English Language Learner (ELL)
Learning another language can be very challenging. At Wayland Union Schools, children who speak a language other than English in their home, or have a different native language, are supported through our general education programs as well as some of our specialized programming. Individual and group support is provided to help our students become acclimated both socially and academically. We strive to enrich the student’s learning experience in a warm and person environment.
Students are given an initial screening to determine if they qualify for specialized services and assess the level of support needed. Language proficiency is evaluated each spring by the State of Michigan via the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA). Students continue to receive support until they test at the advanced proficient level on the spring WIDA test.
Click on the following student resources:
Learn to Read Activities
English Club
The Academic English Café
Sheppard Software
Help English Language Learners in Your Classroom
• Pair your ELL student with a mentor.
• Use gestures and visual aids when you teach.
• It sometime helps to speak slower.
• Incorporate the culture and language in the ELL student. All students will benefit.
• Be aware of cultural differences.
• Use graphic organizers and Venn diagrams.
• Locate yourself close to the ELL student when teaching.
• Be concise with the information to avoid “information overload.”
• Check for comprehension. An Ell student may be able to decode words, but not understand what he or she has read.
• Use labels when possible.
• Phonemic awareness may be challenging for the ELL student who has not yet acquired the English sound system.
• Integrate reading, writing, speaking, and listening in real life contexts.
• Make a sheet of important vocabulary related to what you are teaching.
• Label important content words in your classroom.
• Speak conversationally to the ELL student as much as possible.
