review

Literacy 7-12

Daily review strengthens previous learning and can lead to fluent recall of information and application of skills.

Journaling

Literacy 7-12

Journaling allows students to reflect on their thinking and feelings, process their learning, and connect new information to what they know, supporting their identity development and Sense of Belonging.

Provide Writing Models

Literacy 7-12

When teachers provide students with model texts for their writing, they learn to identify effective elements to incorporate into their own writing.

Verbal Repetition

Literacy 7-12

Having students verbally repeat information such as instructions ensures they have heard the information and supports remembering, particularly for those students who struggle with Attention.

Multiple Representations: Visual Representations

Math 3-6

Visual representations help students understand what a number represents as well as recognize relationships between numbers.

learner factors connected to english language learners development PK-3

Literacy PK-3

Primary Language is the language a person has been exposed to from birth.

Literacy PK-3

A student's Home Literacy Environment (HLE) is the environment parents and caregivers provide to help learners gain early literacy skills.

Literacy PK-3

We all bring our own Background Knowledge, that is what we know and have experienced, to what we read and write.

Literacy PK-3

Syntax skills help us understand how sentences work—the meanings behind word order, structure, and punctuation.

Literacy PK-3

Morphemes are the parts of words that have their own meaning, such as prefixes (*re*play) and root words (re*play*).

Literacy PK-3

Helping students build their Vocabulary helps them understand what they are reading.

Literacy PK-3

Working Memory allows a person to temporarily hold and manipulate information to apply in other processes.

Literacy PK-3

Long-term Memory can store information indefinitely.

Literacy PK-3

Motivation is the desire and energy that guides behavior.

Learner Factors 4-6

Literacy 4-6

Primary Language is the language a person has been exposed to from birth.

Literacy 4-6

During the upper elementary years, students' Literacy Environments expand beyond the home and encompass a broad array of reading and writing opportunities.

Literacy 4-6

We all bring our own Background Knowledge, that is, what we know and have experienced, to what we read and write.

Literacy 4-6

To become more skilled readers and writers, students need to be able to understand and produce increasingly complex Syntax.

Literacy 4-6

Morphemes are parts of words that have their own meaning, such as prefixes (_re_play) and root words (re_play_).

Literacy 4-6

To become more sophisticated readers and writers, students need to be able to understand and produce increasingly advanced academic and content area Vocabulary.

Literacy 4-6

With our Working Memory, we recall and apply the knowledge stored in our Short- and Long-term Memories to help understand what we are reading and to plan writing.

Literacy 4-6

Long-term Memory can store information indefinitely.

Literacy 4-6

Helping students find value in their work is critical to motivating them to become successful readers and writers.

Learner Factors 7-12

Literacy 7-12

Primary Language is the language a person has been exposed to from birth.

Literacy 7-12

A student's Literacy Environment includes the resources provided by their home, school, and community that helps them develop their literacy skills.

Literacy 7-12

Students build knowledge from their experiences both in and out of school.

Literacy 7-12

Syntactic skills help us understand how sentences work—the meanings behind word order, structure, and punctuation.

Literacy 7-12

Reading Fluency refers to the foundational literacy skills, including word decoding, that are necessary for reading comprehension and fluid silent and oral reading.

Literacy 7-12

Building students' Vocabulary and ability to decode unfamiliar words helps with reading comprehension and effective writing.

Literacy 7-12

With our Working Memory, we recall and apply the knowledge stored in our Short- and Long-term Memories to help understand what we are reading and to plan writing.

Literacy 7-12

Long-term Memory can store information indefinitely.

Literacy 7-12

Motivation is the desire and energy that guides behavior.